Legend & Lace

8. All Aboard The Train Of No Turning Back

Chapter 8

All Aboard The Train Of No Turning Back

It was bittersweet, saying goodbye to everyone.

First, I went to Roddy's the following afternoon. Knowing he would be there in the early evening as he always was on Saturdays, I caught him just as he was leaving his office to go out to the bar. He knew something was up almost immediately after I handed him the folded up paper.

"So yer leavin', huh?" he asked after reading through my letter.

"Warren and I headed to America. He got a new job and I'm thinking of starting back to school," I nodded. "We leave on Monday morning, but I just wanted to tell you in person how much I've enjoyed working here."

After a few more moments talking, I headed back out to tell Aileen the news. She began crying as soon as the words 'I'm leaving' left my lips. She was still hugging me when Tam and Murray came in.

"What did yah do to her?" Tam said, feigning anger as he pulled his girlfriend away from me and into his arms.

"I didn't do anything," I smiled. "I just came to give Roddy my resignation letter and to say goodbye to everyone."

"Wait...what?" Murray questioned. "Yer leavin'?"

I nodded, shoving my hands in the pockets of my jacket. "Warren got a job offer in the States and I'm going with him. I've wanted to start back to school, so I thought this would be a good opportunity for us both."

Tam was the first to hug me, pulling me into one with Aileen. "We're gonna miss yah around here."

"I know," I nodded, leaning back to smile at him. "I'm going to miss you guys, too. We'll come back to visit, though. Promise."

Murray was next, pulling me into a tight hug. "Yah'd better," he told me. "Kirsten's gonna be mad she didn't get to say goodbye. And what about Colum?"

"Can you say goodbye for me? And that I'll miss them both?"

"Yah got it," he nodded, and kissed the top of my head.

After a few more minutes, I was wiping away tears as I left, leaving behind friends I didn't know when I'd see again, though I knew I wanted to. However, when Drake and I were finished with this adventure we were going on and when the third key was found and they lead us to whatever they would be, we would be back. And maybe even then we'd be able to come back as Drake and Hattie, not Warren and Laney.

***

Since we wouldn't be taking the truck, we said goodbye to the girls and Lorna at the house on the morning we left. Oh, there were tears. So many tears. Shannon and Gertie were bad, just like we knew would, and Lorna was just as much.

"We'll call you whenever we can, okay?" I told Shannon as she hugged me tightly.

"You said that the last time, but we didn't see you again until you came back," she mumbled.

I'll admit, hearing her say that was tough, but she was right. "I'm sorry. But I won't know when I'll be able to call you until everything settles down. It might be a few weeks..."

Shannon gave a small smile when she leaned back. "And I'll be the first to answer and the one who talks to you the longest."

Gertie had gotten me before we even walked outside and then moved onto Drake, but she had yet to let go of him.