Emily could hear the plane wheels come down as her plane began to descend; as the plane lowered she could make out the Golden Gate Bridge through the dense fog. It had been a long flight, and her nerves were more than on edge. It had been three months since she last saw Paige. Three long months. It felt like everything had changed during that time. But then again, maybe nothing had really changed. Emily still had that familiar fluttering in her stomach as the realization that she would soon be face-to-face with Paige took hold.
Emily and Paige had "mutually" decided to end their relationship as Paige left for Stanford. Both were afraid to admit to the other that it was not what they truly wanted. Emily spent days crying in her room once Paige left for California. She was inconsolable. The girls were never on bad terms though, and weekly calls soon turned into daily conversations. Paige would tell Emily about her classes and swimming. Emily would tell Paige about work and her friends. They were soft and gentle conversations — they would talk for hours but for some reason neither would mention their break-up. That had all changed last though.
"Paige?" Emily fumbled for her phone in the darkness. She had been asleep for what felt like hours. "Are you okay?"
Emily could hear Paige's uneven breathing. "I need to see you." Then the line went dead.
Emily could tell Paige had been crying. She knew Paige like the back of her hand. Emily grabbed her laptop from beside her on the bed. In just a matter of minutes she had booked a flight out to California.
Emily watched as the bags began to fill the carousel at baggage claim. The whole situation felt surreal. As Emily tried to focus on the bags circling past her she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"Em." Paige's voice was soft and fragile. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days. But as soon as Paige saw Emily standing there her face broke out into a warm smile.