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Dear Kristy,
What would you say if I told you I was coming back to Stoneybrook? I know, I know, I probably sound like a total flake. It seems like all I've been doing these past few years is jumping back and forth between California and Connecticut. I can't say that's always been fun. No matter where I go, I always seem to end up leaving a part of myself behind. But all that traveling has taught me something. People, not a location or building, are what make somewhere home. And as much as I love Palo City, I've come to realize that so many of the people that make up my home live across the country.
"But Dawn," I'm sure you're saying, "what about your loved ones in California?"
That's the problem. Just because they help make Palo City home for me doesn't mean that they want to stick around.
Remember how I moved back here to help Sunny out when her mom got sick? Well, she's the one moving now. Her Aunt Morgan invited her to come live with her in Atlanta, and Sunny didn't hesitate to say yes. Palo City just holds too many memories for her.
I was mad at first when she said she was moving. After her mom died, Sunny was so different. She certainly wasn't the kind of girl that you'd want to move three-thousand miles away for. Part of me thought that, like her mom, the old Sunny, my best friend Sunny, had died. But lately I've started to see more and more of the real her. So, naturally, that means she has to move.
But I can't blame her. If Mom or Mary Anne hadn't made it out of the fire, would I really want to live in Stoneybrook? And it's not like Sunny will be gone forever. Soon, she's going to know what it's like to be stuck between two totally different places. Her dad already has the next year's worth of holidays and school vacations planned out so that she can come and visit. So, even if I don't see Sunny as much, I will see her. And maybe her being away will allow more of the old Sunny to return. I'd take a week with her over a century with someone who skips school and hates to acknowledge I exist.
Of course, there are my other friends to consider. I'm not going to pretend that I won't miss Ducky, Amalia, or Maggie. But they all have way more friends than just me. It's easier to leave knowing that they won't end up alone without me.
Leaving Jeff would probably be the hardest thing for me. He's one of those people who helps make home a home. But he's more than proven that he's capable of living without me. As for my dad, Carol, and Gracie? Well... It's not that they aren't a family, but they don't always feel like my family. Whenever I'm around them, I feel like a third (fourth? Fifth?) wheel. And that, honestly, makes the idea of leaving easier. At least I know they'll still be able to function without me.
While I know Mom, Mary Anne, and Richard can function without me, at least I feel like I'm part of a family when I'm with them.
You're probably wondering why I reached out to you instead of Mary Anne. It's not like we'll be the ones living together! (Unless, of course, we do. I know Watson has lots of extra rooms available!) I wrote to you because you'd recognize a great idea from a mile away. What do you think?
I'm not stupid. I know things won't be the same as they used to be. The club's over. Even if they weren't still in middle school, Mal is at Riverbend and Jessi is in New York. Claud and Stacey are... Are they still friends? It's hard to tell. As different as everything is now, I still want to come back.
I know I need to decide soon. Colleges like it more when you've attended one high school rather than a bunch of different ones. Moving takes time too. That is assuming that Mom and Richard even allow me move back in... But, if need be, I don't think I'll have to twist their arms too hard to convince them. As for Mary Anne? If she doesn't adore the idea, I'll drop dead on the spot.
So, my glorious goddess of great ideas (I can just see you rolling your eyes!), what do you think?
With love from California,
Dawn