Running Away

Lizzie Gordon always thought she had a pretty good life. That is, until a couple of years ago. Lizzie flicked on the brights that pierced through the darkness in front of her car, illuminating the road. She glanced in her rearview mirror at her son, Isaiah, sleeping in his car seat, his head lolled to one side, his mouth slack with sleep. Lizzie smiled. She loved Isaiah and would do anything for him. But he was the beginning of her life’s downhill slide.

Four years ago, Lizzie became pregnant with him. She backed up her memories further. All the way to the eighth grade. Noah was a charming boy, and Lizzie fell for him all the way. Three years later, they were still dating and Lizzie felt sure he was the one. After all, a guy should treat a girl like a princess, right? At least that’s what Lizzie thought, walking arm-in-arm with him through the park, getting late night phone calls and moped rides to Patty’s Pizza. His genteel manners even caused her prim and proper mother to approve of him.

Then, Lizzie’s senior year in high school came around, and off to the senior prom she went with none other than Noah. Lizzie always thought she could control herself, but in the moment, in the back of Noah’s car, where Noah had opened the door for her and gentlemanly escorted her from earlier, all self-control left her and she caved.

That was when her life changed. Instead of spending the summer with her friends and talking about future plans before leaving for college, Lizzie was stuck at home, nauseous with morning sickness. When the school year rolled around again, instead of heading off to college, her plans were deteriorated as she became an unprepared eighteen-year-old stay-at-home mom.

Now Lizzie needed to get away. Away from everything and start over. She tightened her grip on the steering wheel as the road took a slight curve. What was the use of inheriting wealth in Huntington Beach, California if that’s where all her problems lie?

Lizzie focused her thoughts on the road ahead. She had herself and her son to take care of. She couldn’t let her mind review the past.

Not now.

Not ever.