Inseparable

Chapter 2: A Bitter-Sweet Taste

Five years. Autumn couldn't believe it had been that long, yet it felt like it had been longer.

She took a deep breath of fresh, free air as she heard the buzzard that signified the building being locked behind her and the electric fence to open before her.

Taking a moment before stepping forward, she took one last look around her. What had been her life for the last five years. And now, all she knew of her adult life was this… this life she was suddenly supposed to forget and pretend never happened. She knew that wasn't going to be possible, but she'd be damned if she didn't try.

Autumn's pace picked up when she couldn't spot her mother's Subaru anywhere.

Why was she panicking? Maybe her mom was just running late. But yet, she couldn't help but have that pushed-back fear.

“Honey! Over here," came Autumn's mother's familiar voice as she jerked her head toward an old Ford Ranger.

Autumn tried not to run as her mom got out of the car to greet her.

Dropping her small bag of what she had on her the night they took her in, she embraced her mother tightly, tears starting to stream down her face.

The last time she remembered hugging her mother was when she was 17 years old, a year before she was hauled to prison.

“Sweetie, I'm so happy you're here," her mother choked out, trying not to start crying too.

Autumn couldn't help but laugh.

“Well, it's not like I had a choice," she smiled, stepping back from her mother.

She had aged. Vanessa was still beautiful, there was not doubt, but the years had not been kind. At 36, Vanessa took on being a single mother after Autumn's father, Walt, passed. But her eldest daughter going to prison fresh out of high school only two years later didn't aid with any form of coping.

Being the small town that it was, Bainville wasn't very helpful to those who had nothing waiting for them at home.

Didn't want to be alone? Go to one of the bars. Someone is bound to be there you know and might as well have a drink while you're there, right?

Autumn may have been behind bars and out of touch with the locals for 5 years, but those ways didn't change. She already knew, especially watching Vanessa do it right after Walt passed and it was up to Autumn to take care of her little sister.

“Well, I let's get you home! Your old room is all set up and ready to go. I may have dusted it, but that's about it so don't blame me if something is missing," Autumn's mom rattled on as she jumped back into the driver's seat.

“Mom, thank you, but tell me what's going on," Autumn asked sliding into the passenger seat.

“I don't know what you're talking about," Vanessa said as she put the truck in reverse and made a point to not make eye contact.

“Ok, first, you're lying, secondly, what happened to your car?"

Autumn caught her mother biting her lip quickly before she pulled forward to leave. Another tell-sign of her mother's excuses.

“Oh, that old thing had issues, I just traded it in for something better for here in the winter. You know, more reliable."

Wanting to believe her mother was one thing, but there was that gut feeling that there was more to the story that she just decided wasn't important enough to tell Autumn. That was a normal thing as well.

'Just breathe,' she told herself as she let the silence ruminate, Vanessa knew that Autumn was aware, but that didn't make a difference.

“Ok. So can you now tell me where you are taking me because when you jabbered earlier, I realized you may have some sort of thing that accidentally-on-purpose just happens," Autumn asked, watching her mother.

Nailed it.

“Ok, well since I know you like to be prepared, I thought you should know that some people may be stopping over tonight to welcome you home," Vanessa replied, keeping her eyes strictly on the road.

“Mooom!" Autumn whined.

“Don't “Mom' me. I can't help that people miss you and want to see how you are doing. We all know you can't go to the bar so-“

“Yeah, yeah, what a devastation that must have been for everyone to hear," Autumn mumbled as she sulked into the seat.

“Autumn, listen, I know it doesn't mean much that your mother thinks, no, knows, that you are innocent, but a lot of other people do too, and if they don't, everyone understands that accidents happen."

Autumn turned to her mother.

“Accidents?"

Vanessa's face reddened. “Well, yeah, and they don't define the person you are or can be,"

“Mom," Autumn interrupted. “I'm gonna stop 'ya right there. I want to have a good night and enjoy being with you. If we are having company, ok, but let's not have this conversation right now, ok?"

Vanessa pulled into the grocery store and put the truck in park.

“Fine."

They sat in silence for a moment.

“Would you like to go in with me? I only need a couple of things," Vanessa said as she rummaged through her purse for the trustworthy list.

Autumn didn't want to, not one bit, but she knew that she had just slightly offended her mother. Taking a deep breath, Autumn forced a smile, and looked at her mother's puppy-dog blue eyes.

“Yes," she exhaled, seeing the joy become instantaneous on her mother.

Shutting the doors of the truck, Vanessa rattled off what it was she was looking for as Autumn prepared herself to walk inside the town's only grocery store on a weekday just after five.

This is where everyone met and saw each other for parents. It always seemed like every family had to buy something at the grocery store every other night. You were bound to run into at least three people you knew.

It was so bad that Autumn and her friends joked about how it took an hour to buy one grocery item.

Autumn felt a pang of sadness at the thought of her old friends.

“Did you hear what I said?" Vanessa's question was a happy intrusion of Autumn's thoughts.

