Run 3

They knew that Tahiti was going to have to wait a bit longer. They had to make some money first. But for now they would just keep driving. It was all they knew to do. They had a feeling it was going to be fine, but nobody was making any promises to anyone. At about 7:00 that night, they stopped for dinner.

As they ate in a silent concern, Missy wanted to ask Alice how she was doing. She knew Alice was struggling. Her husband had been killed, everyone thought it was her doing, and on top of that she had no answers. Neither one of them knew how to figure anything out. They were both scared to try.

“I wish I knew… I wish I could explain it, but I can’t.”

“I know. I’m fine.”

“You are not. But listen, he was a bad guy, Alice. He was BAD to you. You didn’t do it, so you cannot keep beating yourself up about it. And on top of that, HE WAS BAD TO YOU. I knew from the minute I saw you. And I bet you sat there, looking for a way out morning after morning after morning. Am I right?”

Alice just looked at her. She didn’t want to admit it.

“Okay, fine. But listen, Al. This is your way out. It might not have been what you had in mind, but you are out. Now it’s time to start acting like it. I’m sorry this happened to you. To us. And I’m sorry you are stuck here with a woman you don’t even know. And that we don’t know where the fuck we are going. But please try to put into perspective that this is better than there. This is better than there, Alice. Anywhere but there…”

Alice was holding back tears. But she knew that Missy was right. There was no point in looking back at all of that shit. That shit was done. It was time for something different. Whether or not it was under the right circumstances, it was how it was.

“Can we buy some beer?” Alice asked with a smile.

“You betcha.” Missy responded with a laugh. The laugh from a days ago.