A/N I'm surprised someone hasn't done something like this yet.. or maybe they have, and I just haven't found it. These can be read as all a part of the reason or just separate- which was how I intended it to be in the beginning.
IIIII
The receiver starts to buzz irritably, indicating that the call has ended. Her fingers remain wrapped around the phone regardless, and she stares at her desk. Adelle eventually comes to and puts the phone back in it's cradle, trying not to look at the discarded ring that lies next to it. She hasn't worn it in so long there isn't even a light presence of it on her finger.
She hasn't spoken to him in weeks, and they've been resentful of one another for months. Still, for all intensive purposes her husband has just eloped with another woman.
To Arizona, of all places.
IIIII
Adelle is seventeen, hair swept up out of the way and trying not to pant from exertion. She narrows her eyes at the boy standing in front of her, who keeps insisting they've just played a game of soccer, not football and crazy Brit rules are the only way she and her team just won.
His accent gives him away, but she can't help but ask, "where are you from?"
He looks surprised at the question, "Arizona."
IIIII
There are plenty of places to retire to, Adelle protests. France. Spain. Why on Earth did she want to go to the United States?
Her mother gives an airy response about seeing the world while she seals up the last of her possessions.
A month later a package arrives at Adelle's flat, inside is a box of ashes. It is the first news she receives of her mother passing. (it takes her a week to track down the clinic that's doing a trial run on cancer patients, she hadn't even known her mother had cancer)
The return address on the package is a medical research center in Tuscon, Arizona.
IIIII
When she's seven her mother packs her a small bag and takes her with her to the airport. She fidgets through both of their flights, mother occasionally snapping at her to get some sleep. When they arrive, a man in a suit greets them at the entrance and the dry air outside makes her nose itch.
This man is her father, she recognizes him from photos.
She rubs idly at her nose, not interested in what they adults are saying. Blood starts to ooze down onto her lip from her stressed sinus and she hastily wipes it on her clothes, hoping to hide it from her mother. The moment she turns away from her father she notices anyway, and immediately turns to hysterics at the sight of her face and clothes.
Adelle decides that she hates Arizona.
IIIII
Of all the places for the Center to have headquarters, it had to be Tuscon. Adelle doesn't mind the traveling, she's been doing that most of her life, what she hates is the climate. Her body can make it out of the airport and into the cab just fine, but by the time she's reached the hotel her skin feels dry and her lips are getting chapped.
This particular excursion into Hell is accompanied by her new head of security, who she thinks is a little bit mad for wearing the three piece suit- she's positive he'll suffer heat stroke and she'll be damned if she waits out in the sun for the ambulance to arrive. Their luggage is parked beside them on the curb and as he hails a taxi she toys with a loose strand of her hair.
Adelle is staring at her hair when he steps back towards her, reaching for their bags, "ma'm?"
Her hair has gotten frizzy. They haven't even reached the cab and her hair has gotten frizzy. "I loathe Arizona," leaving him with their things she practically stomps towards the waiting vehicle.