“Oh, no."

“I said that you go and grab the milk while I finish up here and we can check out."

Her mother didn't wait for a response as she continued down the aisle.

The floor was slick from the recent rain outside. Autumn decided it was safer to pay more attention to her feet for the safety of everyone.

As she approached the dairy, Autumn glanced up to double-check they hadn't moved things around on her before reaching the milk.

Everything was still the exact same. And yet it wasn't.

Wanting to wait to have her emotional breakdown, Autumn shoved down her rising feelings and grabbed a gallon.

Spinning back around to find her mom, Autumn glanced up to see if she could spot her from there.

That momentary glance away was all it took for Autumn's heel to glide across the freshly waxed, slightly wet tile.

Trying to catch herself, she jerked one way and threw her body into someone coming out of the crossing aisle.

“Oh crap, whoops!"

“Ow!"

Autumn steadied herself.

“I'm so sorry, it's slicker than I thought," Autumn laughed nervously, attempting to play off her clumsiness.

There was no response.

Autumn finally looked at her victim and froze.

“Piper," she whispered.

“Autumn?"

Autumn went limp for a moment with shock. The gallon slid from her fingers.

A soft thud sounded with a burst of pressure.

Milk went everywhere. Autumn wiped her eyes. She saw that Piper thankfully only got speckled, but she was fully soaked.

“I'll go and ask Denise for a mop," Piper offered, walking towards the checkout.

Autumn said nothing in reply. She was thankful, but was afraid she'd start laughing if she opened her mouth.

Of course this was her grand entrance back into freedom. Dairy baptized into humiliation to lead into a party that she had no interest in being a part of.

Yes, she missed everyone but she wasn't ready to talk about it, to wonder who thought what and play the “What have you been up to?" game.

“Damn, making an entrance as usual I see."

Autumn's heart skipped as she caught her breath.

'Are you shitting me?' she thought. She raised her eyes from the ground of spreading milk.

Yup.

“Ah, Jackson. Always catching me at my finest."

He had filled out quite nicely. Jackson had always had an athletic body, but now… His arms. Autumn needed to stop staring at his arms.

His smile didn't help her focus either.

“And still," he laughed, “you're such a talker after all of these years."

Autumn again chose not to spoke, afraid that hysterics were just around the corner with the day she was having.

Piper thankfully came stepping quickly back with a mop and Autumn's mother in tow.

Autumn nodded to Piper as she took the mop from her and cleaned up.

“What happened?" Vanessa asked, holding her basket of items.

“I'm afraid it was my fault, Nessa. I spooked her on this slick floor," Piper responded before Autumn could.

“Oh," Vanessa finally looked at all three of them standing there. “I'm sure this must be awkward for you."

“Mom!" Autumn hissed.

“Ok, ok! I'll get the milk and meet you by the door. Bye Piper, bye Jackson."

Now that her mom had pointed out the obvious, Autumn noticed another thing. Jackson and Piper were holding hands.

She kept moping, not wanting to give on she was giving anything much attention besides her own demise.

“When did you get out?" came Piper's innocent question.

Autumn tried not to snort in reaction.

Piper knew she got out today. The whole town knew that she got out today.

“Today, actually."

“Oh, well…"

Autumn already knew the answer, but thought she'd ask anyway.

“Are you guys going to my mom's thing tonight?"

The moment Autumn saw Piper's face, she knew exactly what the rehearsed line would be.

“Oh! Man, we would love to, but we already had something else going on. If we would have known, then-“

“No, no. I get it, just thought I'd ask was all."

Autumn offered them a smile as a good-bye as they walked away.

“I'll get a hold of you and we can catch up," Piper yelled over her shoulder as she put her arm through Jackson's.

Autumn knew she wouldn't. It was just something you say when you are leaving. It was the adult version of “I'll ask my mom."

As she watched Piper walk away, she was hit with a bile of emotions.

Autumn took a deep breath through her nose but it was no use. A few tears escaped down her face.

She finished wiping up the spilled milk and then suddenly couldn't stop laughing.

Finally catching her breath, Autumn put the mop and bucket back. Her mom was still waiting for her.

Once they got into the truck, Autumn started giggling uncontrollably again.

“Honey? What is so funny?" Vanessa asked, looking slightly concerned.

“I mean, I'm glad you're not upset after what just happened, but-“

“Upset? Oh, no you don't get it, Mom."

“Ok, so tell me."

“There's no sense crying over spilled milk," and Autumn burst into laughter again.

“So are prison and dad jokes the same type of humor now?"

Autumn took a deep breath and smiled at her mom.

She put her hand on Vanessa's arm and looked her dead in the eyes and said, “Mom, I love you but we are not joking about prison. Not now and not for the foreseeable future. This is your one and only pass. So please," Autumn's hand dropped, “remember that."

She turned and buckled herself in and turned back towards her mother, Autumn's smile never once wavering.

“Now let's get to that party."