Bay was sitting on the plane, waiting for it to take off, anxious to go home. It had been a split decision to go to China, and another one to stay. She felt her sister's hand on her shoulder. "Are you hanging in there?" Daphne asked. The hustle and bustle never bothered Daphne, but it always managed to distract Bay. With all the people coming and going, the back and forth conversations, Bay found herself once again wishing that for just a few hours she could really be deaf, and not just pretend.
"I'm just anxious to get home. I didn't think anything like this could ever happen." Bay answered honestly. It was true, she'd never expected to get a phone call like that, from anybody, especially her. It wasn't the whole truth, however. The Flight attendant did a double take when seeing them talking to each other. Making Bay wonder if the irritation of people staring would ever wear off. She imagined not, but like Daphne, Emmett and Travis had all pointed out it wasn't her battle to fight.
Daphne could tell that Bay was keeping something a secret. Bay had stayed with her while she took a few premed classes in China. Though she thought that maybe the reason Bay had stayed had to do with a particular goodbye from the airport back home. "You know, sharing a room makes it really easy to tell when you leave something out."
"You got me." Bay told her.
"Is this about Travis?" Daphne guessed.
"Am I that obvious?" Bay distressed.
"Only to me I think, we have been in the same room for ten months now." Daphne attempting to lighten the mood. They both noticed other people noticing them signing to each other in such public cramped places people couldn't help, but stare so they just signed to each other so people couldn't eaves drop. Bay hated it when people stared at them when they were speaking to each other, but Daphne, after having been deaf most of her life barely seemed to notice.
Bay looked out the window, then back at her sister."Has it really been that long?" She thought about their landing, about all the things they saw the first six weeks in China and everything that had happened. "It's hard to believe."
"I know, luckily my class just ended." Daphne sighed. "I'd hate to have to take it over again."
"That class at UMKC is probably less hands on you know?" Bay teased.
"That's why I'd hate to have to take it again. I like hands on." Daphne insisted.
"Fine, but you have to admit it makes it hard to talk when your hands are tied up." Bay pointed out.
"Down side of hands on I guess, delayed conversation." she laughed. "So, what are you going to do when you see him?"
"I don't know." Bay admitted. "You know Emmet told me he wasn't sure he wanted to break up with me until he saw me. Maybe I will know what to do with Travis in the same way."
"So, you don't know how you feel about him?" Daphne thinking back on her memories of their goodbye.
"Actually I do, but I've been gone for ten months."Bay tried to explain. "What if when he sees me, it's not the same for him."
"Is that why you stayed in China with me? Because you thought that he might not feel the same anymore." Daphne asked as if it was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard.
"You act like that's impossible." Bay slightly shocked.
"Do you love him?" Daphne put a hand on her sisters to knee to comfort her.
"I do," she admitted. "I don't understand how I fell in love with we never dated, but I did."
"That's not a bad thing, scary maybe, cause the stakes for you are already so high, but he loves you too I know it." Daphne assured her. "When did you figure it out?"
"I knew it the moment that I got on the plane, I regretted the decision to leave as soon as we were in the air, and after six weeks I felt like I couldn't face him." Bay admitted.
"Bay you needed the time." Daphne comforted.
"I know," Bay agreed. "I went from dating Liam, to Ty, then Emmet, after Emmet broke my heart the first time I meet Noah, then Ty again then Tank, and back around to Emmet again, and big twist ending Emmet broke my heart even worse the second time. I needed to be without a guy for a while, but I feel awful that I had to hurt Travis."
"So what's the plan, are you going to reach out to him?" Daphne with empathy.
"Yeah, but we need to take care of the problem at hand first." Bay worried.
"Bay I'm not sure how much we are actually going to be able to do," Daphne said honestly. "As far as we know all we can do is be supportive, no matter how we feel about it."
"I know, but one major drama at a time." Bay shook her head.
