Chapter 7

"...Wait a minute, Noah. We're not really breaking up forever, right?" Pain engulfed her. "This is just a thing we're having, a difference of opinion, and tomorrow it'll be like it never happened, right? Because it still was kind of a special night for me," she said, tears pouring as she started to finish her thought, but Noah was gone.

(PRESENT DAY) Duke was taking Old Allie for a walk around the grounds. "Gone?" Asked Old Allie. "Gone," confirmed Duke. "Oh, she must have been devastated," said Old Allie, "she was," added Duke. "And he was just trying to do the right thing," she said, "yeah," he replied. "But what he really should have done is tell the parents to go to hell. To stick it where the sun don't shine," said Old Allie. "Yes you're right. He probably should have," he said. They came across a bench that overlooked the river and sat.. Old Allie made a face, and Duke Started reading again. "The next day, Allie woke up to find her world completely changed…" Duke read.

(FLASHBACK…) Allie lay asleep in a canopy bed, white linen with tiny rose buds. There were loud sounds and voices coming from outside her open window. She got up, moved to the window and looked out. A large wood-sided station wagon was outside. Two Black men were loading suitcases into the car and tying a trunk to its roof. Allie came flying down the stairs in her nightgown. Allie bursted into the dining room. She found her mother at the formal table, drinking a cup of coffee. Betty, a black woman in her 50s, was clearing dishes. "What's going on?" Asked Allie. "We're going home," replied her mom. Betty sensed a conflict coming and made a hasty exit. "We're going now? We're not supposed to be leaving for another week," said Allie. "Get dressed. Then have some breakfast, dear. Betty will pack your things," said her mom. "I don't want Betty to pack my things. I don't want to pack my things, period. I'm not going. Where's Daddy?" "Your father left for Raleigh an hour ago. Aaron is driving us back to Charlotte." "Well I'm not going," she insistently refused. Her mom looked up at her, all business. "No, Allie, you are going. Whether you like it or not," she said. She looked at her mother, panicked, then raced from the room, her mother called after her "I want you ready to leave in half an hour, Allie."

Allie was running down the dirt road. Fin was loading bricks, when he looked up and saw an out of breath Allie running into the yard, her face smudged with tears. "Where's Noah?" She asked. "Out delivering a load with his dad. What's going on?" He asked. Suddenly, a station wagon, luggage piled two feet high on the roof, pulled up outside the entrance of the lumber yard. Allie turned to Fin, desperate," look, Fin, I have to leave. Something's come up. Can you give him a message for me? Can you tell him I love him? Tell him I'm sorry, that I'll write." "I was up all night with him. Allie. I've never seen him so low. It's over. Don't make it any harder than it already is," he said. "No. It's not over. We had a fight last night and said some things I don't think either of us really meant. But it's not over," she protested. "Don't write to him, Allie. Leave it alone. Let it go," he said.

Allie didn't know what to do. Tears flooded her eyes. The car horn sounded. "I'm coming. I'm coming," she responded. "Look, he understands. It's hard, but he really does. Summer's over. Time to go home. If he wants to talk to you, he'll write. If not…" Fin explained. The station wagon had pulled through the gate and was now right next to them. Aaron opened the door for Allie. "Okay. Bye, Fin," she gestured and kissed Fin goodbye and her last words were, "Tell him I love him, will you?" "I'll tell him," Fin finally said. Fin watched Allie get into the car and drive away. Allie had tears flooding her eyes, looking out the window as the car drove out of town. A flatbed truck turned into the lumberyard. Noah hopped off the back and Fin ran over to him. Fin whispers to Noah that Allie has gone. Noah jumped in the truck and raced out of the yard, dust flying from the spinning tires. The truck came roaring up the driveway and jerked to a halt in front of the house. Noah got out, stunned by what he saw. The house had been boarded shut. (PRESENT DAY…) Old Allie, stared into space, lost in thought. Duke kept reading. "Summer romances end for all kinds of reasons, but, when all is said and done, they have one thing in common: they are shooting stars, a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, a fleeting glimpse of eternity, and in a flash, they're gone." Noah was busy writing a letter. Frank was chopping wood. And everywhere, the leaves were falling, red, purple, and gold. (DUKE READ…) "Noah was desperate. He wrote to Allie that he was sorry, and stupid for breaking up with her. He wrote to her to tell her that she still loved her and wanted to see her. And that if she would write back, he would come to wherever she was."

The leaves were off the trees, and Noah wrote another letter. It was cold. He wore a coat, and his breath was like steam. Inside the house, a Christmas tree and lights. (DUKE READ…) "He wrote one letter a day for a year. Three hundred and sixty five letters, but they all went unanswered." Noah ran outside to greet the Postman. It was pouring rain. Noah asked if there was any mail for him, but the postman shook his head, no. (DUKE READ…) "And finally, after a year of silence, he decided to put it all behind him and start a new life." It was hot. The trees and flowers were in full bloom. Noah stopped at a post box, dropped in the last letter. (DUKE READ…) "So, he wrote a farewell letter, and he and Fin packed their bags and headed for Atlanta."