The White Canvas Operation

THREE (Sunny P.O.V)

Picture: ballet dancer by Vicente Romero Redondo. 

'White Canvas Operation' phase four: moving to the base of operations.

Litchfield Penitentiary parking lot, New York.

It's been four days since I visited this place and I'm so happy that I can stay in the parking lot, I don't feel like going inside and through all the body search again. I haven't heard from Stella in four days although I know that my lawyers were able to get in touch with her finally. It's about a two-hour drive from here to the city, three hours when traffic is insane as usual; that's all the time available to persuade her to accept Cassie's proposal... if her letter has failed with that. I'll buy a little more time taking her to lunch somewhere along the route. Hopefully I'll convince her, my wife would be very disappointed with me if she refuses to come home.

I don't know if it's a hallmark of Litchfield or maybe all the penitentiaries work just as bad but no one seems to have any clear idea about when to release an inmate. I spent the whole evening yesterday waiting in this parking lot and they finally decided that it wasn't the right time and today would be the perfect day to let her get out. It's been two hours since I'm here, pacing up and down around my car, and still waiting... if Stella doesn't leave the prison today I'm going to call one of those senators that were good friends of Cassie, or rather friends of the money she donated for their political campaigns, and I'm going to raise a hell that can be heard all over the State. At least I managed to get her a bag with some clothes... I hope that the officers gave it to her because they could've forgotten about it from what I've seen so far. I don' think it's acceptable to force someone that has been locked in a prison for 6 years to put on the same clothes she was wearing the first day when she arrived, clothes that have been kept in some filthy warehouse. They're nothing special: jeans, sneakers, T-shirt, a hoodie, some underwear... but they're new and clean. I hope I guessed the right size, I took a wild guess for what I saw the day I met her and some clothes that Cassie still kept. She doesn't seem to have changed her size much.

A buzzer and the metallic sound of a door opening bring me back to reality again. Stella Carlin walks out of the prison with a steady pace and without hesitation carrying a small duffel bag, she doesn't look back either, she just walks towards my car with her eyes fixed on me; my car is the only one that's parked here so there's no chance of making a mistake. Her clothes fit her: blue jeans, white sneakers and grey hoodie. I didn't dare to choose something more colourful, I prefer her to decide about that tomorrow when we go shopping... if she has decided to stay with me. She has some dark circles under her eyes, it's pretty clear that she hasn't slept well lately.

"Hello Stella..." I don't know what else to say. Is it polite to congratulate someone for leaving the jail when she was never supposed to go to prison actually?

"Hello Sunny, can we please go now?" Wow! She's really itching to get out of here. "Thank you for the clothes, by the way."

"You're welcome, I'm glad they fit you. I'll put your bag in the trunk." This situation is a bit awkward and the conversation very formal, I hope things get better when living together but for the moment we're tense. I get behind the wheel while she fastens her safety belt next to me.

"Nice car," she whispers with an amused tone of voice.

"I know, it's ridiculous but Cassie insisted," I answer stepping on the gas and leaving Litchfield behind. Stella hasn't looked back not for a second but she looks around her with curiosity. The I8 BMW is amazing, with a beautiful and sporty design and a luxurious and comfortable interior. My wife wanted it fully loaded despite I'd have preferred a less expensive and less flashy car than this grey and bright blue bullet, but at least it's an electric hybrid and less polluting as a consequence. "Can I take you to lunch?" To be honest what I want to know is what she's decided to do but it'd be very rude to ask her straight out.