Needs, Wants, Desires, and Dreams

Once Upon A Time

The day of her release was a winter afternoon like any other. A dark grey hue covered most of the sky above spare a few clouds feathered throughout. The chilly, almost freezing, temperature gave a bite in the air. The breeze coming over the hill in Hawley, Pennsylvania sent a chill down her spine. Twenty-two and a half months earlier, she had entered the jail with a three-quarter length sleeved top that no longer suited the weather without a jacket.

There was a calm that came from her freedom. A sense of peace danced across her skin despite the overwhelming presence of the corrections officer escorting her to the wrought iron fencing that surrounded the perimeter on this side of the compound. She looked down at grass that she hadn't seen up close in some time due to the preference of hot, porous asphalt in the outdoor areas. Though it was dying in the sharp breeze, Alison DiLaurentis was just starting to come back to life.

She could see the car waiting for her at the end of the narrowed concrete walkway as she was escorted from the release area of the prison. She took a deep breath in the realization that she was headed home. Joining her hands together to spin the now unfamiliar metal band on her finger, she smiled, remembering the memories once associated.

Last night, lying in her bunk, she was able to remember almost everything. She remembered the chill against her fingertips as Emily began the phrase 'With this ring...' sliding the sleek silver band up her ring finger. The peace that radiated through her body as Emily's smile met her eyes saying 'I do.' The feeling of the back of Emily's hand against her lips while the pastor introduced them as a married couple for the first time. She had never felt as secure as she did with Emily by her side. Alison fantasized about their reunion, sending a broad smile across her face in anticipation. Things would go back to normal. They had to go back to normal.

Her nearly two years in jail had been trying. But as the dark black metal fence opened to send her back into the real world, Alison had a guttural feeling that her life was only going to become more complicated from here. Nothing about her life was the same as when she entered, though she had every intention of correcting any wrongs once she returned home.

Approaching the blue hatchback, Alison smiled half-heartedly at the driver through the tinted windows as she unlatched the door. The woman in the driver's seat was Alison's most-trusted confidant over the past two years. She first noted the continued lines surrounding her mouth and eyes which exemplified both her older age, but also the constant flux between elation and grief that had occurred over the past years since Alison went away.

"Hey, Pam," Alison stated while exhaling as she leaned over the console to hug her mother-in-law.

Squeezing her close, she replied in relief, "Oh, Alison. It is so good to hold you again, sweetheart."

"You, too."

Letting go of each other, Alison rubbed the top of Mrs. Fields' hand. She had missed all forms of personal touch during her time away. Just feeling the divots and intricacies of someone else's hand gave Alison more relief than walking out of her cell and into the open air for the first time. Alison struggled to let go despite knowing that Mrs. Fields needed both hands to drive her home.

As they pulled away, Alison rolled down her window to let the air flow through her hair. Closing her eyes, she could feel the light mist coming off the freshwater lake nearby. Her hand lingered out the window relishing in the force of the wind pushing her hand back as she teased the pressure from inside and outside of the car. Experiencing something as simple as driving in a car for the first time in years sent a rush through her veins and sent a tingling sensation straight to her extremities. She was alive again.

The drive from Hawley back to Rosewood took over two hours, and as time continued to pass, Alison grew more anxious. She knew things would be different with Emily. Her wife hadn't come to visit in close to a year due to their current separation. But they both knew maintaining a marriage behind bars would be challenging to say the least. Emily continued to support her through writing Alison letters claiming it to have been too hard to see her behind glass. That the visits would be a reminder of a reality that Emily never wanted to face. Alison understood that more than anyone; she wasn't supposed to have been there. Everyone close to her knew that to be true.