FRIDAY - JULY 2, 1976

Sarah weaved her way through the boxes in her new living room to answer the door. She knew it was her mother, coming over to help her unpack the kitchen items.

Everyone had pitched in to help her and Pete move yesterday and now it was up to her to unpack most of it, Pete had to go in to work today. Thankfully, her mother offered to help organize her kitchen, Sarah had no idea where to start.

Their dads had brought over her bed and set it up in the smaller bedroom. It was a twin bed and fit that room better. Pete had a queen size that he had bought when he moved to the first apartment.

Sarah and Pete still hadn't told their parents that they were together as a couple. After the parents left last night, she had moved her things into Pete's room.

Midgie and Dave had stayed late as they partied and celebrated their new home and Sarah was feeling the effects of the late night. She just wanted to go back to bed and sleep off her hangover.

"How was your first night in your new place?" Jane asked as she brought in a package. "This came right when I was leaving. It's addressed to you."

Sarah looked, curiously, at the box in her mother's hands. It was a square about 12 inches around and 4 inches high. She took it, giving it a shake, but there was no rattling noise and it felt rather light. Then she saw Trish's name and the address of their home in New York as the return address.

"I don't want it." Sarah handed it back to her mother.

"You don't even want to open it?" Her mother asked, incredulously.

"No. In fact, there's another package in my room at home. It's in a duffle bag with some clothes that I don't want. You can get rid of it all."

"Sarah, you can't say that without opening them to see what's inside." Jane tried to convince Sarah to open it.

"Nope, that part of my life is done. I don't want any reminders of it." Sarah said decisively. "Let's get started on the kitchen, ok?"

Jane stayed for a few hours, helping Sarah unpack and organize. When she left, Sarah looked around at all the boxes that still needed unpacked, piled in the living room.

She shook her head, and went into the bedroom. She would get to them after she took a quick nap. She was still sleeping when Pete got home at 6.

***

The group straggled onto their tour bus, headed for Flagstaff. Everyone was quiet and more than slightly burned out from their night before. Sam was no exception.

He had gambled all day with Trish and Georgie, returning to his room shortly before midnight. He had agreed to come back to their room, after he checked on Gisette.

Sam had no idea what she had done all day and he really didn't care, but he thought he should probably see what was going on with her.

Gisette wasn't in the room, so he had gone back to Georgie's and partied until late into the night, then had staggered back to his room and passed out in bed beside a sleeping Gisette.

She had been giving him the silent treatment since he had crawled out of bed this morning. He watched her through bleary eyes as she put on her makeup and got dressed, then she left the room, all in silence.

Now, on the bus, she sat in the first seat, staring out the window. Sam walked by without acknowledging her, and slumped in the last row of seats, reclining it and closing his eyes. He planned to sleep for the next four or five hours.

Trish slid into the seat beside him. "You know Sarah will get the package and letter today." She whispered.

Sam just nodded his head. He was well aware of that, it was all he could think about. He didn't expect to get an answer, but he was wondering what she would think about the letter he had written. He wasn't even sure that she would read it.

"When are you going to call your parents?" Trish's question caught him off guard.

"What?" He asked, then shrugged his shoulders. "I probably should, huh?"

"You never called them to tell them you married..." Trish couldn't finish her sentence. She hated even saying the french bitch's name.

"I know, but I'm sure that you did." Sam chuckled.

"Georgie did, actually." Trish retorted. "And your parents were shocked, to say the least. We have a break coming up in mid July when we hit L.A.. Georgie and I are going home, maybe you should too."

Sam considered the idea, it may be a good idea. He'd been carrying around Sarah's necklace, wrapped in a tissue, in his pocket and it was going to get damaged more if he kept it up. If he went home, he could put it away in a safe place. He didn't like the idea of parting with it, but it was better than having it fall apart.

"Yeah, maybe I will." He said, thoughtfully.

Trish stood up in the aisle, "I'm going to sit with Georgie now, I'll let you sleep."

Sam had been asleep for a couple hours, when Gisette settled into the seat beside him, shaking his arm to wake him up.

"I've been thinking a lot, Sam." Gisette said quietly.

"Yeah, so have I." He answered.

Gisette looked at him, expectantly. "Well, then, tell me what you're thinking."

Sam closed his eyes again, laying his head back. "This isn't going to work."

Gisette sighed. "That's not true. I think when we get to California, I want to go home. I want us to go to Paris. It will be like a honeymoon. We can get away, alone, together. I think it would be good for us."

"Funny you should mention that. I'm going with Georgie and Trish, back to New York, to see my parents."

"Were you going to take me?" Gisette asked in surprise.

"I guess that's up to you." Sam said off handedly.

Gisette sat back in the seat, staring ahead. "You don't really care, do you, Sam?"

Sam sighed and looked out the window. "Everytime I look at you, I see how badly we hurt Sarah."

Gisette stood up, turning on him, she said angrily. "Then you can go to New York, I'm going to Paris!"

Sam looked up at her. "I want separate rooms in the hotels from now on, too." He said calmly. "In fact, maybe we should just end this sham of a marriage as soon as we can."

"Just try, Sam. I will fight you all the way. I will raise such a stink, your band will never know what hit them." Gisette hissed, then stalked up the aisle to the front seat.