Living Without Dreams

Chapter 3 - New Beginnings in an Old Place

“Is everything okay?” Greg asked anxiously as Susan rejoined him in the tiny living room of the guest house after tucking the children into bed.

“Yes. Everything’s great,” Susan said with a smile. “Zackary is so happy we’re all here with him.”

“I think we all are Susan,” Greg assured her. “So are we ready for tomorrow?”

“Have you found all your documents?” Susan checked. “I think we’ll need pretty much everything for the social security office.”

“Not everything,” Greg countered.

“Our passports, ID cards in our old and new names, marriage documents, and court orders showing we’re alive,” Susan said. “We have convince them we are who we were before the name change, that we’re alive, and then file for the name change as well,” she ticked off the information to be reviewed with that particular government agency.

Greg arched his brow. “Right. I forgot about the name change. I suppose we should try to take care of that too.”

“Unless they tell us otherwise when we get there, it makes sense to try to do it all at the same time if we can,” Susan said as she began to dig through her computer bag to retrieve the documents she thought she needed.

“What about the DMV? What do you suppose they’ll need?” Greg wondered.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if they get notified when someone is declared dead. I thought I’d start by explaining I’d been out of the country and was pretty sure my license has lapsed, plus I’d had a name change, then go from there. See what they say,” Susan suggested.

“That does sound simpler,” Greg agreed. “Maybe we’ll even be productive with our very first visit.”

“We can always hope,” Susan conceded and after ensuring they had everything ready they might need, both she and Greg finally went to bed.

c

Monday morning began early in Richard and Marion’s guest house. Susan arose first, showered, and was dressing in their room while Greg took a turn. They breakfasted with Richard and Marion up in the main house, checking once again that they were okay watching the children for the day. They were, so with documents in hand, Greg and Susan left for the day with Mitchel, Richard’s driver helping them.

“Thank you so much for taking us Mitchel,” Susan told the driver as she and Greg entered the car.

“That’s what I get paid for, Mrs. Abernathy,” Mitchel assured her.

“Oh I know … but still. I want you to know we appreciate it,” Susan insisted.

“Well thank you,” Mitchel told her. “Are we ready?”

“Yes, I think so,” Greg told him. “The only thing I can think of is to let you know Susan and I now have local phones. We’ll need your number so we can let you know when we’re finished at the Social Security office.”

“No problem Mr. Abernathy. It’s here on my card,” Mitchel told Greg as he handed a couple of business cards to Greg, then turned his attention to pulling out of Richard’s driveway, joining the flow of traffic along the Pacific Coast Highway.

The drive took just as long as Susan expected it would, but the experience of being back in the heart of the city she’d grown up in was weirdly satisfying. She kept telling herself that she didn’t actually like Los Angeles, but there was no denying the wondrous sensation it created deep inside her, just to be here. It had taken so long, felt like such an unobtainable goal, the pleasure it gave her as they drove through the city was unexpected.