Charlie
I’d been working my ass off, saving like a fiend and taking every spare job I could find, from family photos to graduation pics and a ton of weddings.
In less than three weeks I’d be boarding a plane to my new life. I headed towards it with a mixture of excitement and terror.
My first stop was Hawaii, where I’d already booked one week at a hostel. It was kind of scary heading off on my own, but determination would push me through. I had to get away. I couldn’t be on the same continent when Nixon slipped a wedding ring on someone else’s finger.
“So, you seem really set on this.” Fliss sucked her Jamba Juice straw, her eyes kind of sad as she walked beside me down the street.
“I’ve already paid for the tickets, Flissy. I have to go.”
Pausing outside an outdoor and travel store, I gave her a brave smile before pushing the door open. We strolled in together and the first thing to hit me was the smell—that mixture of new canvas and plastic utensils, intelligent knickknacks that compacted everyday living down to travel size.
Basically, it smelled like adventure.
People who shopped in places like this had plans, big plans, based on dreams of seeing the world in a way that others never would.
Fliss and I scanned the store for packs.
“Over there.” She pointed.
My lips stretched into a wide smile as I headed for the wall of brightly colored backpacks. I wanted something slimline and easy to carry, yet big enough to hold all my stuff. It meant I would scream tourist wherever I went, which wasn’t exactly preferable, but I had to be practical as well.
I took a bright orange pack off the hook. “This one’s kind of cool.” I started unzipping compartments and checking out all the little places I could hide my passport and important stuff. “This’ll be big enough, right?”
“It depends how long you’re going for.” Fliss’s tone was dry, taking us right back to the argument we’d been having ever since I told her my plans.
“Would you let that go already? I’ve set money aside so I can come home as soon as I’m done.”
“Yes, but when is that? Two months? A year? Two years?”
I huffed, the pack hitting my knees as my arms went straight. “I don’t know, okay? As long as it takes.”
“He’s going to be married for the rest of his life, Chuck. And you can’t stay away forever.”
Some days I wished I hadn’t told her a damn thing about Nixon, but she wouldn’t let me get away with “It’s just time to go.” So we’d stayed up until four in the morning one night and I told her the whole wretched story.
“You should have told his dad to stick it! I can’t believe he showed up at your door like that!”
“They were right though. I can’t give him a stable, nine-to-five life. That would have killed me…and driven us apart.”
Fliss had huffed, trying to convince me that maybe he didn’t want that for himself. But I knew better. He wouldn’t be getting married if he didn’t want the security of a normal life. He wouldn’t drive a wedge between himself and his only family. His parents needed him. And he knew it. He was too good a person to let them down.
I pulled the pack on, settling it over my shoulders and clipping the waist belt. “This feels good.”
Fliss gave me a defeated smile.
“Would you stop? I need you to be happy for me.”
“I would be if I wasn’t so worried. Are you sure about going alone?”
“I’ll be fine! It’s what I want.”
“No, it’s not. But I guess it is what it is.” Fliss shrugged and slurped some more of her juice.
“I’m sorry I’m going to miss your wedding,” I whispered, wondering if that was really the root cause of her major reluctance over me leaving.
“It’s not that. We haven’t even set a date yet. And in fairness to you, I’m moving out and leaving you all alone, so really, your timing is impeccable.”
My nose started to tingle as I stared at Fliss—my cousin-in-law turned close friend. We’d been rooming together for a while, and it’d been awesome.
I was going to miss her big time.
In a lame attempt to make her smile, I grabbed her hand and gave it a little squeeze…then started singing “Cups.”
Fliss’s lips twitched, and once again proving how awesome she was, she kicked in with a harmony. We stood in the store singing loud enough to turn heads. But we didn’t care.
It was a beautiful moment that would be burned into my memory…and would no doubt carry me along on those moments away from home, when I felt the weight of my solitary life.