Page 98 of Longing for Liberty
We jumped out of our vehicles. Jeremy began quickly unloading the luggage as I got the kids out. My mom bustled over from Aidan’s car and took Asher from my arms. He wailed and reached for me. I took his hand and kissed his face, pulling away as my heart broke.
“It’s okay,” I said brightly. “Grammy’s got you. Soon, you’ll be napping and having so much fun on the airplane!” This did not console him. He didn’t normally have separation anxiety, but he could probably sense all of the emotions happening.
“Don’t worry about us,” my mom said, pulling me in for a hard hug. “Sell as many of my things as you can, if you can.”
I nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”
An airplane took off overhead, low enough to drown out all sound for a moment. Rainey jumped up and down as if trying to touch it.
I bent and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close and squeezing her.
“I love you so much, Rai-rai.”
She pulled back and took my face in her chubby hands, squishing my cheeks together to pucker my lips, and she giggled. “Love you, Mama.” I kissed her.
Summer was standing by the truck watching us with her knobby knees and stuffed backpack on both shoulders, tears silently streaming down her face.
“Oh, baby.” I took her in my arms and couldn’t hold back my tears anymore either. “One week, okay? Be brave. This will be our best adventure ever.”
She sniffled and nodded against my shoulder.
“Let’s go!” Aidan hollered.
I gave quick hugs to Aidan, his wife, and both of Jeremy’s parents, then one last hug to my mom and each of the kids before they dashed between cars, vans, and trucks, laden with giant rolling suitcases to get to the terminal. Other people decided to take our lead and began jumping out of their vehicles as well. What a clusterfuck.
Jeremy took my shoulders and forced me to look at him as I began breathing quickly.
“It’s all right,” he said in a soothing voice. “You take my truck, and I’ll get Aidan’s. I’ll see you back at home.”
“I have a bad feeling.” The words came out shaky. I’d had the bad feeling since the day before—a disgusting, sharp stick in my gut every time I thought about separating from the kids. Everything inside of me screamed that I should go with them. Even Jeremy had urged it. But I didn’t want him to have to do everything alone. And I knew the kids would be fine with my mom and his family. My brain knew that, but my spirit sensed something.
A car honked as traffic crept forward. “It’s all going to be okay,” he assured me. “Let’s get home.”
I nodded and rushed to the truck to get us out of the way.
The kids were fine.
Everything was fine.
Italy was just a precaution because of some rumors Aidan had heard. We’d be gone a year, tops. We’d liquidate as many assets as we could today and tomorrow, get our cash from the bank, and when America was back on its feet again, we’d come home. If needed, we could put our house up for sale from abroad. This was just my anxiety acting up.
Everything is fine.
FORTY-SIX
STATE NEWS: CITIZENS LAMENT BYGONE DAYS OF SUFFERING IN POVERTY!
The very next day,I sat primly on Amos’s couch with my black roller bag at my side, stuffed and ready. I still couldn’t believe this was happening. I hadn’t slept at all last night. Amos had been true to his word and began immediately making calls. He came to me throughout the day with updates.
He had no clue my kids were still alive, of course. Jeremy and I had made up the D.C. story for several reasons. Somehow, we’d known that if the leadership found out we had family and children in another country, they wouldn’t trust us. Who wouldn’t do everything in their power to get back to their kids? Who wouldn’t be pissed off every single day of their forced separation?
And now? I shivered, still in disbelief. Amos was taking us right to them. I didn’t have a clear plan yet, but I would come up with something, because dead or alive, I wasn’t leaving Italy.
I would have to travel by bus. Amos pointed out the route on a map of the State. I needed to get to the northeastern area of Community Three, which I’d clocked on the map as Virginia. From there, I would take a boat up to Canada. From Canada, I would fly. Amos would be going south to Mexico. He was booked at a resort for one week under a pseudonym, but once he got to Mexico, he would fly to Italy.
The Secretary of Arms could not be seen traveling with a woman who wasn’t his wife, and a woman could not travel alone. So Amos gave me the best news—Jeremy would have to escort me. On the downside, one of Amos’s trusted Forcemen would accompany us as a guard, meaning he would be watching us closely.
Amos had gone back and forth trying to decide what to do with Jeremy once we got to Canada. I pretended to be disinterested all day as I eavesdropped on conversations. It was clear that Amos only trusted this one man to guard us. He admitted to me that everyone else would be loyal to Roan, and what we were doing was not approved.
