#askmeme**

It wasn't as though he was trying to scare her. She always seemed unnerved by his presence, but he wasn't to be deterred. He would keep scrawling his notes.

Linda,

If I could choose a way out of this, I probably wouldn't. So stop looking at me like I'm a wounded animal, ready to run. I'm not.

I want to be here.

I have a job to do.

I have a goal.

Just trust me.

xx

Mam,

I know it's been a good long while since I've visited. I would, I just can't bring myself to go back to that town. You're lucky you didn't live to see what became of Detroit. Or what became of us. Of me. 

Dad's fine, as far as I know. But I promise you, I've been saving up. I'm going to take care of it. I know this isn't how you would have wanted it to go but I have to. I couldn't protect you then. I have to do this.

I was looking through our albums again and you look so sad in pictures. I hate that. I hate seeing you sad. I hate that all my memories of you are sad. I wish I could change that. I wish I could go back in time and just get to the phone sooner. I wish that I could go back and swallow my fear and tell the truth.

If I had just told the truth, maybe things would have been different.

Maybe you'd still be alive.

Nina's the one you'd be proud of. She's a pediatrician now. Has her own private practice in St. Louis.

Alexei is with dad, still. I don't know if that's because he's afraid or because dad's pulled the wool over his eyes, but I swear I'll save him, mam. I swear it. I'm almost there. Three grand to go and I'm there. 

I love you, mam.

Rest easy.

I've never let anyone do that kind of shit to me before, but I think I liked it. A lot actually.

Coffee sometime?

You look cute when you’re sleeping, so I didn’t wake you up. But I want you to know I had a good time. 

It was nice meeting you, red.