My Prison Pen Pal

Chapter 6

Lucy's POV

The sun shines through my window as my alarm rings loudly and wakes me up. Stretching my arms over my head, I kick my legs out from under my comfy sheets and plant them on the floor. Today is the day I meet Braden. My stomach feels slightly twisty and my heart races at the idea that I will be coming face to face with him. I've never been to a prison before, hopefully this visit goes smoothly. I did have to sign a consent form online before I could sign up to meet Braden, and that was nerve racking. It listed multiple things that could go wrong during the visit, including harassment, being held hostage, or violent threats. I had to sign my signature right under. It makes me wonder, am I doing the right thing? Braden seems like such a perfect gentleman in all of his letters but what if something happens during our visit. I asked Kiera if she would be willing to come with me, but she had to tour a job site for her work right when I would meet Braden.

I think everything will be okay.

I take three long and deep breaths before I start getting ready for the day.

Walking into my bathroom, I brush my teeth and clean hair, put on some everyday makeup, and swipe on deodorant. As for my clothes, I decide to wear a pair of dark wash mom jeans, a crewneck sweatshirt and an oversized tee shirt on top. I accessorize with a small silver chain and two small silver rings on my left middle and right ring fingers. Changing into my scrubs at work is the best option for today as they have printed on them the name of my clinic, and I am not sure I want anyone to know where to find me. I am sure nothing would happen, but just to be safe, I fold and tuck my light blue scrubs into my tote bag. The clock reads 7:00 am, which is perfect because it takes about 45 minutes to get there. I throw my tote over my shoulder, slip on my white Nikes, grab my work water bottle, and head out the door while yelling bye to Rufus on my way out. Kiera usually feeds him breakfast because she leaves before me, and then the stinker goes back to bed to sleep off that big helping of food. Even though he is only 3, Rufus acts like a cute little old man.

On my way to the correctional facility, I drive through Starbucks to get an iced caramel macchiato and a croissant for breakfast. This is an occasional treat I allow myself if I am on the road and do not have time for breakfast. I consider picking something up for Braden but remember that I am not allowed to bring food items in without them being searched/ sniffed. Just to avoid that, I choose not to bring him anything. Sorry Braden, you'll just have to survive another month without Starbucks.

Finally, I pull up to the facility. It does not look as scary as I would expect. The boxy building is a faded yellow color and windows line each of the sides. The building is set on top of a grassy hill and has metal gates lining the perimeter of the lot. On each corner is a small watch tower.

I pull up to the silver metal gates topped with barbed wire and press a button on the pin pad that says "get ticket here". The kiosk dispenses a small white ticket and the gate buzzes open slowly. An officer in a little outdoor cubicle by the gate nods at me and looks back to their computer. Pulling into a parking spot, I place the ticket on my dash, grab my tote, and walk into the lobby. Walking up to the front desk, I notice there is a small waiting area to my right, and a door to my left that has two officers in front and a large metal detection device that you walk through at the airport.

"Hello Ma'am, are you here to visit?"

A male officer at the front desk looks up at me and squints.

"Uhhh yes yes. I am here to see Braden Valencia. I filled out all the papers online and signed up to see him at 8 am."

I fumble around with the strap of my tote bag, nervous while the officers click through tabs on the computer. He searches for a few minutes while clicking his tongue in the most annoying and condescending way possible.