Four

Present  ~ Annabelle

The town hadn’t changed much in six years. As I drove down familiar streets, I gripped the steering wheel too tightly, anticipation mingling with a sense of dread. Natasha sat beside me, watching the scenery and my face for any sign that coming back was a mistake. In the back seat, Henry slept soundly. I wondered if he would ever have to confront the same shadows I left behind.

The ice cream shop still featured its pink-and-purple colors, with the striped awning swaying in the breeze. The high school looked the same, with its red brick and big windows. Even the roads had the same cracks, scars etched into the pavement. But not everything stayed the same. A glass building where the old hardware store used to be looked out of place.

I tried to focus on the road, but I could feel Natasha watching me. “You gonna tell me what’s going on in that head of yours, or do I have to guess?” she asked.

I exhaled. “I’m fine.”

She snorted. “Right. Because you look so fine right now.” Her eyes were piercing. “It's haunted, coming back. It's like you've seen a ghost, and I bet it has a familiar face, doesn't it?”

I flinched, glancing at her. “It feels like a ghost town. Like I left and time just…” Natasha hummed, tapping her fingers against the door panel. “Or maybe you stopped thinking about it.”

I didn’t answer.

For a while, we drove in silence, the past pressing in from all sides. Then Natasha shifted again. “What if you see him?” she asked. My grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Huh?” I said, pretending I didn’t know what she was talking about.

She didn’t let me play dumb. “You know what I mean.”

I swallowed, keeping my face neutral. “I won’t.”

“But what if you do?” I shook my head. “It’s been five years. He’s probably not even here anymore.”

“And if he is?” Her voice was steady, but I heard the edge in it. Natasha knew he wasn't the bad part of my life, just the part I left behind. But she also knew there were things I never told him, things no one knows. As I glanced at Henry, the weight of my hidden truth crashed over me. How would he ever understand if he found out? I exhaled, forcing my shoulders to relax. “Then I keep driving.” Natasha watched me for another long moment before leaning back against her seat. “Good.”

We passed the park where I used to sit for hours. I gripped the wheel a little tighter. Because if he is still here, he has no idea what’s waiting for him. I exhaled slowly, keeping my eyes forward. The past may still be here, but I didn’t come back to relive it. I came back for reconciliation, to face the unresolved parts of my life and perhaps find peace. The truth is, I don’t fully understand why I came back, but the pull toward this place was undeniable.

I thought back to the night I had read Susan’s letter. Just the memory of it made my throat tighten as I maneuvered through the familiar streets. Coming back to this place gave everything a strange clarity. Natasha’s question,

WEEKS BEFORE 

After opening the letter, I walked out of my bedroom to find Natasha on the couch. She looked up at me, her brow furrowed with concern, and asked, “What’s in the letter?"

I hesitated, then told her. “It’s from a family friend… her name is Susan.”

Natasha tilted her head, her curiosity clear. “You’ve never mentioned her before. Who is she?”