Page 144 of Spring Break Fling

HANNAH

Six Months Later

The airport was chaos: screeching toddlers, beeping luggage carts, and that one guy yelling into his AirPods about “closing the deal.” But amidst it all, there I was, bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet by the baggage carousel, grinning like a lunatic.

I couldn’t wait to see my friends. It had been forever. I missed them like crazy. It was next to impossible to get everyone in town at the same time. We all had busy lives.

I paced back and forth, waiting for them to emerge. Their plane landed five minutes ago. How long did it take to get from the jetway to baggage claim?

Finally, I saw the first familiar face in the crowd, and my heart soared. Maddie waved energetically as she spotted me. She practically sprinted over to me.

“Hannah!” she squealed, dropping her bag to wrap me in a tight hug. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Me too.” I laughed, squeezing her back. “It’s been too long!”

As we pulled apart, Rachel walked up. I pulled her in for a big hug. Tara pushed Rachel away and took her hug.

“I’m so glad you guys are here!” I clapped my hands, my excitement was pouring out of me.

“Hannah, if you don’t calm down, someone’s going to call security,” Maddie teased as she grabbed her suitcase.

“Sorry, I’m just excited!” I practically tackled her in a hug before doing the same to Rachel and Tara.

“We’ve been here for five minutes, and she’s already causing a scene,” Rachel said, laughing as she adjusted her purse.

“That’s my Hannah,” Tara chimed in, giving me a playful shove.

My exuberant greeting was earning glares from a group of weary travelers who looked like they hadn’t seen a bed—or joy—in a decade.

“We should probably get out of here before someone tries to suffocate us with their neck pillow,” Rachel said, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder.

“Agreed,” Maddie added, waving off a man who was glaring daggers at us. “Lead the way, Hannah Banana.”

I led them out to my newish car waiting in short-term parking. I might have gotten to the airport a little early. I didn’t want to risk their flight being delayed and my car getting towed. And I was definitely not going to move my car.

“Pile in,” I said.

The drive from the airport was filled with an endless stream of chatter, laughter, and the occasional burst of singing to the songs that popped up on the radio. Our reunion had energized us all, the months apart melting away as if they were just brief pauses in our friendship. It wasn’t like we didn’t talk every day, but it was different having them there in person.

As we pulled into my driveway, I realized how much I had missed these moments. The kind of connection that didn’t weaken with distance or time. My heart felt full.

At Nikko’s—our place, though it still felt weird saying that—I led my friends on a grand tour, starting with the guest room.

“Okay, two of you can crash here,” I said, flinging open the door to reveal a cozy setup with soft blue bedding and some twinkling fairy lights I’d strung up last week.

“Love the lights,” Rachel said, dropping her bag on the bed. “Very ‘Pinterest meets chill zone.’”

“Exactly the vibe I was going for,” I said with a mock hair flip. “And Maddie, you get the pull-out couch in the living room.”

“Perfect,” Maddie said, plopping onto the couch and testing its bounce.

“And this,” I said, walking them over to the fish tank. “Is Franklin.”

Tara squinted at the lone fish, who was lazily swimming in circles. “Why is his tank so fancy? Is he, like, a millionaire fish?”

“Excuse you, Franklin deserves luxury,” I said, hands on my hips. “But don’t get too attached—he’s just a placeholder until Nikko caves and lets me get a puppy.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow. “You? With a puppy?”