Meanwhile, in Owasco

Silvia’s eyes were on her screen. Around her in the records section of her department, she could hear other people chatting and some liked the sounds on for their keyboard so they could hear the clacking as they typed.

Silvia kept her eyes on her screen and rolled her eyes at how excited they were over the Johnsons’ new baby. The Johnsons had five kids. It came down to two words; small town. She continued to type, not looking at her keyboard.

A folded piece of paper flew through her screen and landed her fingers.

“Hey, Silvie, type that in, would ya?” Roger asked with a smirk as he passed her desk.

Silvia sighed and glared at his back. It wasn’t like he couldn’t do it himself. They had the same job.

She lifted her hands and dumped the piece of paper on the desk. She rolled her eyes again and adjusted her tennis bracelet before picking the paper back up. She might see what it was before she went and pinned it to Roger’s forehead and told him to do it himself. She flipped the top open.

Vonrothe, Gideon, W.

Her heart stopped. Gideon. Her heart picked up again as she flipped the paper the rest of the way open and skimmed. Official Auto Vehicular Registration for the Country of Colorado, Jasper Police Department.

Auto Registration? Official?

Her brown eyes widened more and her heart started to race.

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“Yeah,” Roger said. “He’s turned his plates in.”

Silvia’s chin jerked up and set her long blonde hair swaying. She looked over at Roger. He hefted a pair of auto plates in his hands, Gideon’s auto plates.

Silvia’s hands tightened on the piece of paper. Colorado? What was Gideon thinking? His mother had said that Gideon and his father had had a fight, but it couldn’t be that serious. He’d needed a little time away. That was it. A little time and then he was coming back. Silvia was sure he was coming back. It was like the military, a phase he was going through. She was certain of it.

“Nah. Didn’t look. Could be he’s taking it off the road,” Roger continued.

Silvia looked down at the paper again. Gideon, her Gideon. No. He wouldn’t take the auto off the road. He loved that auto. It was his first auto. It was the one he took her on their first date on. The one they’d made out in the front seat in. They’d gone to the prom in that auto.

She licked her lips, not caring that she’d ruined her light pink lipstick. Colorado? Her eyes narrowed. Jasper, Colorado? Where was that?

She folded the piece of paper and looked around. Roger had moved onwards and the others weren’t paying attention to her. She got up and went over to the copier. She set it down on the glass plate, pressed the button, and fiddled with her nails, smoothing out a rough edge and grimacing at the chips in her manicure as the laser went to work.

She picked up the copy and folded it quickly, putting it in her jacket pocket. No one could know she had it. She picked up the original and smoothed it out.

She went back over to her desk and started entering it in. If Roger hadn’t been smart enough to look at the paper, she wasn’t going to let him. Roger and Gideon had never really gotten along anyways. It wasn’t Gideon’s fault that anytime the football coach could get him it meant Roger got bumped to second string.

She changed screens and starting typing in the information, paying attention to what she was actually doing for once trying to figure it all out. What was going on in Gideon’s head? Colorado, another country? That was a long ways away. She didn’t know the exact amount of time, but she was sure it was days.

She pressed her lips together and nodded sharply. She wouldn’t worry Gideon’s mother with all this. She wouldn’t. It was most likely nothing.

Involuntarily, she looked up at the calendar. She had vacation coming to her. Maybe she ought to find out was going on with him for herself.

Her Gideon couldn’t be thinking of staying in Colorado.

Away from her.