spend any more time there than necessary.”
“Then I’ll buy you a round-trip ticket but I’ll leave it open so you can book as soon as you’re ready to come back.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, resting her head against his chest. “I’m sorry about this. I really don’t want to go, but you’re probably right, that it’s time for me to get some closure.”
“And if you need me, I’ll be on the next flight, okay?” He kissed the top of her head before getting up to get his laptop.
Charli didn’t sleep on the flight to Wichita. Between her racing thoughts, changing planes in New York, and how much she was dreading this reunion, she was a mess by the time she landed. Her hope had been that she would be calm, cool and collected, and show her parents and everyone else how she’d done just fine without them, but the minute she set foot in the airport, memories came flooding back. The last time she’d been in this airport, she’d been with her grandfather, moving to Alaska for the duration of her pregnancy. She’d been scared, heartbroken and sick to her stomach. The flight had been turbulent and she’d thrown up twice.
Being back in this airport made her feel like that all over again.
Miikka had thoughtfully reserved a rental car for her and she picked it up on autopilot, throwing her bag in the back and pulling onto streets that were somehow still familiar. She hadn’t had a car when she’d lived here, so although she’d had her license, she’d rarely driven anywhere. Now she navigated the streets comfortably, but it was almost surreal, being back in the area after so many years. And so many memories.
She’d grown up in a tiny town about half an hour outside of Wichita, and driving down the street she’d grown up on was even worse than being in the airport. It was so bad, she had to take a deep breath when she pulled into her parents’ driveway. There was a car parked on one side and lights on inside, but she sat there for a minute, working up the nerve to actually get out. She’d texted Miikka from the airport to let him know she’d landed safely, but it was the middle of the night in Finland and she didn’t want to wake him.
She regretted not letting him come with her, but she hadn’t wanted him to see what would undoubtedly be ugliness from her family. She also needed to sort this out herself, get herself on an even keel when it came to the past, because she didn’t want to let all of that negativity come between her and Miikka. He was the best thing that had ever happened to her and she wanted to be better, both for herself and for him.
Steeling her resolve, she grabbed her purse and got out of the car. She walked up the steps slowly, her heart starting to pound a little harder than usual, and she took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
There were footsteps from the other side and then her mother opened the door. “Yes, can I…” Her voice trailed off as recognition dawned and she stared.
“Hi, Mom.” Charli lifted her chin a notch, trying desperately to quell the bile rising in her throat. Why was this so hard?
“Charlotte.” Her mother’s face tightened slightly. “I didn’t hear from you. I didn’t think you were coming.”
“I was in Europe. I didn’t get your message right away but I came as soon as I could get on a flight.”
“Europe. I didn’t think a teacher could afford trips to Europe.”
Charli opted not to rise to the bait and merely waited. “Are you going to invite me in?”
“I suppose I am.” Denita Bartosiewicz walked inside, leaving Charli to come in and close the door.
The house looked almost exactly the same. The same old couch in the living room, the same scuffed wood floors and beat-up furniture, but there was a much bigger flat-screen television on the wall. The rug by the armchair in the corner had seen better days and even the paint on the walls was chipped and dingy. Had they done nothing in eight years? Or maybe she just remembered it differently.
“You want a cup of coffee?” her mother called out.
“No, thank you.” Charli followed her into the kitchen. “How’s Dad?”
“Not good. They did surgery today and it was difficult. The doctor says the recovery is going to require big lifestyle changes.”
“That’s encouraging, though,