Late night drives

Epilogue

(This is the epilogue of Late night drives.)

Today's December 26th.
I turn on the tap and place the plates in it. yesterday when mom came home we talked until it was light. then we fell asleep on the sofa. I can't believe it after all this time. we reminisce about the good old days. I was like a five-year-old child curled up in his arms. hugged against her I breathed in her sweet flower scent. I hugged her tightly.

"Matthy you can say yes." She says suddenly.

"What are you talking about? Say yes to what?"

" I know you have sent your application to your dream university. And you don't have to go there because it was Ricky's dream. Either way, I will completely support you whatever your decision is. "

I lay my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes. I am done making the past my reason to live. I inhale and exhale deeply. Then I slumber without realizing it. I woke up covered in my blue duvet, the one Ricky had bought me for my twelfth birthday. I thought it was buried in the cupboards or that Mom had given it. After all, we had nothing left that reminded us of Ricky at home. As if it never existed. but we all felt his soul present every day.

Then we had a hearty lunch shared around the table. it had been centuries. There were brownies brought back from her eve. milk, fruits, eggs, french toast, hot chocolate. In short, all this made me hungry.
Now I'm a little sorry given the pile of dishes in front of me. I sight of resignation.

I had two or three plates left drowned in soapy water when my phone started ringing. It vibrated incessantly because I had forgotten to put it back on the normal ringtone. It was getting so annoying that I had to wipe my hands on my jeans to do it. I wanted to put it back in my pocket and continue peacefully and above all end this torture as quickly as possible.
I had at least ten messages the majority came from Silver. Although among this multitude of messages, I see one coming from Kim. However, it only says Sorry. nothing else. I answer him why, but only one arrow appears. it either has no signal or....No.
It's not worth doing lots of fake scenarios.
It's just a normal sorry. Nothing more.

"Sorry."

What could that means especially now?
This word alone is suspicious enough, and now he just says it without context.
I then check Silver messages.

"Why do you mean Kim is gone?"

"I mean he's not at the hospital. He checks himself out in the morning. No one knows where he at."

"He's gone?"

" No one has heard from him, since."

" After, everything..."

I take a deep breath to calm down. I pause to reprocess the information before continuing.

" He certainly does have an explanation, doesn't he?"

He can disappear like that overnight. "

I try to call him, multiple times. But no answers. They say his phone is out of service.

We don't know where he is. He could be anywhere, searching for him will be more difficult. However, he probably won't go that far because of his injuries. At least that's what I am trying to convince myself of.
I left the plates unwashed in the sink and hurried to my car. I start it and drive to the places where he could most likely go to.

He's not at the graveyards. Nor at the parking lot. Not at the hangar either. He's not even at that place where we went to watch the sunset. I am starting to run out of ideas. I decided to return home because the sun is about to go down.

I can believe he's gone.

A month later.

The last boxes are outside. Only a few things left for me to pack. After a long talk with Mom, we decided to move out to another state, much closer to my university. I have made that choice. To move out. Another place another day. A new start. Not that I am burying all my memories here. I will cherish them forever in my heart. Now it's time I leave. Now it's time I live.