But It Isn't Right (Duskwood Fanfic)

Moving on

It was morning, and the sun was shining. I was awake early, for once. I bounced out of bed, feeling free and relaxed. Jake had tried to grab me to keep me with him, but I was too fast and squirmy. I had gotten dressed and made breakfast all before Jake even opened his eyes. I kissed him on the forehead, saying I would be back soon, and drove to Richy's apartment, where I packed him a bag of essentials and picked up his truck. Back at the barn, Jake was up and ready. He'd put together a bag for us, too, and was smiling when I came inside. "It is nice to see you so happy," he commented.

"I have everything to be happy about, and not a care in the world" I replied, giving him a kiss. We put our stuff in Richy's truck and headed toward Colville. We checked in at the parking lot of the prison, explaining why we were there and were directed toward a different entrance. Then we sat in the truck for an hour, twiddling our thumbs. But even that wasn't enough to deter me. I scrolled through my phone, trying to decide where we would take Richy to eat lunch. 

Finally, a haggard-looking Richy was let out of the door we were parked in front of, wearing the clothes he'd had one when I dropped him off. He had his signature grin, though. I jumped from the truck and leaped into his arms; feeling sad and grateful at the same time. I didn't realize I was bawling until I felt Richy wiping the tears from my face. "Nothing more to be sad about," he told me, tears running down his face, too. "You did it, Li. You saved me again. And I'll love you forever for it." He kissed my forehead and held me tightly. We stood there for a long time, and then I heard his stomach growl.

"What do you want to eat?" I asked him.

"Oh, gosh, I couldn't decide," he responded, laughing. "I want everything."

I smiled. "That's what I thought you'd say. So I found this." I showed him an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant. As he scrolled through the pictures, his eyes grew wider and his stomach grumbled again. I laughed. "Shall we go?"

"Yes, please," he replied, hand on his tummy.

I was finished eating first. Jake had a few plates more than my single one, and then we both sat back and watched Richy eat with gusto. I thought we were going to have to cart him out of there in a wheelbarrow. "I ate too much," he groaned when he finally stuffed the last of his food into his mouth, and Jake chuckled.

"I think that was true four plates ago," he commented, and I laughed.

"Since when does Jake do jokes?" Richy asked me, confused.

"Jake even uses contractions sometimes now," I mentioned, which resulted in me getting tickled. Richy watched in fascination at this playful side of him.

"I guess it's true that love really can change people," he commented, with a smile that didn't quite meet his eyes. I froze, feeling guilty. Richy had been alone for months, and here we were, throwing our happiness in his face. 

"Well, if you both are ready, I guess we can go back to the apartment and rest for a bit. Jake and I need to pack up the apartment, and then we'll get you back to Duskwood tomorrow." I got up, not looking at either of them and went toward the exit.

At the apartment, Richy took a shower and then called his father and Thomas. He didn't know it, but we had a surprise party set for him tomorrow. I worked on cooking up the food left in the fridge so that it was easier to heat up later if we were hungry, or transport back home. Then I started cleaning as I packed. Jake came up to me, guiding me into our bedroom and closing the door. "Please talk to me," he said. "You've been avoiding my touch since the restaurant. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all," I reassured him, hugging and kissing him. "I just noticed Richy watching us being, and he looked so sad. It made me feel bad for him, so I was trying not to make things worse. I'm sorry."