How She Came Home

Chapter Thirty-Three

Friday evening, Becca found herself on her jet again, heading to Midvale for her sabbatical with Mind and Nam. 

They were just staying for the weekend, keeping her company as she settled in, and Becca would've been lying if she said there wasn't some lingering anxiety about living with Nun for the next week or so while she waited for things to blow over. 

A part of her was relieved though; Rawee had left that morning, back to L.A. and her research, and Becca wasn't quite ready to be left alone in her empty house again.

Her bullet wound was healing well, scabbed over and not quite as sore, leaving her able to walk without relying on someone else - for the most part - and dress herself with only some pain as the stitches pulled. 

She would've been fine to go back to work, if it wasn't for the arraignment, but she doubted anyone would have let her even without it, Mind and Nam almost as bad as her mother for fretting over her.

Brooding as she lay stretched out on the leather bench, where she'd been pretending to sleep as her painkillers left her drowsy, Becca listened to the quiet murmur of Mind and Nam's conversation from where they sat at the other end of the plane, on opposite sides of the table. 

Freen's absence was keenly felt by Becca, and she felt wallowed in dejected annoyance as she listened to the sounds of the jet, feeling cold and restless as she thought of her girlfriend.

She'd spoken to Freen every day since the day she hadn't called, Becca's nettling remark about her not calling making Freen realize that avoidance wasn't the best option, but they still never broached the topic of what choice Freen was going to make. 

Becca wanted to yell at her, to curse her out for even considering it, but most of all she just wanted to cry at the thought of Freen going again. She wasn't even back and she was already considering being okay with going again. Becca was committed to her earlier words though, that it was Freen's decision to make alone, and she wouldn't tell her what to do. 

Freen knew what she wanted her to do, but Becca wouldn't pick for her and carry the burden of that choice around with her. There could be a day where Freen would resent her for it.

Still brooding when the captain let them know they were going to be landing soon, Becca pushed thoughts of Freen aside and sat up, her stomach flaring up with a dull ache as she raked a hand through her hair and murmured softly to Athena as she scratched her beneath the chin. 

Buckling herself in, Becca opened the shades covering the window and looked out at the sprawling pines and the sliver of the coastline, the ocean grey and the sky overcast.

A car was waiting for them when they touched down on the private airstrip and Becca shivered as she donned a coat and stepped out of the jet. 

Oregon was already well into autumn and rain lightly dotted the tarmac as they all rushed towards the car, bundling into the back as Athena tried to squeeze in with them, before Becca nudged her through the partition and into the passenger seat.

Still groggy, she somewhat dozed as they made their way through the forest of coniferous trees, crowding in close on either side of the twisting roads, short cliffs or lichen covered rock and mossy logs making the place feel so green , an alien contrast to National City's dusty browns and greys. 

Becca already felt that strange sensation of peace spreading through her chest at the prospect of Midvale and all its quiet, small town charm. A break didn't seem like such a bad idea.

She was doubly glad for it when they pulled up outside the house, the car parked on the steep driveway behind Nun's SUV, watching as Nun opened the front door and stepped outside, wearing a puffer vest over a plaid shirt and jeans and holding her arms open.