Set In Motion

Home

Many hours later, Chelle was sitting on the couch scrolling through her phone, our empty food containers and coffee cups were in the trash, several side kicks for my parents gave debriefed me on their rounds and attacks that occurred. It was 5:22. Finally.

I shut down the computer, stretch and groan at my sore and stiff joints. By the fireplace is my "locker" where I keep my civilian belongings on duty, and my hero costume when I'm off. Changing quickly, and pulling my hair into a bun to tuck under a beanie, I turn to Chelle sitting on the couch.

"Okay, it's bed time, let's gooooooo." She laughs at me, links an arm with mine, and we're out the door. Waving and saying goodnight to those still in the office, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding the second we got outside. I'm tired but I wanna have our girls night, so we pick up wine, our order from our favourite mom and pop Mexican joint, and head to my car to go to my house.

It's small and simple, hidden in a small city northeast of Indy. Blonde brick, brown roof, garage, and a fenced in back yard. Two baths and three beds. One room was mine, the second was a guest bed, and the smallest of the three I turned into a combination of a library and my computer gaming station. It was perfect for me, and Chelle stayed over often when she wasn't teaching at the local middle school.

I pull my car into the garage and can see a very excited, wiggling black mass through the screen door leading inside. "Nyma~!" I sang to my dog, causing her to wiggle faster and I could hear her tail pounding against the side of the stove.

The second I opened the door a black and white-chested lab bounded out, attempting to tackle Chelle and I. Her shiny hair gleamed in the evening light, her mouth pulled back into a classic pittie smile. That's the only part that seemed to show she was mixed with a pit bull. Her smile, the white on her chest, and the two white toes on each of her back paws.

Chelle squealed in a baby voice, "Hi baby's!! Hi! Hello! Yes, I love you too, my little baby, I love you too!!" She was showering Nyma with scratches and pets, and Ny was loving it. Her whole body curling into a C with each violent wag.

Stepping into the kitchen, we laid out our pickings, placing the wine in the fridge and the food in the oven to keep warm while we picked a movie and fed Nyma. We decided on Spirited Away, one of our favourites since we were young. Something about odd and magical always drew us to Ghibli movies.

"You ever gonna move? Or travel?" Chelle asked between bites of her enchilada.

I sigh and drop an arm to my lap. I want to. I really want to. I want to see more than the plains and forests of the Midwest. This will always be home but not the only place I want to be. Too many "SINNERS WILL BE DAMNED TO HELL" signs on the interstates and corn. By god the corn was everywhere. I wonder if I could visit Russia, spend time with Romanov? I hadn't seen him in a few years. Or Miguel in Portugal. Oh, it's so beautiful there...

"Char?" Chelle is shaking my leg hard, I must've zoned out hard.

I took a sip of wine, "I want to, you know I want to. I have friends I could go see in so many places... I just don't..."

"Don't want to have the talk with your parents, right?"

"Yeah... that."

It's not that my parents wanted to hold me hostage here, but I think they'd be hurt that I wouldn't be working with them for a while. We worked so well as a team. I love them so much and I know they'd love and support me regardless of whatever I do. But ...

"How do I eBen bring it up? How do I tell them I want to leave them for a while, hell, leave you! Jay! Brit! Dustin! I can't just up and leave... right? I have a job to do and friend and family here."