Beth leaned closer, her eye on the office door. “What are you going to donow?”
Fair question. Donna had no idea. She continued to pack a few more items in her full bag and avoided Beth’s gaze. “Now that my wedding is cancelled and I don’t have ajob?”
Beth patted her arm like they were family which was good because Donna had no one else, not really. Beth pushed Donna’s hair out of her face and smiled at her. “So you’re free. For the first time, what are you going todo?”
Donna met her gaze and saw kindness. She then finished with her drawer and closed it. The sound echoed through the library as Donna repeated, “Free. I’ve never been that. What would you do if you wereme?”
Beth laughed and threw her hands in the air like the answer was obvious. “Travel the world, experience things. Donna, you’ve been grounded for years. It’s time for you to fly and see where youland.”
Mark had finished his discussion with the commissioner and walked right to the door without a word for either of the women. The commissioner followed, leaving with an awkwardwave.
Out of routine, she and Beth checked the library as they did every night before closing and turned off the lights to all the rooms. Donna admitted, “I do have a list on my phone of things I’d like tosee.”
Every so often she took notes on things she’d read about that would be nice tovisit.
Donna turned off the last light. This felt like the end, but she hooked her arm throughBeth’s.
“Then go for it,” Beth said. “You don’t have to be anywhereanymore.”
True, but at thirty that felt more like a punishment. Being alone with her thoughts always made her miserable and now that work was gone, she’d have to face herself. She smiled at Beth. “Let’s get out ofhere.”
In the parking lot, they headed to Beth’s five-year-old Camry that was fully paid for as it had been her week to carpool. Perhaps in other parts of the country five o’clock was dark but in Miami the sun still shone like afternoon. “Can I see yourlist?”
The chill in the January air didn’t matter. In fact, Donna thought it was right that winter would be here soon. She shivered and reached into her bag, digging her phone from the side pocket. She opened the notes app and handed it to herfriend.
Beth laughed as she scanned the list and read a few out loud, “Kiss a stranger… meet the Queen of England… go up the Eiffel Tower…Eat anything that looks good… This is easy to fix. Let’s look up airline flights on ourphones.”
“It seems so silly.” Donna got in the passenger side as Beth slid behind thewheel.
Before leaving the parking lot, Beth held up her own phone to show Donna the cost of airfare. “Donna, I know you have money socked away and now is the time. You can fly to Avce and crash the Royal Wedding, then take the train over to Italy for lasagna and check Venice off yourlist.”
Tempted, Donna shook her head before the idea took root. “No.” She’d created that stupid list to pass the time, it had never been agoal.
Beth continued, “Harry left afteryoubought your honeymoon. You have travel funds. This ticket is the cheapest,” she tried to hand over the phone, “but you’d have to leavetonight.”
Donna didn’t take the cell phone. How could she explain her resistance without sounding bitter and grumpy? She’d planned on licking her wounds in her condo forever, not coming out except to check on Beth. For valid reasons, there was a part of her that hatedchange.
Beth drove down the side street then onto the bright lights of Collins Avenue where the oceanfront was jam-packed with billionaire tax-haven condominiums, her phone on the console betweenthem.
Donna eyed the open app and hugged her waist as the palm trees passed by. What if she did take a few months to travel? She’d come back to her condo, refreshed, and find something to do with her life. Perhaps the time away might give her perspective on what she actuallywanted.
“You are thinking about it, I can tell.” Beth stopped at a redlight.
Donna sighed and shook her head. “That only gives me hours to pack.” She knew exactly where her suitcase was, shoved in the back of thecloset.
Beth laughed and clicked something on her screen. “I’ll drive you to the airport. Pack light. You can kiss a European when you get there and let your hairdown.”
“I don’t know.” Her brown hair in a bun suddenly felt tight when it was loose and messy from a day of work. And what was so terrifying? That if she left, she’d come back the same person? However, it would be nice to actually see more of the world she’d read about in books—escaped to during the hardest times. Miami wasn’teverything.
Beth made atsksound with her throat and pointed at one of the shopping malls across the street from the beach, near the Intracoastal. “Look, there’sHarry.”
Donna followed her friend’s pointed gesture to see Harry with his new girlfriend coming out of the jewelrystore.
Beth sped up, but Harry’s hand on his new girlfriend’s back was burned in Donna’s mind. She quickly told her friend, “Okay, I’m going. Let me have yourphone.”
She reached into her bag and brought out her wallet. If Harry could move on, she could too. Perhaps this trip would open her eyes to the beauty of the world rather than the pain. What if, why, and that eternal question of “what do I want to do with my life” might be answered. Getting away soundedperfect.
Donna typed in her creditinformation.
“Yes!” Beth cheered. “But keep in touch. Email me from anywhere, text any time. I want to hear when you’re happy again. You’re the closest thing I have to adaughter.”
Good. The ticket was bought. Donna leaned back. When had she last been happy? High school? College graduation? Even that had been marked with sadness that her parents weren’t alive to see her accomplishment though her grandparents had been great to her. It had been so long that she wondered if the emotion was a childish illusion that couldn’texist.
