Chapter 17: The Unspoken Farewell
Leaving Behind the Past
Valerie took a final glance at the bustling food street as she walked away. The familiar sights and sounds were slowly becoming distant memories. For the first time, there was no longing, no regret, just the quiet finality of her decision. Without a backward glance, she made her way to the airport.
The airport was bustling with the usual evening crowd, but to Valerie, everything felt muffled and distant. She arrived at the lounge around 7:30 PM, the cold artificial lights casting a dull glow on her surroundings. She sank into a chair and pulled out her phone, her fingers moving swiftly over the screen.
Terrence’s Persistence
Terrence’s message appeared on her phone screen a few moments later:
“Valerie, are you still at Rice University? I’ll go to you now.”
Valerie’s hand hesitated over her phone for a moment, but instead of responding, she blocked him completely.
She had done it before. She had pushed him away, but this time, there was something different. This time, there would be no turning back.
A few minutes passed before Terrence’s second message arrived, but it didn’t go through. He was blocked, and his frustration was palpable.
He furrowed his brow, his patience thinning as he tried to send another message.
“Why aren’t you responding?”
The Growing Distance
Terrence’s thoughts were interrupted by the soft voice of Esteban, his assistant, who quietly approached from behind.
“Mr. Crawford, Margaret has woken up. She is asking for you.”
Terrence rubbed his forehead in frustration, the weight of his own conflict settling on his shoulders.
“I’ll be right there.”
He believed that Valerie would eventually unblock him. After all, she always did. But in the back of his mind, a nagging doubt began to creep in. He had been neglecting her, and the realization weighed heavily on him.
But for now, his obligations to Margaret were paramount.
Valerie’s Escape
Meanwhile, Valerie was already on the plane, her mind drifting far away from everything she had left behind. She put on an eye mask and leaned back, allowing herself a much-needed rest.
The plane touched down in Washington D.C. around 1:00 AM, and Valerie felt the rush of cold air as she stepped off the plane. As she walked toward the exit, she was met with the sight of her mother, Jazlynn, standing with her second husband, Landen Chavez, and their daughter, Abbigail Chavez.
Family Tensions
Abbigail immediately began complaining, her voice high-pitched with annoyance.
“It’s so cold! Why did you buy such a late flight ticket?”
Valerie’s lips pressed together in a thin line, her patience already stretched thin. She had never felt any real affection for her half-sister, and the coldness between them was palpable.
Without responding to Abbigail, Valerie silently got into the car, closing the door behind her with a quiet finality.
In the car, Jazlynn was more than eager to speak, her hands clasping Valerie’s with overenthusiasm, almost as if she were welcoming a guest rather than her daughter.
“Vallie, I’m so happy you could figure it out. Although Terrence is good, he can’t compare to Ricky Murray.”
Valerie’s eyes slid shut as she leaned against the car window, her voice flat and disinterested.
“In these seven years, although I never came back home, I still heard that three years ago, Ricky broke his leg and became disabled.”
Jazlynn’s smile faltered for just a moment before she quickly recovered, but Valerie’s words lingered in the air. There was a coldness in the way Valerie spoke, a detachment from the world she had left behind in Houston.
Unanswered Questions
As the car made its way through the streets of Washington D.C., Valerie’s mind wandered back to the events that had brought her here. It wasn’t just about Terrence, or Margaret, or even the broken promises—it was about her finding a path for herself, far away from the suffocating expectations of her past.
Her heart was no longer tethered to Houston, to the man who had never truly understood her, or the family that had always seen her as someone they could control.
This time, Valerie was choosing herself.
