When Adele arrived at Boston's South Station, what she urgently needed was cash. Although she could withdraw money from an ATM, the amount was too small. Fortunately, her account had not been frozen, allowing her to withdraw the daily maximum from a nearby Bank of America.
As the train to Manhattan Penn Station, New York arrived at the platform, Adele hurriedly made her way. A wave of longing for Daniel and anxiety about the future washed over her, but the hope that she could find new beginnings if she just held on a little longer kept her spirits up.
The high-speed train, Amtrak Acela, passed through Rhode Island and New Haven, with the blue Atlantic Ocean and beautiful coastline unfolding outside the window, yet Adele's heart felt as dark as a tunnel.
Perhaps it was the relief of leaving Boston that brought on a sudden wave of fatigue. In fact, Adele had not had a proper night's sleep for several days.
After a night of nightmares at a hotel near Penn Station, Adele woke up early in the morning. It was a frightening and difficult situation, but she comforted herself and gathered her courage as she boarded the train to Chicago.
***
As Adele gazed out at the passing scenery, memories of Daniel flooded her mind.
'That day, Adele and Daniel boarded the train under the warm summer sun. The train's swaying seemed to shake their hearts as well. Sitting next to Daniel, Adele read the book he had brought and listened to his stories.'
"The view from here looks like an Andrew Wyeth painting. This is what he meant by magical realism...!"
His eyes sparkled, and Adele felt her heart flutter at the sight.
But now, all of that remained only as longing. As the train swayed, tears suddenly welled up in Adele's eyes.
'Daniel, I never thought I would be traveling alone like this.'
The train sped toward Chicago, but Adele's heart raced toward Daniel's embrace.
'We will meet again.'
***
Adele instinctively shrank back under the sunlight pouring from the high arched ceiling of Chicago Union Station. To avoid the gazes of others, she buried her face in the collar of her light brown trench coat and purchased a round-trip ticket to Milwaukee.
Her mind was filled only with plans to evade the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, she paid for a ticket to Seattle with her credit card.
It was her first thought of leaving a trace for those pursuing her.
'Now they will find my trail.'
Hastily returning to Chicago, Adele waited for the departure of California Zephyr to Denver.
'This is just the beginning; I can do this!'
***
The California Zephyr, rumored to be the most beautiful train in America, offered comfort and stunning views that matched its reputation.
As it left Illinois and entered Iowa, a different atmosphere unfolded from the scenery she had seen before.
Adele's eyes moistened as she gazed at the golden and orange hues of the sunset, the dark brown earth of rural farms dotted with haystacks, and the fields after the autumn harvest.
'This place is similar to where we traveled together.'
'I would have loved anywhere as long as I was with you!'