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“Doesn’t matter, because nothing can.”
I know that in my heart.
The group of us retreat goers said our goodbyes, hugging and saying we’ll keep in touch with the contact information we each exchanged. Ben hugged everyone, too, and Dax kissed him on the cheek. “Sorry I was hard on you.”
“That’s what friends do,” Ben smiled. “They look after friends.”
Dax pointed at him. “Then I’ll be looking after you now, too.” To the group Dax said, “I’m gonna be looking after all of you.”
Maggie grinned, “Right back at you! In fact, and don’t take this the wrong way, but I think you should maybe cut back on the drinking. You don’t need it to be the artist you are.”
Tears unexpectedly sprang to Dax’s eyeliner’d eyes. “Not as easy as that, Mags.”
Kind words spun around until the next thing spinning was suitcase wheels, sadly in different directions.
With Ben and I the last to stand at the curb, I kissed him. “I don’t want to go!”
“Stay. Have your dog sent here.”
“I can’t do it like that. I have so many people I need to… I don’t know. Just call me, okay?”
“Bye Willow.” My heart ached as I headed for the gate that took me home. To stave off my longing, I looked forward to seeing my dog, my family…my Gemma.
And now, after a four-and-a-half-hour nonstop flight, Gem is picking me up at the airport, texting me where to find her outside of the baggage area at LAX. I used to think this was the busiest airport but now I’m acutely aware that Atlanta has it beat.
Rolling my luggage outside, holding tight to me my wooden gift — It's Possible — I search the noise and bustle for my best friend, spotting within seconds the red Subaru and her matching short, spiky red hair.
“Gemma!" I hurry to where she stands beside the car, arguing with a security guy.
“See! There she is!"
"You can't park here "
“She's right there! I’m just picking up my friend. How else do I pick her up? Jeez. Take a Quaalude."
I offer him a nothing-to-freak-out-about smile and haul my stuff into her hatchback. "Thanks so much, Sir.”
He grumbles at me and heads off to berate some other unlucky human beings with his bad attitude.
Gemma mutters, “What an asshole!”
"He has a terrible job."
We climb in the car. “He picked it.” She turns on the ignition. “And he has a paycheck taking care of his necessities so what the fuck is he grumbling about?” Through the window she shouts, “Lots of jobless people out there!” then leans over to hug me over the gear-shift. “It's so good to see you, Will! I missed you so much! "
"I missed you, too.”
She starts laughing. “Ha! Yeah, really believable!”
Looking at a fresh text on my phone from Ben, I blurt, "I'm in love."
Gemma freezes, seatbelt in hand. “With the countryside?”
On the short ride home, I tell her everything, every single little detail you’d tell a best friend. She voraciously drinks it all in, asking questions, laughing, freaking out with excitement for me, and then getting really quiet as we pull up into my apartment building’s parking structure. "I need a drink. Do you wanna go get a drink?"
"Let me just take my bags up."
I leave my phone in the car, and she pops the hatchback. Hurrying, I bring my luggage upstairs, open the door to a surprise.
