The call disconnected, andIstared at the pause screen of my game for several seconds as the ramifications of what had just happened sank in.
Teddy could stay.Teddycouldstay!SomehowI’dpulled it off, and without having to chuck my own happiness out of the window.
Okay,Dafyddhad done some of it.ButIcould hearMorgan’svoice in my head– all of my friends, actually, andTeddyherself– telling me that he wouldn’t have offered what he did if not for all my hard work.TheimpactIwas making.Andso, yeah,I’dfuckingdone it.
I looked down at my phone again, seeing that it was almost eleven in the morning.Teddy’sflight left at half past two, if it was the oneI’dlooked up online, which meantIhad just two and a half hours before she boarded to make sure she didn’t go anywhere.
I tried her first, of course, but the call rang through to voicemail.Ihung up and tried again, figuring she might be screening my calls, but no, that one rang out, too.Iwould have to go to planB.
“What do you want?”Amyasked, groaning at me as she answered my call. “I’mabout to kickEthel’sarse atHold’Em.”
“From experience,Ican say you are not,”Isaid, rushing around to gather my things. “Howquickly can you get here?”
Amy seemed to pick up on my frantic energy, dropping into business mode.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, andIcould tell she was on the move. “Ican be there in five.No, make that three.”
“See you then,”Isaid, not answering her question and ending the call.Therewas too much to grab; namely some clothes, given thatIwas currently wearing a too-small camisole and boxer briefs.SoIgrabbed the first acceptable items of clothingIcould find, pulled them on over whatIwas already wearing, and threw my wallet and keys in a tote bag.And, on second thought, a hairbrush.Allwhilst diallingTeddyover and over again, my hope eroding more and more every time the automated voice read out her number.
I ran downstairs, arriving at the pavement just asAmywas pulling up.
“What the hell?” she asked asIclimbed in. “Whydo you look like that?”
“That’s what you’re worried about right now?”Iasked, pounding on the dash. “Justdrive!”
“I can’t!” she said, throwing her hands up. “Youhaven’t told me where we’re going!”
“Oh, you’re gonna love this,”Isaid, relishing the confused look on her face for just a moment.
“Come on,” she said, hurrying me up, andIgave into the time pressure, opening my phone toJen’scontact.I’dneed to spend some time on the phone with her if this was going to work.
“ToHeathrow,”Isaid, watchingAmy’sface light up with excitement. “It’stime for the airport chase scene.”
Chapter38
Teddy
Iwas later to the airport thanI’dhoped to be.
First,I’dlingered atGwenynen, standing in the car park with my bag on my shoulder, watchingMaggieconsoleJenthrough the studio window.I’dnever let myself see this part before– the way it affectedJenwhenIleft– and did it make me a bad person thatIwas glad she was sad?Gladto be missed?Eitherway,Iwas happy she hadMaggie; that she wasn’t alone.Andfrom the wayJenseemed to slot effortlessly intoMaggie’sembrace,Isuspected they would be less alone than ever.I’dstood for far too long watching them, wishingIwasn’t the one giving them a reason to cry together, even ifIwas happy it was happening.
The journey to the airport had been massively inefficient, too.Ithad taken longer than usual to return theSubaruto the rental place, thanks to a rental agent who seemed to be experiencing his first day ever onEarth, and then the shuttle to the terminal had broken down on the way, and we’d had to wait for a replacement bus.Itfelt like the universe was desperate to keep me in theUK, to whichIsaid,Girl, same.ButI’dmade my decision.
This all meant that my comfortable, if a bit excessive, three-hours-early airport policy had been shaved to barely one.SonowIwas walking through the terminal likeIhad so many times before, but twice as fast and twice as gutted to leave.Iwished like always thatIcould stay, but also like always, there was nothingIcould do about it.Plus,IlovedChloe, andIwanted her to be happy.IhopedI’dbe back next summer to see her happy and thriving.
I felt the familiar fatigue set in at the pace of this half-lifeIwas living.Ididn’t know whatIwas going to do about it, butIhad a few months to figure it out,Iguessed.Ireached down to pick a few ofWillow’shairs off my knee, reminding me of yet another thingIwas leaving behind.
OnceIgot to the gate, waiting for them to call my group to go through the passport check,Iextracted my phone from my pocket to pass the time.I’dswitched on airplane mode early–Iwanted to stop myself from being able to make any desperate last-minute phone calls to a certain someone who had been pretty mad at me last week.ButapparentlyI’dconnected automatically to theWi-Fi–Ireally did come to this airport too much– becauseIsaw that, amongst other notificationsIignored for now,Ihad a message waiting from my dad.
DAD
Hey kid.Iknow you’re heading home, but don’t come see me for a while, yeah?I’vechecked myself into theCooperCenter.Feltfitting.Shouldbe out in 6 weeks or so.Loveyou.
Well,Ithought,Iguess it really will just be me on my own.
It was crowded at the gate, and for once the desk agent was actually refusing to let them through before she called out their group.Ikept getting jostled toward the desk, butIrefused to be one of those people, soIstood my ground as the crowd of my fellow economy passengers grew around me.Someonemotioned for me to move forward, shoving as he did, soIjust showed him the big number three on my boarding pass, then pointed at the screen that said “Nowboarding groups 1 & 2” behind the desk.Theman harrumphed at me, but he stopped pushing me, too.
When they finally called for group three, the first of the economy groups, it was like being caught in a current asIwas pushed forward.Suitcasesslammed into my shins, andIricocheted off someone’s giant backpack, butImanaged to keep my footing.
