Back into town

1. Moving back

"Good morning, mom. How are you?" I looked up from my book and saw my youngest daughter standing in the door. I smiled softly and got up from my chair. "Good morning, sweetheart. I'm fine. Have you finished packing?" Betty nodded and hugged me. "I am going to miss it here, mom." I buried my face in her hair and muffled "Me too, sweetheart, me too." "I miss dad." I sighed and kissed her forehead. Hal got killed in a car accident two months ago and Betty had a hard time, she still has to be honest. Polly had too but she had given it a place and even though it's clear she still misses him, she wants to focus on our new beginning. I never felt home here in Fresno but Hal said it would be the best for all of us. He was right but I always missed my hometown and my old friends. After his funeral I decided the new environment would do good for my three kids. "Mom, it is almost time to leave, are you two ready?" Charles popped his head inside and gave me a weak smile. Betty quickly wiped away her tears and nodded. "I'm ready. I'll go collect my stuff." She ran out of the room and Charles gave me a look. "Are you sure this is a good idea, mom?"I shrugged. "I don't know, Charles. But I hope a change in the scenery might help her give it a place." Charles gave me a hug before he left the room. I let out a big sigh and looked around. The room was empty and I shivered. I've spent so many nights in this room with my husband, and it was still weird that I would never see him sitting on the edge of the bed while he was tying his shoes or hear his soft snoring while he was sleeping. A tear rolled over my cheek. It's strange how in the end I did love him. Even though our marriage was based on a lie, in the end my love for him was true. Of course Hal could never be my one and only, my soulmate, the full owner of my heart, because I lost my heart to someone else years ago. Even though that person left it broken. Hal was there and he picked up the pieces again and tried to glue them back together. I felt guilty for so many years but in the end I started to love him. Not like he deserved to be loved but I did. Maybe I was still feeling guilty deep down and maybe that was the reason why I sold the house. Because I wanted to find closure too. Closure for my past that I've left so abruptly. And I knew that the only way to find that closure, after 25 years, was to pick up again where I left: Riverdale.

After a last look on the house where I've spent 25 of my years, I stepped in the taxi to the airport. In 7 hours I'd be back in the town I left when I was seventeen. It's been 25 years and I wondered who would still live there. Fred was the only one I kept in touch with so I knew he'd be there. He was the one who told me that my old house was back on the market. His son, Archibald, was also going to Riverdale so he could show Betty and Polly around. Charles just finished the police academy a week before Hal died and he managed to get a job at the Sheriff's station. I wondered who would be sherrif now or if Pop's would still be open and if the Riverdale Register still existed. Twenty minutes later we arrived at the airport. We checked our luggage in and went through the passport control. Polly and Betty decided to buy some food for on the plane and Charles went to buy new earplugs because his were apparently broke. So I decided to read until it was time to board. Ten minutes before it was time to board they all came back and we went to wait in line to board. During the flight, Polly and Betty tried to sleep and Charles was watching the film 'Love, cheat and steal'. I decided to listen to some music and pressed shuffle. 'She don't love you' started playing by  Eric Paslay and I felt tears welling up The song meant so much to me. 'She don't love you' was the song I listened when Hal drove out of Riverdale, when we were about to start a new life. Everytime I listened to it I remember what I left behind and why I did what I did. Believe me, I'm not proud of how I've handled things and even now 25 years later I'm still walking around with the big weight of what I've done on shoulders. No one knows what I did, not even Hal knew, and I knew it'd be risky to go back but after 25 years, they probably would've forgotten about it. Besides, there was no other place to go. 

I had rented a car for the day so I could drive to my parent's home. When we arrived, I saw Fred and a ginger young man standing on our porch. "Who are they, mom?" Betty asked while we were getting out of the car. "Alice Smith! I can't believe you actually came." Fred walked over and he gave me a hug. "Why would I buy my old house back if I wouldn't come. It'd be a waist of my money." He laughed and looked at my children. "You three must be Alice's children?" They nodded. "These are Charles, Polly and Elizabeth." They all said hi and Fred nodded. "Well I'm Fred Andrews. I'm one of your mother's high school friends. And this is my son Archibald but he prefers Archie." He put his arm around his son's shoulders and Archie gave us a weak smile. "Anyway, here are the keys to your house. The moving company arrived yesterday and we helped them place the basic stuff like table, chairs and beds. So you wouldn't have to worry about that. But if you want us to change it or just need help getting settled, we live next door." Fred pointed at the house left from ours after he had placed the keys in my hand. "We'll let you get settled. Maybe we can grab a coffee later at Pop's to catch up?" I nodded "Thank you Fred and that would be nice. See you later." I waved and Fred and Archie went back to their house. I turned around and saw my kids getting our stuff out of the car. "Are you ready to see where I lived when I was your age?" They nodded excitedly and I opened the door.