Another Day Without You...

Chapter Eleven.

A large crown gathered around the bunk, the familiar faces were all lit up with happiness, smiling and even tears of joy fell from a couple of family members, soon it was time to go.

Picking up the last of her stuff Lorna spilled out into the isle hugging each member of her prison family, a few words with each person and the promise to be good and not too come back started to become regular with each hug goodbye.

Trisha, Norma, Gina, Soso - one by one working her way down the line, tightly holding each person and receiving a kiss at the end.

Down to the last three now, Red, Alex and Nicky.
This was going to be the hardest.
Red was sobbing uncontrollably, mumbling in Russian wiping her tears away with a tissue which was removed from her sleeve, " You be good now, and don't think about coming back. I will look after the girls, and you look after yourself. We will see you soon enough little one. I love you daughter." Red started sobbing again, the family started to giggle at seeing her emotional as it didn't happen very often and nobody even knew Russian!

Next it was Alex.
"You be good now kid, you make sure you sort things out for your girl and I'll look after her until you two are back together again, I'll see you soon!
there's one thing I need to ask.. can you check on piper, I tried calling again yesterday and no answer.. I'm really worried about her" Lorna nods and smiles before being handed a piece of paper with a phone number and address on, the tall women wrapped her arms around the smaller lady and squeezed tightly, smiling and kissing the top of her head before letting her go, Alex was overjoyed for Lorna.

Last of all.. the most important person.. Nicky.
Lorna's lip started to tremble as she tried holding back the inevitable tears that awaited, she shook her head trying to compose herself and control her emotions, trying to set an example for her frail girlfriend, unknowingly to her Nicky was doing the same.
"You best not pick ugly wallpaper or I'm staying here" Nicky jokes, resorting back to her coping mechanisms of laugher and comedy to lighten the challenging moment.
Lorna lunges at her girlfriend throwing her arms around her neck and squeezing whilst sobbing, " I don't want to leave you, I'm not leaving you I'm leaving this place and like I said I need to because I want you to be my forever!" Lorna's words stumbled out without a break to breathe, Nicky squeezes tightly and kissed her one last time before separating from the embrace, she didn't really want to let go but she needed too, she needed to get Lorna to leave  before things got to emotional for her.
"Let's go kid." She said holding Lorna's belongings under her arm before taking hold of her girls hand in the other, she began walking towards the door to leave the dorm.

Shouts and screams of joy and I love you's filled the dorm as Lorna turned around and blew kisses to the people left behind, waving goodbye for the last time as she walked backwards until they were out of sight.
She linked arms with Nicky again walking the mast few steps towards processing, Both women took deep breaths to try and slow their heart rate and keep their cool.

This was it, the processing door.. the last they will see if each other in a while, the last they will be this close and able to touch each other for god knows how long.. they turn and face each other and match each others smile, watering eyes and heavy hearts they both simultaneously say "I love you", one last kiss, one last hug and one last time their hearts beat in time with each other as their chests rise and fall at the same time.
This was it.

Nicky handed Lorna her belongings and nodded her head towards her soul mate, urging her to pass through the door and into the big wide world, it hurt her so much but she knew this day would come, it gave her reason to continue fighting the good fight and stay within sobriety.

Lorna walked through the threshold and blew Nicky a kiss before being escorted away, Nicky stood until she was out of sight, a tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek, her hand came up and scrunched her hair, she began to breakdown.
"I love you so fucking much" Nicky cried out.

Two arms covered her back as Red and Alex held the woman up and comforted her whilst she cried, walking her back to her bunk and tucking her into bed, this was the start of something beautiful but something that was going to be so very challenging.
The pair sat with Nicky all day, talking and comforting her, stroking her head until she fell asleep and then playing cards with each other whilst the woman rested, never leaving her side.
The next few days we're going to be crucial to maintaining her recovery and sobriety.

Lorna walked out of the prison, no longer in Khakis  but in prison issue release clothes.
She climbed aboard the bus with her paper bag of belongings and starred into the prison, no longer having much contact with her family she had to take the bus to the bus Station and then another two busses to her sisters house, head on the window she began to think about what she would do next, how she would do it and how long she would be without her family.

The bus engine started and the old single pain windows rattled, this was it... the start of something new, her new life - but for the meantime it would be without Nicky and without her family.

Lorna was petrified as she was never a leader, only a follower - she always relied on others and her family to lead the way, she was happier and safer that way, it kept her out of trouble and made her feel safe, this was going to be the opposite of what she was used too.

A new life, a new world, new outlook and she didn't have time to adjust, it was here and it wasn't going to wait for anyone, thrown into the deep end without even knowing how to swim, but she would have to learn, and quickly.