No more tears - Leon Kennedy

Chapter 14

"𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫."

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"Whew!" I exclaimed as I set down the last box inside my new home, the weight of the journey still lingering in my muscles. It had been a week since my visit to the White House, a whirlwind of activity followed: touring a house, signing a lease, retrieving my long-stored car in New York, and multiple trips to move my belongings from Washington to this quiet village near Detroit.

Here, away from the city's relentless pace, I felt a calmness I hadn't experienced in years. The silence was so profound that I could hear birdsong through the open bay windows.

The best part of this story was that I had managed to get a superb lakeside home with two bedrooms, newly refurbished electrical and plumbing systems, and a kitchen where I could cook a few dishes. On top of that, I retrieved all my drawing materials and blankets that I had left at Will's place, which more than filled my loneliness.

For once, I was completely disconnected from others. I tried to check my phone as little as possible, trying to embrace my chosen solitude but ended up crying many times, broken by loneliness, rejection, and the confirmation that this time everything was indeed over; no one would disturb me, pull me out of my comfort bubble.

In the days that followed, I embarked on a project for a new easel so I could start painting again. So, I bought some wood planks from the local lumberjack, equipped myself with a toolbox, and crafted one with my resourceful hands.

Once all my boxes were unpacked and the rest of the furniture I had ordered from Washington was delivered, I was finally ready to move on.

Surprisingly, among my belongings, I found that journal I kept in my youth; the one where I confessed everything and anything, including my whims, and carefully leafed through it on some evenings while sitting in my armchair, my shoulders wrapped in a blanket, by the fireplace that I took care to revive every time it flickered during my long evenings of introspection.

When I saw that the last entry dated back more than 8 years, I couldn't help but smile, realizing that I had been through a lot since then.

But the part of me that wrote in it to not forget was gone, now.

I sighed as I closed my diary. As I stood up, both to stretch and wake up my mind, I heard someone knocking on the door, repeatedly.

I was extremely disappointed when I realized it was just a delivery person with a package to deliver, cursing my mind for its whimsy.

"Oh, he was supposed to send this to me...!" I exclaimed as I saw the book written by an old friend of mine, whom I met during a mission, bearing the name O'Brian.

I placed my hand on the cover, touched by the gesture, as I heard my phone ringing.

"Hello?" I asked the caller, without even checking who it was before.

"Hey Lucy, it's Helena... I wanted to check in, I haven't seen you at the White House..." She expressed as I smiled sadly.

"Yeah, I moved... Needed some fresh air..." I replied lightly, though the weight of my decision pressed on me.

"Well, I understand... It's calmed down a bit since we re-elected a president, but all these arrests have made people suspicious. I don't know who handled the investigation, but it's staggering, the number of people involved... Even Leon's been asking for a break!" She quickly replied as my heart skipped a beat at the mention of Leon's name.