Daphne smiled understanding how overwhelming their homecoming would be, not only for them, but their family. With the Cracked Mug doing so well, Regina had moved out of the Kennish's and back into East Riverside, where the whole adventure had started. Toby and Lily, after that eventful baby shower, decided that staying in K.C. was the best thing they could do for their son Carlton, had moved into the guest house. Toby's career had only slightly changed, he was still a D.J., but he also gave out music lessons for a more steady income. Daphne was anxious in her own way to get home and worried about the fighting that might ensue when she told her mother that she was staying at the Kennish's for now. With her sophomore year of college spent abroad, Daphne knew exactly what kind of doctor she wanted to be, but worried what that would mean for her future as a whole.
Bay closed her eyes going over talking to Travis about leaving for China. She'd spent a second thinking about it, but days worrying over Travis' reaction. Two weeks before they were scheduled to leave Bay went over to talk to Travis. She remembered his big warm smile when he opened the door. It was at Melody's house which was super awkward and she asked him to go for a walk with her. She held out her hand for him to take and he obliged.
"I want to go somewhere that's different." she explained.
"Different how?" he asked.
"Not tainted." was her only explanation, but he knew what she'd meant. Somewhere where memories of her and Emmet couldn't haunt them. "I know just the place." he told her and opened the passenger side of her car for her.
"Where are you taking me?" she got in handing him the keys.
"It's a surprise." was all he said as he started the car.
Surprisingly he took her to the Baseball field at UMKC. Bay was impressed, there were no bad memories of Emmet here at all. Just fond ones of her and Travis. "I'm impressed. This spot is perfect."
"I thought that either way this was a good spot." he offered.
Confused Bay looked at him and asked "Either way?"
"If you are here to dump me, then I thought this would be a good reminder that there might be something more still out there for me." he started to explain. "And if you are here with other news, we have more good memories here together than we do bad ones."
She moved closer to him and kissed him instinctively his arms went around her, while one of her hands was gently on his neck the other rested over his heart."I'm not dumping you."
He smiled, but knew the look she had on her face. "You don't want to get together though do you?"
"I'm going to China with Daphne." she bit her lip.
"So you aren't dumping me, you are epically dumping me." Travis said with building irritation.
"It's not like that." Bay desperate to make him listen. "Please just listen."
"Why so that I can feel better about you feeling that a relationship with me is so despicable that you have to move to another continent!" Travis turned away, he knew that if she decided to be a couple with him was going to take some convincing and maybe even time, but another country?
She ran around so that he faced her again. "No Travis it's too tempting. Can't you see that?"
"What?" He didn't understand.
"Since I found out about the switch I went from Ty, to Emmett then, Noah, Ty again, Tank then back to Emmett, who then completely destroyed my heart. First by cheating on me with Simone, and then telling me that my being assaulted, was cheating on him." she pulled his hand into hers when he looked down. Then when he looked back up at her, dropped his hands slowly so she could continue. "Funny thing was, it wasn't just my heart that was destroyed. My whole world came crashing down. I didn't get into art school, I was convicted of a felony, I was assaulted, and my boyfriend didn't believe me. I was lost and the only thing I knew was that you were there holding on to me. Through all of it."
"I'm more lost as to why you are choosing China over me." Travis pointed out.
"I am not choosing China over you, I need to be on my own, for just a little while." she clarified. "I need to figure my next move out and make a plan. Most importantly I need to learn how not to hurt you, and I have to start by not being selfish."
"So what you go to China meet some other guy and I'm here waiting for you to return?" Travis hopeless.
"No, I promise there will not be anyone else while I'm in China." she assured him. "I am going there to figure myself out, I won't blame you if you find someone here though. I want you to find someone who can offer you more. That's why I'm going so that I can find myself, so that I can hopefully give you what you gave me Travis."
"I never asked you to give me anything." he said. "I know that it's going to be a long awkward road, and I'm fine with that."
"I know, but you gave me hope, and I want to give you hope that we will work." Bay was becoming overwhelmed and was close to tears. "Travis that's exactly why I have to do this I have to find myself, find stability, lose the insecurities that hold me back. I will come back to you, to this if it's still here, but promise me that you won't wait for me."
