Chapter thirty-one

Thursday morning they were up way too early, it was still dark outside and with that, dark in their room.

Richie’s house was peacefully quiet and neither wanted to get up but Richie needed to get to New York first, and then join the rest of the band to Turkey.

He had arranged plane tickets for Sarah’s family and would buy her a ticket as soon as she asked him for it. He hoped it would be soon, he wasn’t even gone but didn’t want to think of leaving her alone.

In his mind he knew she’d be alright on her own, he just didn’t want to miss her. He had given her his phone number, on a piece of paper because she didn’t own a cell phone which he found very strange but Sarah explained she never went anywhere or knew anybody. So he had given her a piece of paper with his number on, Jon’s and their road manager, in case she couldn’t reach him.



Finally they got out of bed and dressed, both reluctant to go to the airport and putting it off as long as they could.

They shared a slow and easy breakfast in the kitchen.

“Any plans today?” Richie decided to break their silence.
“Not really but I really need to figure out a job or something. I can’t keep living with my mom and I think it would be good for me to get a job.” She explained.
Richie nodded, it probably would be. “Do you still want to be a doctor?” He knew she wanted to before she dropped out of college and her life changed.
“No, I can’t go to school that long.” She answered.

She still wanted to help people but couldn’t possibly go back to school for all those years, she still wouldn’t have any money to support herself and her boys.

“What about being a nurse then?” He suggested, that way she’d still help people.
“That’s four years of college. I can’t even pay for it.” She put down his suggestion.
“I could.” He said without thinking it through.
“No.” Sarah said immediately. “I can’t possibly ask you to do that, that’s way too much.” She couldn’t accept his offer, it was too much and she couldn’t spend four years at college.
“You’ll find something.” Richie decided, even though his mind was thinking other things.

If she moved in with him, she didn’t need to have a job; she wouldn’t have to worry about anything. Her sons would have to transfer schools but then he would have Sarah with him every day and he wouldn’t have to miss her.

For now he just had to phone her every day and hope she would be alright on her own.



They finished breakfast and cleaned up together, and then went back up to Richie’s room to get dressed; he’d have to leave soon. This time Sarah had brought clothes for her overnight stay and could dress in clean clothes.

They dressed alike, jeans and a t-shirt and sadly, were ready to go. Ready, as in dressed, not emotionally ready to say goodbye.

Sarah walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his solid body, she already knew now that she was going to cry her eyes out at the airport. She needed some tissues before they left.

They hugged for a few minutes before Richie let go of her. He looked down at her while Sarah looked up.

“Are you alright?” He asked worried and knowing they both felt the same.
“I’m going to miss you.” She said somber.
“We’re not saying goodbye yet.” Richie told her, it wasn’t time yet. As long as they could avoid it, he would, he wasn’t ready yet.

Richie carried his packed bag down the stairs and dropped it by the front door. He turned around to Sarah. “Ready to go?” He asked.
Sarah nodded even though she wasn’t.
“Got everything you need?” He asked next, if he was gone and Sarah had forgotten something, there was no way for her to get it back.
Again Sarah nodded. “Do you have everything you need?” She asked back.
Unlike Sarah, he shook his head. “No.”
“What? Richie, you have to go. What did you forget? You don’t have time to repack anymore.” She got slightly panicked.
Richie chuckled and Sarah wondered what was so funny.

He took her hands and pulled her close to smile at her.

“Sarah, calm down, I meant you.” He was still chuckling.
“Oh.” She said surprised and a little unintelligent.
“I’m going to miss you.” He pulled her even closer and hugged her.
“Thought we weren’t saying goodbye yet?” She asked him.
“We’re not,” he picked up his bag again, “but we should go.”
Sarah simply nodded again and followed him out the door to the waiting car that Richie had hired to drive them and Sarah back home.



Half an hour later they were getting out of the car at the airport.

This is it, Sarah thought to herself, she had to say goodbye to him even though it was much to her dislike. She knew she had to but that didn’t mean she wanted to.



After Richie checked in, they walked to the gate together. Sarah wasn’t allowed further than that.

Once again they hugged, knowing now they really were going to say goodbye.

They hugged quietly, then broke apart and Richie could see tears in Sarah’s eyes. He raised his hands to wipe them away but it was useless as they were replaced with new tears.

“I love you.” He said instead of trying to wipe away her tears again.
Sarah nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. “I love you too.” She said.

Richie hugged her again and Sarah buried her face in his chest, hiding the tears that followed.

He held her until she calmed down and then bent to kiss her.

“I’m gonna miss you so much.” Sarah said before kissing him again.
“I’m gonna miss you too. I’ll phone you when I’m in New York.” He promised.
Again Sarah nodded, it was easier than talking.

They hugged and kissed again, then it was time for Richie to go.

“I have to go.” Richie said sad and quiet, reluctant for leaving at all. Men don’t cry, he reminded himself.
“Yeah.” Sarah agreed, or she’d never let him leave.

After a last hug and kiss, Richie wiped away Sarah’s tears and said goodbye.

He walked through the gate and waved at Sarah from the other side.

Sarah waved back and watched him turn around and walk away. Soon she couldn’t see him anymore, the tears in her eyes were obscuring her view and he simply blended into the crowd of people. She kept trying to wipe her tears away but it was pointless, even her forgotten tissues wouldn’t have helped for that.