to clear the table. When I finish, I walk through each room of the house I spent time in to make sure I've not forgotten something. My bags are packed and standing at attention in the front room for when Ryan arrives. As I wait for him, I sit with Kate while she knits. She's now making a baby blanket for the daughter of a friend. It’s cream-colored with a pink border. Watching her knit, I can suddenly picture my own identical baby blanket. I still have it in a box in my closet back home.
"You said my mother knew how to knit, right?"
"She did."
"I have a baby blanket like this back home." I gently touch a corner of the blanket.
"If your mother did not make it, there's a good chance that was a blanket I had made for her as a baby. I had one that I never knew what happened to it. If that's the same one, I'm happy to know she used it with you." Kate reaches out to pat me on the knee.
Ryan enters not long after. Kate flutters around me, wanting to make me a snack before I leave, but my stomach is unsettled from the night before and the thought of flying. I hope a bag of Chex Mix at the airport will help. When we hug goodbye, Kate clings to me. I can tell by the way Kate is breathing that she is near tears. I don’t want to cry in front of Ryan again, but will have no choice if I see Kate cry. I give her a kiss on the cheek and release my arms. Kate walks us to the door, pulling me down to give me a kiss. Ryan pulls both of my suitcases and loads them into his Jeep while I double check my purse for my ticket and ID. Kate stands in the doorway, waving while I climb into Ryan's Jeep.
"And we're off," Ryan says, backing out.
"Thank you for taking me to the airport."
"We're going to miss you."
I can’t tell him how much I am going to miss him as well without feeling silly so I nod and look out the window, feeling more depressed with each palm tree we pass. It doesn‘t take long to get to the airport. Ryan refuses my request to just drop me off and parks instead. I follow him to the airline counter, and he waits with me until my bag is checked. I’m waiting for him to leave, but he seems unable to. As we approach the security area, we both know he can’t go any farther. Before I walk into the roped-off area, he pulls me into a hug. I rest my forehead on his neck, breathing him in.
Ryan's arms are so strong around me. I don’t want him to let go, but he does. Just before his arms release me, he gently kisses the top of my head. I reach for his hand and give it a squeeze, then move into line. As I navigate the rope-lined path, I look back each time the line stops, and each time, Ryan is still there, watching me. When I reach the front of the line where I have to take off my shoes and put them and my carryon onto the conveyor belt, I look back one more time to wave and see he is gone.
Sad I'd not been able to see him one last time, I pass through security in a daze, only to be stopped because I have forgotten to take off my belt. The TSA agent takes it from me to have it through the scanner and makes me walk through the detector again. I apologize while putting my belt and shoes back on, then go to find my gate. I have a direct flight for the return, and Jon will pick me up from the airport. I take out my cell phone to text him a reminder of when my flight will be landing.
Time to get back to reality, I think to myself. Sure, Florida had been a nice break with kayaking and mermaids, but that is not my life. It’s Saturday. I'll have all day tomorrow to get settled and ready to go back to work on Monday. This is my life. I just need to accept that.
~*~
When I land in Cleveland, I can’t find Jon. I move out of the path of travelers and text him, asking if he is there. Jon replies that he