By the time Lauren woke up the next day, Scarlett had already left for work. She found this out by way of the bright yellow sticky note pinned to the cork board by the fridge.
At work. See you tonight, roomie!
XOX
Scar
Lauren checked the clock on the microwave. Nearly one o’clock in the afternoon here meant that, due to the four-hour time difference, her friends back in New York would just now be getting off from work. Should she call Joanna Brocklehurst to beg for her old data entry job back? Or would it be better if Lauren closed her eyes and pointed to a random spot on the map, then headed there to start her new life… for a second time.
She had enough money from the sale of her father’s house to pick up and start over, but was it what she wanted?
For that matter, what would her father do in this situation? Indeed, he had found himself in a similar place back when Lauren was little. He’d picked them up and moved them to their life in New York without a word of their former life in Alaska, but he’d also hung on to all these old articles and other mementos for years.
Did he regret that decision? Would she regret making a similar one?
She had to figure this out—and quickly. She hated to impose on Scarlett’s kindness for any longer than necessary. Maybe one of her old high school friends could give Lauren a couch to crash on while she worked out the details on moving to a new city, new state, new Lauren.
Scrolling through her contacts, she searched for the friend most likely to be able and willing to help. Many of her classmates had stayed in their hometown, and most of them had even gotten married and started families of their own. They’d plotted their entire lives’ courses, while Lauren didn’t even know where she’d be for her next chapter.
Feeling like a complete failure, she decided to call her old friend, Helen, who had been their student body president during their junior and senior years. Helen would have the means to help along with plenty of advice. Maybe Lauren should just hand over control of her life to someone better suited. Someone like Helen.
Her friend answered after a few long, painful rings.
“Helen, it’s me, Lauren.”
“Hey, Laur.” Helen sounded distracted, but didn’t let on as to why. “I heard about your father. I’m so sorry. I wanted to be at the funeral, but I was in Paris for an internship and I just couldn’t make it back with such short notice. I hope you understand.”
“That’s okay,” Lauren reassured her, hoping that she didn’t feel so guilty she’d refuse to offer any help now. “Really. I was so messed up I wouldn’t have remembered seeing you there anyway.”
“So what’s going on now? I stopped by your house only to find you sold it in a hurry. Oh, by the way, the new neighbors there—well, I guess they’re not your neighbors, are they?—the new people who live there, they gave me some of the mail that’s come for you and your father. There’s a lot of it. A package, too. Haven’t you given a forward address to the post office yet?” Helen’s voice dripped with condescension. Ahh, yes, that was why Lauren hadn’t kept better touch with her after graduation.
“Shoot, I left in such a hurry, I didn’t even think to do that.”
“It’s quite all right. I can send everything your way. Give me your address?”
Talking to Helen gave Lauren the clarity she needed, but not the solution she expected. Now she knew there would be no going back, only going forward. New York wasn’t her home anymore, but she could still give Anchorage a chance.
She rummaged through the mail on Scarlett’s desk until she found an envelope with her friend’s address scrawled on the front. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be here, but if I move, my friend can get everything to me,” she explained before carefully reciting the address for Helen.
“It’s like post office hot potato,” Helen quipped. “What are you doing all the way up in Alaska?”
“I don’t know,” Lauren answered honestly. “But I’m going to figure it out soon enough.”
“Well, call if you need anything else, okay?” She wondered if her friend really meant that and prayed she wouldn’t be forced to find out later.
“I will,” Lauren promised, and the two old friends said goodbye.
No sooner had she ended the call then a new voicemail notification popped up on her phone. She didn’t recognize the number but could tell it was local because of the Alaskan state area code.
Lauren put her phone on speaker and clicked play.
“Hello, Lauren,” a vaguely familiar woman’s voice greeted her. “This is Mr. Ramsey’s neighbor, Mary Fairbanks. We met a couple months ago? Anyway, Mr. Ramsey has asked me to give you a call and get your new address. He wants to send you a check for your pay. I have it right here.” There was a rustling of papers as Mary paused. “It’s a sizable amount, so you’ll definitely be wanting it. Mr. Ramsey said it was unfortunate that he needed to let you go, but he wanted to make sure you were paid for the whole year.”
Mary took a deep breath before continuing. “I don’t know what you did to the man, but he’s even more ornery than usual today. Called me at the crack of dawn, insisting I come over and help tend to the dogs. He’s lucky I’m retired, or he’d be clear out of luck. It’s not my place to judge, dear, but I think it’s generally customary to provide two weeks’ notice. Anyway, call me back so we can get this whole thing sorted.”
Lauren listened as the woman rattled off her phone number and then hung up the phone. She’d call her back later, when it was less likely she’d have to speak to Mary instead of her voicemail program.
She understood why Shane hadn’t called himself but wished he had.