Out of The Blue

Chapter 24

Three months later

     18. Dang. I made it. I can now make my own legal decisions. It's been quite a ride but I'm here now, finally. Patience it key.

-    "Did Marie get the money?" Willy asks.

     "Well hold on now, I was getting there," I say with a giggle.

     "I like her friend," adds Jackson with a slight smile.

     "I like Marie... and Bob too, he's funny!" Emily admits with playful giggles. –

     I've returned to the bank and did all the arrangements that needed to be done for me to receive the $85,000,000. I still can't believe it. 85,000,000 dollars. Wow. This seems like a dream; it doesn't feel real. It feels like a dream that might turn into a nightmare and it might all just crumble apart and then hopefully I will wake. But this is real, this is actually happening, and we don't have to think so darkly of the future.

     As of last week, I'm rich. I'm a rich girl, I say to myself smiling, but that money is there for when I need it, for whoever needs my help, and of course treating myself once in a while never hurt anybody. I refuse, however to become a snob for that matter and I'm not saying rich people are the worst, I'm saying that so much money – like what I have now – can change a person for the worst if you don't have in view what's truly valuable and important. I'm also not saying that money doesn't mean anything because we need money to acquire the things we need. To survive in this world. I'm saying money doesn't define you; at least it shouldn't define who you are.

     I gave Alice the 50 acres of land on the northwestern portion of the Hudson Valley to Alice and her family because he used to be a farmer back in Columbia, and he would make a great farmer for it; he missed it, and Alice loves farms too because she can also have horses there and she adores them. I gave them the money they needed for them to be able to fulfil that. Bob didn't want the land because he wanted it for Alice and her family and he said he would go crazy trying to keep up with it, wanting it nice and polished. You know. So, I gave him his part of the money as a thank you. I didn't pay him; it was the act that I wanted to show to him that was my thank you. He also needed it and what ever am I going to do with this much money?

     A lot has happened and now here I am preparing and packing for a trip. I promised myself I was going to find my parents and get them back with me, even if it means that I will live in France. I don't mind, I love France, It's beautiful and that's my home country. I was born there. I don't have anyone here except Alice and Bob and we can always visit each other now that they will be more able judging by there monetary status now. I'm leaving, I'm leaving for France and I'm heading out of my room to say my goodbyes to my stepfamily – mostly my stepdad though. They don't know where I'm going; they think I'm going to spend the week with Alice and their new place on their farm. They also don't know I even have $28,000,000 in the bank. Except for John. He knows I'm leaving not that I am a millionaire. The goodbyes to Lauren are short and she's – as always – dry with me. Her expression and eyes screaming how she would wish I wouldn't come back. I say goodbye to Navy and it's also dry, but she has this hidden emotion; a hidden want. I try to read it and what I get back is that she might miss me while I'm gone; at least just a little.

     I say my goodbyes to John and this one feels long. This one feels long and heavy. He hugs me tight; he'll miss me the most. I'll make sure to write to him. I gather my things and Garfield's cage with Garfield in it; I'm taking him with me of course. You didn't think I would actually leave him? I head out the door and I get in my car with Alice waiting for me. I start the car and I look back to John, he'll miss me the most, but one thing I can also tell is that I'll miss him too. I thanked him for being like a father to me. Yeah, he wasn't perfect but what dad is? I can feel my eyes beginning to water so, I give him a smile and look away, so I don't cry. 

     And we're off. 

                                                                                     ~~

     "You're going to France!" Alice squeals excitedly with a wide smile and wrinkled eyes.

     "I can't believe it either," I reply also excited but surprised as well.

     Then, she squeals and then I yell in excitement, and now we both scream with the biggest smiles plastered on our faces, laughing. I'm so happy, I'm going to see my parents and be with them again. What if while I was gone, they had other children? Then I would have siblings! I'm just so eager to get there already! I wish I could just close my eyes for a couple of seconds and then be there when I open them. I hope it's not different. I hope our relationship is not different now. What if it won't be the same? What if they won't recognize me or believe me that I'm their daughter? Have they forgotten about me? Will their love for me be just as it was? Will it be stronger, or will it be weaker? With all my excitement, I'm also nervous, but these negative thoughts are just making it worse. Stop thinking so much; stop thinking like that. Focus on the now. I'm heading to the airport with Alice blasting music in the car.

     I roll the windows down and we start singing along to the music. Alice rests her head on the door leaving half her head out the window and her hair flowing everywhere. She's also dancing her hand with the wind making wave motions with it. My hair also flows everywhere, and I stick my hand out so that it glides within the wind. 

     "I'm gonna miss you," she blurts with almost falling tears in her eyes.

     "Oh, Alice come on, you're gonna make me cry too," I complain as tears start to gather in my eyes too.

     "I'm gonna miss you too," I manage to make out.

     She sniffles and pulls herself together and starts giggling. She playfully shoves at my arm as we both giggle and smile at each other.

     "Now I get to go to France because my best friend is gonna live in France!" She says loudly to herself excitedly with sniffles. We both laugh long, and I need to catch myself before we crash.

     "So that's why you're so excited! Cause you want an excuse to visit Paris! And look at cute guys; 'bonjour, je m'appelle Alice, and you're hella cute!'" I joke sarcastically.

     "Hey, maybe that's where I finally find the cute boys," Alice replies with her mischievous laugh which makes me laugh too.

     "Oh, honey, that's not a maybe," I say through laughs.

     "And you'll finally be with your family that you've been anticipating for so long and I couldn't be any happier for you." Now the conversation is less playful, and my tears are threatening to leak. I just look at her with a grateful expression and a thankful smile. I think that if I even try to speak it'll just sound like I'm choking and begging for air. She knows what I'm trying to say though, I make my eyes tell her that.

     She takes a deep breath, "well," she breathes out as she wipes the tears from her cheeks.

     "Are you ready?" She asks.

     "For what?"

     "The plan, Marie!" Alice whines.

     "Oh yes, yes, I had forgotten for a moment. Yes, I'm ready," I quickly reply as I remember.

     "Ok, hopefully it all goes as planned," she responds calmer now.

     "It will, don't worry, we've got everything we need for it," I assure. I raise the volume of the music and we're again smiling. Alice is dancing to the radio again, singing along.