Chapter 134

Rowan

I've never been so excited to take a road trip. In fact, I can't remember the last one I took. Maybe when I was sixteen and some friends and I went to a concert in Birmingham. After I got pregnant with Etta things changed, and then after she died, I changed.

As I hit I-65 North, my heart feels less heavy, and the more I leave Paradise Lost in the background, a smile spreads across my face easier than it has in years.

Reaching over, I turn up the radio, open my sunroof, and put the car on cruise control. The GPS says I have an hour and a half to go with most of my travel being on this section of interstate.

Glancing at my rearview, I get a picture of myself in the reflection I wasn't expecting. One I haven't seen in years. My hair is down, blowing in the breeze, my eyes are full of life and my skin is pink with excitement. I almost don't recognize myself, but at the same time I do know her. She's the me I've always wanted to be.

When I stop at a rest area, I dial Cutter