Two weeks later, Maggie and Colby drove to New Jersey to pick up Joey at the Freys’ house. Joey started jumping up and down as soon as she laid eyes on Maggie.
“You came for me!” Joey yelled, wrapping her arms around Maggie.
“I told you I would,” Maggie said. “Are you ready to go?”
Joey had packed a small suitcase that the Freys had bought for the occasion. Inside were new clothes they also provided for her. Joey walked over to the Freys and gave each of them a good-bye hug.
Juliet was wringing her hands together. “We’re really going to miss you, Joey. If you ever want to stay with us or come for a visit, you’re always welcome.”
Maggie reached out and took Juliet’s hands in her own.
“You haven’t seen the last of us. We’re going to be around, and I’m sure Joey will want to come and stay with you for a few weeks in the summer,” Maggie said.
Joey nodded. “Yeah, I’m gonna come back. You promised we’d go to the beach, ’member?”
Juliet’s eyes filled with tears. “Of course I remember, Joey. We’re going to have so much fun.”
Colby, sensing that the Freys needed to talk to Maggie privately, pulled Joey along. “Let’s go, lady. Your chariot awaits,” he teased, taking Joey’s hand and leading her outside to the car.
Ron moved closer to his wife and draped his arm around her shoulder to give her support. Then he looked at Juliet and nodded.
“Maggie, this is hard for us. You and Joey and Juju are all we have left of Seth. I’m afraid…” she looked at Ron. “We’re both afraid you’ll move on, and we won’t see any of you again.”
Maggie could feel Juliet’s deep anguish. Seth looked so much like his father that it was as if Ron was a grownup version of the boy she’d always loved. Her heart ached for the couple who were trying desperately to hang onto the only link to their son they had left.
“Juliet, we’re family now. We aren’t going anywhere. Seth wanted us all to be together. He told you that himself. I don’t want you to worry, OK?” Maggie soothed.
“OK,” Juliet stated sadly.
“In fact, I was thinking you two could come back to Philly for a weekend this month,” Maggie offered.
Juliet perked up. “That would be wonderful. We’ll rent a suite at The Four Seasons that has a couple of bedrooms. You all can come and stay there. It’ll be so much fun,” she gushed.
“That’ll be great. Let’s plan on it,” Maggie replied.
Over the next six months, Maggie continued to work at Double Visions. She’d passed her GED and had applied to local colleges. Juju, Maggie, and Joey still lived in the rundown apartment in Kensington. Maggie and her parents had managed to develop a healthy relationship, and she had even told them about some of the things that happened over the past eleven years.
Maggie realized, through her parents’ insight that being an unwilling participant in anything is nothing at all like being a willing participant. Lorraine and Rob had learned over the years that victims of abuse often felt like everything that had happened to them was their fault because, in some way, they’d participated. The only people to blame were the brutal savages who forced her to participate.
Once she was able to wrap her mind around this enlightening concept, Maggie opened up to her parents about her past. For the first time since her kidnapping, Maggie felt free of shame.
A few months later, Juju announced that she was moving in with her girlfriend, Rory. With this news, Maggie thought about taking Joey and moving out of Kensington. One night, as Maggie and Colby were going to dinner, she mentioned the idea of moving closer to her parents.
“It’s funny you should bring that up,” Colby began. “I was thinking I’d like to move out to the suburbs soon. Maybe we can get an apartment together. You know, as roommates.”
Maggie and Colby had remained close. While they each had a heavy crush on the other, there had been too much turmoil as Maggie tried to settle in with Joey and reestablish a bond with her parents. They got together as friends, but nothing more.
“Roommates, huh? Well, that’s an idea,” Maggie responded giddily.
“Yeah. You, Joey, and me. I think we could make it work. Besides, you two have grown on me, sort of like mold that you can’t get rid of,” Colby teased.
Maggie threw her head back and laughed, her silky black hair flying behind her. Colby’s groin stirred as he watched her in awe.
“So? What do you think?” Colby asked.
“I think it’s something I have to give some serious thought. I also have to talk to Joey. I want to make sure she’d be comfortable moving away from her school and moving in with the likes of you,” Maggie joked.
In the weeks that followed, Maggie and Joey agreed that it would be a good idea to move in with Colby. Lorraine and Rob were thrilled to have their daughter closer and offered to help get them started. Then they gave Maggie the greatest news.
“We want you to know that we still have your college fund,” Lorraine stated, giddy to have her daughter back.
“My college fund?” Maggie asked with scrunched brows.
“Yes. Your college fund. We set one up for you and Keith when you were born. We never stopped putting money into yours. We hoped that one day you’d come back to us. There’s enough money in there for you to go to a good college,” Lorraine explained.
Maggie squealed, “Wow! Thank you so much. I never expected anything from you.”
Lorraine and Rob watched as she happily told Mara what great parents they had. Mara giggled and joined in on Maggie’s excitement. “Do I have a college fund too?” Mara asked.
“Of course you do,” Rob lied.
He and Lorraine had discussed it, and when the time was right, they’d take out a loan for Mara’s education. They’d originally planned to use the money they’d saved for Maggie, but once she returned, that idea was dead.
As days turned into weeks, Maggie, Colby, and Joey prepared to move into their new apartment. They had found an affordable two-bedroom apartment in Whitemarsh, the town next to her parents’. As the time to move crept closer, Maggie and Joey became more excited. For starters, they were happy to move to the suburbs, where there was less congestion. But they were most excited about having a real bathroom in their new rental. Colby was also excited, but not for the same reasons. He was excited at the prospect of becoming more than just a good friend to Maggie.
On the day they moved, Maggie and Joey walked to a small deli in the early afternoon to pick up sandwiches and to say good-bye to the many people they knew in the area. Several of the young prostitutes came to see them one last time and wish them luck. Most planned to continue with prostitution, but they were grateful to be free of Rock.
Juju and Rory showed up at the apartment in Kensington and helped them load their meager belongings into Colby’s car. As they stood at the curb, Maggie grabbed hold of Juju. They squeezed each other tightly for several minutes. When they parted, they were both choked up.
“We’re going to see each other all the time,” Maggie reassured Juju.
“I know, but it just ain’t the same anymore. I moved out, and now you’re movin’ outta Kensington,” Juju yammered. Juju didn’t want to mention that Seth was no longer with them. The memories and the loss were just too painful.
“I guess we’re getting old,” Maggie joked unsuccessfully, trying to lighten the mood.
Colby came up behind them. “Are you ready to go, Maggie?”
Maggie nodded and looked at Juju. “I’ll never forget how you saved my life and rescued me from the snow.”
Juju grimaced at the thought. “I’ll never forget how you moved in and took over like a bossy beotch.”
They laughed and hugged once more before Maggie turned and got into Colby’s car. As he pulled away from the curb, Joey looked out the back window and waved until Juju and Rory faded from sight.