Cindy Bloom-Kirkland stared silently out of the long, rectangular-shaped window of the old blue bus as it steadily puttered on. On to her hometown of Dayspring, Illinois on that dreary overcast day. Even the sky looked depressed, as if at any moment it was going to cry.

Cindy let out a sad sigh, closed her tired puffy eyes, and leaned her head against the worn black leather headrest. She wished that she were anywhere but here on this raggedy old bus going back home in shame.

But Cindy had to leave. She’d had no choice. He had changed. Yes, her beloved, now ex-husband Charles had become someone else right under her very nose. A mean, manipulative, and cold-hearted someone else.

Perhaps Charles had been that way all along. His parting words had certainly sealed the truth of that possibility in Cindy’s heart forever. In reality, Charles seemed to have taken a sick form of pleasure in the fact that he’d deceived her for so long. And his malicious declarations seemed to somehow empower him.

Even now as the rain began to rapidly blanket the bus with moisture, Cindy remembered how empty his hurtful words had made her feel. Had she been a fool all this time – believing in a lie? Had Charles ever really loved her? His parting words seemed to suggest otherwise.

“I’m ready to move on to the next level of my life. Without you,” Charles had said smugly as he pushed copies of the divorce papers towards Cindy. Papers that only needed her signature to be final. His bold handwriting was already on the documents, signifying that in Charles’ mind the marriage was already over.

Then he went on to tell Cindy that this was best for the both of them since she never really knew him anyway. The arrogant man even had the nerve to give her examples as proof of her ignorance concerning his true character.

“What do you think all those long business meetings and trips were about? I’ve found someone else. Someone who suits me better and is headed in the same direction as me. Someone that I’m, quite frankly, tired of sneaking around to see. Plus, I’m tired of all the guilt,” Charles had concluded.

The guilt?! Cindy scoffed inwardly. It incensed her that Charles actually thought that divorcing her would remove the multitude of guilt from his heart and mind.

Yeah right! Cindy mused angrily. Brother, you’re going to feel guilty for a long time for how you’ve treated me. She’d wanted to say those words and a few choice others to Charles, but she’d been in such a state of shock at the time that all she could do was cry as she signed the fateful documents.

No tears flowed now. They had stopped several miles back when the bus first entered the state of Illinois. Cindy would let the sky cry the rest of her tears.

And it did. The drenching rain continued to beat repetitiously against the bus.

What a way to start the New Year off – divorced, alone, and nearly bankrupt. According to the prenuptial agreement Charles tricked her into signing years ago; the only thing Cindy left their marriage with was the house. She didn’t even get to keep her silver Mercedes since he’d purchased it on the business account, which meant that it actually belonged to his company, not her.     

I’m really going to miss that car, Cindy mused, growing angrier as each mile drew her closer to her hometown. She honestly didn’t know who she was angrier at. Herself? Or her ex-husband?

Charles. Definitely Charles.

Ten miles to go.

Fortunately, Cindy’s sister had offered to let her stay with her for awhile, which was a true blessing. It was also a blessing that Cindy’s six-year marriage had produced no children. Charles hadn’t wanted any. If they’d had kids, leaving him would have been that much harder for her.

Why did I stay so long anyway? Cindy asked herself, considering the fact that they hadn’t had the binding ties of offspring and the fact that the marriage had been bad for years. Now she really felt like a fool for extending loyalty to a man who didn’t deserve it or her.

Folding her arms across her chest, Cindy quickly found her attempt at self-comfort inadequate. She needed more than she could give herself right now. Yet she was reluctant to turn to the One who could give her what she needed. Cindy was still too angry, too ashamed, still a little too prideful to do that just yet. Instead, her mind returned to that last scene at the house.

After Charles had had his say and gotten his freedom, he’d left the premises with glee dancing in his eyes. Glee!

Hurt that he’d been so elated to be rid of her, Cindy had packed with swift hands. Her feet had been just as swift as she went from room to room; gathering only what she absolutely intended to keep. There had been no use trying to stay there any longer than necessary. That house held too many painful memories, too much disappointment. Plus, it was too expensive to maintain on her own.

Besides, Harrelton, Florida was Charles’ hometown. He belonged there. She didn’t.

So among angry tears and under the weight of a heavy heart, Cindy had finished packing her basic necessities and made arrangements to leave. Knowing that she was going to have to watch her spending like a hawk now, she pulled what little money she still had left out of her personal savings account and purchased a bus ticket.

Cindy’s pride wouldn’t allow her to accept plane fare from her family. It was bad enough that she was going to have to live off them until she found a job.    

Marriage to Charles was like a bad investment, Cindy mused, feeling bankrupt on another level now.

Five miles left.

Over the miles of highways and byways Cindy’s tears had long since dissipated. Only anger remained now. The rain was getting lighter. Even the sky was refusing to cry anymore. It had cleansed what it needed to cleanse, had washed away the debris of the past. Cindy’s own tears had done some of that, as well.

Welcome to the Garden City the green and white sign above them read as the bus turned onto the proper exit. The sun had come out and its resplendent presence seemed to whisper these words to Cindy’s broken heart, “Your storm will also pass.”

Cindy wasn’t sure if she believed that just yet. For now, the most she could do was be glad that she at least made it safely back home again.