A single tear was rolling down her cheek, he softly wiped it away. "Bay I won't promise not be waiting for you, but I will promise to keep an open mind, and to be patient while you figure yourself out."
She hugged him wondering how they could have missed each other before. Sad that when they finally did realized that they could work together, she needed time alone. It was so tempting to walk into a relationship with Travis. Daphne said it best when she said that he was the best guy, she was right. He was loyal, and when he felt someone had insulted or hurt her, he wasn't afraid to say so, even if he did go a little overboard. Smart, though he never gave himself enough credit for it, he always could read between the lines of her actions and cut right to the root, giving her a pep talk to encourage her through it. Kind and thoughtful, he fumbled a little when it came to doing things for her, like the art gallery. His heart was always in the right place, he'd just wanted to give her one good night after her terrible year. Even now, letting her go was the last thing he wanted to do, but there he was understanding and being supportive even if his own heart hurt.
So for two weeks their friendship was a little off. Sometimes they acted like a couple, and others he gave her the space he felt she needed. Bay wasn't sure what was going to make their separation easier for him, but she tried. The Good news was that Bay and Daphne were able to go to one last baseball game before they left. The team won and they celebrated with Travis. Unfortunately their flight left early the next morning. The girls decided to say their goodbyes to the family at home.
Kathryn was first in giving her a big hug. Then Regina, Lilly and Toby, with Carlton. Last was her father. He looked at her smoothing the hair from her face. He kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a hug."You know that normally I would want to keep you close, to keep you safe." he said softly "Every since we brought you home from the hospital it's all I ever wanted."
"I know Dad." Bay began to tear up.
"However, I've had to face a very hard fact this year." His voice cracked ever so subtly. "You've been close to home this whole year and I couldn't keep you safe."
"Dad," She pulled back to assure him that everything that happened in the last year wasn't his fault.
"No, just hear me out Bay." He interrupted her "You had a hard time this year, and I couldn't stop it, and you were on house arrest. You made something beautiful come out of community service, became stronger after being assaulted by someone you thought you could trust. And I have never wanted to hurt someone as much as Emmet after he broke up with you, but you walked through the fire and came out, a little burned, but on your feet. Go to China, have fun, you will come back stronger I know it."
"Thanks Dad." and she hugged him again. "I better get going."
"But, uh before you do, I don't want you to think I completely missed whatever is going on between you and Travis." John looked over at Travis who was talking to Daphne and Mingo.
"Dad," Bay chided him. Bay looked over her shoulder, to Travis who was talking to Daphne and Mingo. Travis was telling Mingo how wrong he had been about him at first, and how impressed he was that he was so committed to learning ASL for Daphne. Mingo was telling him no hard feelings, but if he wanted to make it up to him he could always provide free ASL lessons over the summer. Travis actually agreed.
"I'm just saying," he said teasingly "I've not been a fan of pretty much any of your boyfriends, but Travis I think I could actually be alright with."
"Because he's a baseball player?" Bay said suspiciously.
"No, because he's loyal, and a good guy." John assured her. "He took it what happened with Tank personally, and afterwards looked out for you at every turn. He even rented the art gallery so that he could give you one good night, after this wreck of a year. He's a good guy, and I know you loved Emmett, and saying this my come back and bite me, but it would be hard to find a better guy than Travis. I'm not saying it will be easy, but no love is. Love isn't just commitment, it's work, it's hard and messy and it's always a gamble. However, when you meet a person worth betting on, even when the hardships outweigh the good times it feels like you've hit the jackpot."
"I know, I just hate that we blurred the lines just as I needed personal space." Bay smiled. "He believes in me so much I don't want to let him down."
"Have a good time, take the time to heal from what happened over this last year, and come back to all of us new from this trip, and you won't." he hugged her again.
Regina came up, "It's time to go sweetie."
The car ride wasn't as heavy an atmosphere as one would have anticipated. They arrived quickly to the airport and the boys pulled their bags from the trunk of Bay's car. After carrying the luggage through to the final point before they had to separate, Bay and Travis went off to the side alone to check her and Daphne's bags. He put her carryon down next to them and hugged her tight. "I will miss you."
