Right on schedule, the huge airliner touched down in Denver. It was pitch black as Sarah made her way to the taxi stand, giving crisp directions to Becca's efficiency apartment and ignoring the look the driver gave her. "Like he needs to know why I have no luggage? Moron, just DRIVE," she thought.
She looked out the window, trying to see the mountains in the distance. Now she understood why Howie had been so taken with this place; and to think that Becca had been here all along, that was just too eerie to even consider. She was still debating wringing her neck, but given her friend's present condition she decided it could wait. The cab pulled up in front of a modest little building. Tiny, but clean and in good repair. Sarah had been almost afraid of what she would find.
"Apartment 3C ….3C …. Must be here somewhere…." There it was, tucked back by a small, flowery courtyard. Sarah smiled and shook her head. Leave it to Becca to find something of beauty in the horrific situation she had created for herself.
She knocked only once before the door swung open. Both women simply stared at each other for the longest time before falling into each other's arms. They embraced tearfully before Sarah finally pushed Becca away.
"I should kick your butt," she chastised, "but God, look at you!"
"Hi to you, too," Becca smirked.
"Bec, what the hell were you thinking?"
"Come in, I don’t need my neighbors hearing this."
"I don’t have time to let fly on you like I should, so I'll take a rain check. Are you ready to get going?"
"Already?" Becca asked, a hint of panic in her voice.
"Our flight back leaves in less than an hour, Bec."
"Sarah, I'm scared." Becca sat wearily on the twin bed.
"Bec, I know you are, but you have to do this. Nick is-"
"How is he?" Becca ran her hands nervously through her hair.
"He's miserable, Bec. He's been so lost without you, you have no idea. What? Did you think you could just walk away from him and he'd get over you? Where the hell was your mind?"
"I'm sorry, Sarah. More than you'll ever know. I know I let you all down, especially you. Howie must hate me for what I did to you."
"There's more than enough blame to go all the way around in this little saga. I suggest we just get on with it and see where we land. Sound good to you?"
"It sounds great," Becca sighed. "Just let me get my bags-"
"No way. No lifting for you. I WILL get you back to Nick in one piece or he'll have my head."
"He knows I'm coming?!"
"Hell, no. He's gonna have one hell of a surprise waiting for him."
Locking the door for the last time, Becca dropped her key in the manager's mail chute and set off to reclaim her life.
*****
Sarah watched Becca as she dozed on the plane. She was so pale, but she knew part of that was being cooped up for the winter with no Florida sunshine. She seemed healthy otherwise, except for …. Sarah shook her head in exasperation. She couldn't wait to see the look on Nick's face and she couldn't wait to get back to Howie. Maybe now they could get on with their own lives and stop being surrogate parents to their friends. Leaning her head against the window she fell into a light sleep.
Neither woman awakened until the plane touched down in Miami. Stepping off onto the tarmac, they were hit with a blast of hot, humid air.
"God, this is miserable," Sarah groaned.
"No, it's wonderful!" Becca gushed, lifting her face to the sun.
"You're going to fry if we don't get sunblock on you. C'mon." She pulled Becca's hand, leading her off to a side doorway away from the general public.
"Where are we going?"
"We have another flight to get us to Key West. Howie snagged the Foundation's private plane for us."
"Key West?"
"Yes, Key West. That’s where the Boys are, they're taping a TRL special, remember?
"But I thought-"
"Bec, you have to do this. The longer you put it off, the harder it's going to be. Nick deserves to know and besides, you need him right now."
Becca stopped in her tracks.
"WHAT NOW?" Sarah practically screamed.
"I'm really doing this …. I’m going back to Nick," she said sniffling.
"I swear to you, Becca, if you start crying now I WILL beat you with a large blunt object. Come ON!"
Becca giggled all the way to the small plane, her spirits higher than they'd been in months.