I
moved slowly back towards the kitchen and once again found her
note. “Butler, I’m leaving.” That was the only line I could
read at first. I blinked and looked at it again to make sure I
wasn’t imagining it. It was all so surreal. “I know you might
be surprised, but I need to get away. If you love me, don’t try
to track me down. I need to get away for a while, but I don’t
know when I’m coming back.” I knew Molly. She had wanted to
write “I don’t know IF I am coming back,” but she didn’t have
the guts. That was all I could read.
We only had one car, and
Molly would drop me off at work if she needed it, but that day
she hadn’t. There was no airport in Bremerton, only a bus
station and taxi service. Once again, though, I knew Molly, and
I realized she wouldn’t just get a ride into town. Plus, she
loved taking the bus on long trips because she enjoyed watching
the landscape change as she rolled eastward. Though she grew up
in Montana, she had always wanted to live on the east coast.
Whenever she saw pictures of Boston and Philadelphia, she would
say “Look, honey. I want to go there one day. Will you take
me?”
I grabbed my keys and headed
for the car. Since the bus station wasn’t very big, I assumed I
could probably guess which bus Molly took. If I was lucky, she
might still be there waiting on a delayed connection. I had
never driven so recklessly, but then again, safety was far from
my first concern at that moment. I knew if I could talk to her,
or even just see her, I could convince her to stay.
The Bremerton Bus Station was
pretty much empty. It was about six o’clock, so the rush must
have been earlier, if there was ever a rush. I parked right in
front of the main entrance and hurried in.
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