“Lauren, I wish you’d stay here. I don’t—”
“I need to get away. Not away from you. I just need a change of scenery,” I interrupt. I see she doesn’t approve, but she doesn’t protest either.
“Are you going to be driving?”
“No. I’m leaving the car here. There won’t be anywhere to park. I called a cab to take me to the bus station, and I’ll take that the rest of the way.”
“I’ll drive you,” she offers.
“No, it wouldn’t make sense for you to drive me all the way to Chicago, then drive all the way back right after.”
“It’s fine. I don’t have much to do today anyway,” she says, pouring me some more tea, though my cup is far from empty.
“No, Raven, it’s not necessary, and the ride there will give me some time to clear my head,” I tell her, desperately not wanting to argue with her.
“Well, at least let me drop you off at the station,” she says in a pleading tone.
I sigh, feeling a small smile spread across my face. I give in. “Okay.”
“So who is this friend you’re going to be staying with?” she asks.
“Someone I used to work with,” I say, running my finger around the rim of the cup.
“This is a woman, right?” she asks nervously.
My eyes widen in surprise. “Of course.”
“I was just asking.” She smiles, clearly relieved.
I can’t help but giggle. If Cal found out I was staying with a man, I can’t even imagine what he’d do. He’s never been the jealous type. He never needed to be. I’ve only had eyes for him since we’ve been together. No other guy could stand a chance, and he knew that. But if he even thought it, I’d hate to see what he’d do. I’ve only seen his temper once, and it was like a lion was let out of the cage. He was furious; I’d never want to make him like that.
“How long are you going to stay with this friend?” she asks, taking the cup from me even though I’ve only taken a sip.
“I don’t know. I just—I need to get away from everything I’ve gotten used to.” I sigh.
Raven continues to busy herself about the kitchen then turns to face me with her hands on her hips. “Well, I’d really like for you to stay here and let me help you with whatever it is you’re dealing with. But whatever you feel you need to do, know I support you one hundred percent.”
I can’t help but smile. Sometimes Raven just surprises me. She does the exact opposite of what I think she’s going to do. I get up from my seat and hug her tightly, recognizing the scent of her perfume from when I was younger.
“Thank you,” I tell her quietly before taking a cleansing breath.
“Everything will be fine, sweetie,” she says, rubbing my back.
“I hope so. I-I don’t want lose my marriage. It’s just starting to be so much. I think taking a step back from all of the issues we’re dealing with would be good for both of us.”
“This is just a rocky time. Every marriage has them,” she tells me, hugging me a little tighter. She stands back and lifts my chin. “It’s the strong ones who make it through them.”
I nod, wiping away the tears building in my eyes.
“In fact, this will be good for you, some time to find yourself. Sometimes you forget about yourself when you’ve been with another person for so long.” She smiles, putting in place a stray hair.
I pictured this conversation going differently. I thought she’d tell me to stop being so sensitive and stick by my husband.
“What?” she asks with a smile.
“It’s just, I thought you would take Cal’s side on this,” I tell her.
“Lauren, I don’t really know what’s going on between you two to take anyone’s side. But you’re my niece, and I love you. I care about Cal very much, but if he’s making you feel like this, I can’t stick up for him. You come first. In the end, I’m going to support you, right or wrong. But I don’t see you being wrong on this.”
I hug her again.
“Lauren, we’re here,” Raven says, nudging me gently.
I open my eyes and see that we’re parked in front of the bus station. I stretch lightly. I feel as though I’ve been asleep for hours and could still sleep several more days.
“Honey, are you okay?” she asks, eyeing me with a worried expression.
“Yeah, just tired,” I tell her, gathering my bag off the floor and setting it on my lap.
“I was talking, and before I knew it, you had drifted off to sleep. I hope I wasn’t that boring.” She smiles, and I return it.
“Not at all. I just didn’t get much sleep last night,” I assure her.
Her expression shows she’s not convinced. “You’re sure you don’t want me to drive you? It’ll be no trouble.”
“I’m going to be fine. I’ll feel better knowing that you won’t be driving back from Chicago alone,” I tell her as I get out of the car. I walk around to her side, and she steps out.
“I guess there’s no convincing you otherwise,” she relents. I laugh at her persistence, and she sighs. “Well, honey, be safe.” She pulls me into a long hug.
“I will,” I promise her.
“I’d feel a lot better if you gave me this friend’s number.” She frowns.
I shake my head. I would, but Raven would just call a thousand times to make sure I was okay. Plus, I don’t want Cal to know where I am right now. And as many times as Raven says she wouldn’t give it to him or tell him where I am, I know how convincing Cal can be. He is a master in the art of persuasion, and anyone not immune to it gives into him within minutes.
“Do you want me to wait with you until the bus gets here?”
“No, thank you, I’m fine. It should be here soon… see? There it is.” I point at the bus pulling into the loading area.
“Okay, honey.” She smiles weakly and gives me another hug. “You call me the minute you get to your friend’s house, okay?”
“I will. The moment I hit the door,” I assure her as she hesitantly gets back into her car.
She looks at me one more time, her hand on the keys.
“I promise,” I tell her.
She smiles and blows me a kiss before she finally pulls off. I reposition the strap of the bag on my shoulder, grip my suitcase and head to the booth to buy a ticket.
“We’re here,” the tall gray-haired man tells me.
I smile awkwardly. “How much is it?” I open my bag for my wallet.
“Twenty sixty-two,” he replies.
I hand him a twenty and a five.
“Thank you, ma’am. Have a good one,” he says.
“You too,” I say, getting out of the cab.
“No problem,” he says before pulling off.
It’s almost eerie how quiet the street is. It’s so near downtown Chicago, and I expected the noise of cars, people, or music playing loudly, the soundtrack of the city. I look at the names listed next to the doorbells and smile when I see Davis. I push it and wait for a response.
“Who is it?”