"I will miss you too." Bay assured him.
"Remind me again how this isn't you dumping me?" he joked.
Bay stepped in and kissed him. "That a good enough reminder?"
"For now." he kissed her nose "I wish I could walk you to the gate, like in the movies and give you a grander goodbye." he was making jokes to hid the hurt.
Bay place a hand over his heart "I want getting on the plane to be the last thing I do to hurt you."
"I've been thinking about this since you told me you were leaving." Travis began. "I know that you need this, and I realized something, you know you need this time alone, but I think you are underestimating how much. I will be here whenever you get back, don't rush home for me, take your time. I want you to be safe more than anything."
"I will be," Bay suddenly realizing how hard leaving was. Sure she was going with Daphne, but everyone else would be thousands of miles away. Tears began to run down her cheeks. "Would you laugh at me if I told you, I'm starting to get scared."
Travis wiped the tears away. "Never, but I will tell you that you are Bay Kennish, and fear won't stop you from getting on that plane. "
"I know I have to go, but I feel horrible." Bay hugged Travis before continuing. "I would not have made it through this year and all of the awful things that happened to me without you. Now I am leaving you in the lurch on a whim."
"You are right," Travis said then gently took her hands for just a moment before going on. "You have to go. You are wrong too."
"How do you mean?" Bay confused.
"I told you I thought about this a lot since you told me." he began "What I didn't say is I figured out why, at least some of it. Yes you need alone time to figure yourself out, your next move, and to heal from all the insanity that plagued you last year. The bigger reason you are going is that you are scared, and that's alright."
"You think I'm running away to China?" Bay not sure if she should be insulted or impressed.
"Not exactly." Travis searching for the right words. "This, you and me, scares you true, but what scares you more is you."
Bay was truly impressed. "I don't know how you do it every time, but somehow you get me without me having to explain it to you." She kissed him and then heard her and Daphne's flight calling for the first to boar to go on. "We have to go, we haven't even been through security yet, good thing we are the last to board."
"Safe flight, let me know you get there safe," Travis hugged her. "I'm just a email or video chat away."
"I will." Bay took his hand and held it until the last possible second.
Bay must have fallen asleep, because when she awoke Daphne was smiling."We are landing in a couple hours."
"We're landing in New York in just a couple hours?" Bay amazed, "I must have been dead to the world."
"You haven't been sleeping the last couple days, since we found out we needed to come home." Daphne reminded her.
"Have you told Mingo that we are coming home?" Bay asked.
"Yes, He's picking us up from the airport." Daphne told her. "When was the last time you talked to Travis?"
"Last week." Bay admitted.
"Really? How did it go?" Daphne surprised.
"He's not seeing anyone else," Bay half relieved, the other half disappointed. "He's doing really well at UMKC, and on the baseball team still pitching."
"That's great," Daphne agreed. "But why do you sound like that's a bad thing?"
"I'm in love with Travis," Bay began. "And I am so proud that he is doing well in school and on the baseball team. It's wonderful that he's doing so well, but he's alone."
"Were you hoping he'd find someone else?" Daphne, putting the pieces together. "Is that why you stayed in China with me?"
"I stayed in China, because Travis convinced me that it would be beneficial to my art. To my next step and he was right." Bay confessed. "I didn't want to leave you in a foreign country all alone, not because I thought you wouldn't survive, but because I didn't want you to be alone. When I told Travis, he said that it was a great idea for me and that I should study something here that was like street art, only legal so that I wouldn't get arrested."
"Travis convinced you to stay." Daphne shocked. "You never told me that."
"I didn't want you to think I didn't want to stay, I did." Bay explained "Away from everything was so wonderful. I was starting to remember who I was before Emmett, and who I wanted to be before I was caught up in his drama. Before the Tank incident, before all of it. I feel like this last year in China has given me an almost clean slate, the only thing that stuck was..."
"That you love Travis." Daphne finished for her.
"Yea, I don't know what to expect." Bay agreed. "What I call him when I get home, and we just instantly fall into a relationship? Do we take things slow, or at light speed? What about Emmett and Travis? They live together over the summers, and I've never actually met what if when we do it goes badly?"
"Bay, Bay!" Daphne trying to derail her sister before she crashed and burned. "You will figure it out. Travis isn't going to push you, he hasn't this whole time."
"You're right, I just need to relax everything will be fine." Bay tried to convince herself, she found herself thinking back to all the wonderful moments in China. The wall, learning about an intercultural art program, and turning into a skilled tattoo artist. Then her mind turned back to Travis. More specifically, the conversation when he convinced her to stay with Daphne in China.
"I don't see what the problem is?" Travis told her after she explained that Daphne wanted to stay in China, for her sophomore year. And how she was worried about Daphne getting lonely, like Emmett did, and either come home early or make some miserable mistakes.
"Really? I just said that if I stay it will be another school year before I come home." Bay reminded him.
"And?" Travis still trying to figure out what the problem was.
"Did I miss something, do you not want me to come home now?" Bay suspiciously.
"Of course I want you home." Travis laughed. "You don't want to come home yet. You are worried about your sister, and I will be here when you come home."
"Ok, but what am I going to do while she's here in school?" Bay pushed.
"You will find something." Travis assured her. "Last week you sent me photos of all this amazing artwork and emails with some sketch designs."
"Street art is illegal here too." Bay reminded him. "That's why it's edgy."
"Does it have to be illegal to be edgy?" Travis asked. "What about Tattoos?"
"What about tattoos?" Bay not fully getting it.
"You emailed last week, someone wanted to buy your sketch for a tattoo." He reminded
"Yea and?" Bay wondering where this was going.
"You could be a tattoo artist." Travis putting all the pieces together. "You liked how your work will be permanent."
"True, and I guess I could get a job in a shop close by." Bay agreed.
"There, now you won't just be a tag a long you will be there for a reason." Travis smiled.
"How are you this understanding?" Bay amazed.
"When I needed someone to be understanding you were there for me, and I want you to come home knowing what you want." Travis said.
Thinking about that and all of their conversations Bay was only more nervous. It seemed the more sure she became of her feelings the more worried she became. "We're landing now." Bay told Daphne as she pointed out the seatbelt sign.
"We will be home in KC, by the end of the day." Daphne excited. "I didn't know I would be this happy to be home."
The next flight was barely three hours and for Bay it went by in a blur. The girls gathered their bags and exited off the plane. Daphne went off to baggage claim while Bay looked for their ride. There by the doors stood Travis. It was like her body and mind went to auto pilot. She walked right toward him.
"What are doing here?" She asked.
"You can't drive yourself home." Travis said.
"You came to bring me home?" Bay still reeling.
"I can go, if you want." he joked.
Bay pulled him back as he pretended to walk away. "No, I know what I want now."
"And that is?" he was able to get out, just before Bay kissed him. "Who told you I was coming home?"
"Toby, he said that things were getting rough, and that you decided to come home." He explained. "I thought you could use a friend."
"Is that all you want to do, be my friend?" Bay teased. "I mean I can't blame you I left you high and dry for ten months."
"You can label us however you want, but I won't let you go through this rough patch alone." Travis assured her. "I will do whatever I can to protect you, I may not make the best choice, but I will always be your friend."
"I love you Travis." Bay told him.
"I have been waiting a long time for those words." Travis admitted. "I love you too."
He kissed her, pulling her in as just like the first time she melted into the kiss. This time instead of walking away from her to give her space, he picked her up off her feet for just a moment. Bay wasn't sure what this new year was going to bring. She was terrified. The stakes with Travis were already so high. The emotions already real, but when she looked into his eyes, she knew no matter what he would always be there for her. Looking back on the four years they've known each other Bay wondered what would have been different in her life, if she had met Travis first. Before Ty, before Emmett. Where would her life have taken her. When he kissed her again she realized that things were just as they should be, they were in love, and he just as he proved time and time again would be her rock, and this time she knew that the road wouldn't be easy, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be worth the work. Her Dad was right, Travis was a man worth betting on, Bay just wondered why it took so long for her to come to the table.