Thirty-fourth Embarrassment [FINAL CHAPTER]
NORA:
Claudia motions for me to come closer to her, and I do. She leans over close to my ear. "Take care of my boy, okay? Take care of Gustav," she whispers. She pulls back from me, but not before giving me a kiss on the cheek.
Then, I wasn't really sure what she meant, but now... now I know that she was rooting for us this whole time.
"How is everything going?" Gustav asks me, his voice thick with worry. I roll my eyes at him, my sisters leaning in to try and hear what he was saying.
"Gustav. I'm just packing. I'm not going to get lost packing of all things... or hurt. I have little helpers," I say, smiling at my sisters. They giggle at me, and I put my finger to my lips.
"I guess... when are you coming back?" Gustav complains and I sigh.
"I miss you too, I'm coming back soon. In a couple days..."
"Thats not soon!" he whines, and I smile.
"Well, if I'm going to move in with you, I gotta finish packing. I'll be over soon, and this time I won't be leaving," I whisper, and I can hear him smile.
"I guess..." he says softly, and I smile. "Hurry back?" he asks, and I nod.
"OOOO! NORA AND GUSTAV SITTING IN A TREE!" My sisters start singing, and I squeak. They tackle me, and I feel my phone slip from my hand. Next thing I know, it turns into a full scale war for my phone.
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Fifi and Anna giggle as they sing that all-to famous song, and I turn a bright red.
"Give me back my phone you little brats!" I shout, and they laugh. They start to run away, phone in tow, and I chase after them. "I'm going to murder you!" I shout, and they scream. I see my mom rush out of her room, scoping my phone out of Anna's hands. She puts it up to her ear.
"Hey sweetie, sorry for Anna and Fifi," she apologizes. My sisters 'boo' at our mom, and she puts her fingers to her lips. "I'm glad that you called to see how she is doing, but she has to go right now, packing and all..." I feel my jaw drop. "Okay, talk to you later sweetie." She closes my phone, slipping it into her pocket.
"Mom!" I whine, and she raises her eyebrows at me.
"Oh no, don't you 'mom' me. You get back in your room and finish packing!" she says. I roll my eyes at her, turning back down the hallway. But underneath my pouting, a smile spread across my lips.
When I told my mom that I was going to be moving to Germany, she was oddly... okay about it. When I told her that I was moving in with Gustav, she started bawling her eyes out. She was so happy for me, and I couldn't help but cry with her. Anna was mad at me for a little bit, kind of like when I first moved to college. But after a week or so, she began to talk to me again. Fifi was sad, but she was able to understand and accept it easier than little Anna was. When I got home, I found them waiting for me in my apartment, and have been hanging around ever since.
Diane was depressed that I was going to be moving to Germany, but at the same time she was happy for me. She and Tom exchanged numbers, though when I asked her about it she said they only wanted to be friends at most. Neither of them were looking for a serious relationship right now. Diane was to worked up about graduating, and Tom was to worked up about Tokio Hotel.
I got a lot of crap from people about moving to Germany. My favorite teacher, Mr. Lazarro, questioned my reasons, but when I told him that I had known him years before the trip, he relaxed. He gave me a nod, a strong handshake, and told me good luck.
Before I left, I managed to finish my classes... barely. Since I was a senior, I was graduating this year. This was apart of the deal that Gustav and I had made: I wanted to at least finish my schooling, which was only a couple more months. It gave me more time to sell everything, my apartment, my stuff, and ship things to Gustav's apartment, where Claudia was staying. When Gustav and I told her that I was moving in with him, she was overjoyed. She winked at Gustav, and gave me a kiss on the cheek. She thanked me.
I managed to graduate early. Diane, May and Brian threw me a small going away party, wishing me the best of luck. I gave them my best wishes for the rest of their year.
Sadly, I wouldn't be able to go on most of the tour with Gustav. I would be joining them for the last leg of the tour, but that was it. At the moment, I was mostly packed, had almost everything shipped over to Germany, and was just picking up the last minute necessities, things that I would be taking with me on the tour bus with me. As I finished up packing, I hear someone come in the room. I turn to see my mom.
"Hey, mom," I say, a smile blooming on my face. I turn back to the box that I had found: a box of old photos. She comes over to me, looking over my shoulder.
"I didn't know that you still had these," she whispers, and I nod. She picks one up of my father. He was sitting with my new-born baby Anna and a 10-year-old me at the park. Fifi would join our family 5 years later. I watched as mom stroked the face of my father, tears filling her eyes. She blinked, and they disappeared. A pang of sorrow filled my heart, and I hugged my mom. She wrapped her arms around me, not letting go of the photo. "Your father," she said, her voice quivering. "Would be so proud of you, Nora-badora," she says. As if the whole scene wasn't emotional enough, this was the icing on the cake. Tears pooled in my eyes, and I sniffled. She hugged me closer, and I tried to blink away my tears.
"I love you mom, I'm going to miss you," I whispered, and she kissed my head.
"Oh honey, I will too. But you are such a strong girl, and you have Gustav with you. You will be fine." she said, and I smiled.
"Your right," I said, Gustav's face hanging in my mind. "I will."
Saying goodbye was hard. Anna started crying, just like she did years ago when I left for college. Fifi had tears in her eyes, but she wouldn't let herself cry like her little sister. I kissed and hugged them multiple times, telling them I would call them when I got there. I promised not to forget. When it came to tell my mom goodbye, I was crying so hard I was beginning to wonder if I was making the right decision. But when I remember Gustav who would be waiting for me, I knew that I was making the right decision. When I finally pried myself from my families grip and walked through the security gate, I couldn't help but look back through the plastic barrier.
My sisters had their arms wrapped around each other, and my mom was hugging both of them. They were all watching me, and I smiled. I waved at them, and they all waved back, smiles blooming on their faces.
"I love you," I called, and they smiled. I could see my mom cry a little harder, and I willed my tears to stay hidden.
"Bye Nora!" Anna called, and I smiled.
"Be safe, don't get lost!" Fifi reminded me, and I nodded. I started to turn away when I head my mom called out to me.
"Nora!" she calls, and I look back at them. She wiped away some of her tears. "Remember, Nora. Breathe," she reminds me. A few tears roll down my cheek as she spoke my dad's advice to me, and I nodded. Then, I picked up my bag, and I started walking to my gate.
I took a deep breath in.
I ran my fingers through the sand on the warm Californian beach, a sigh escaping me. The wind whipped at my hair, and I watched my sisters make a castle in the sand, my mom helping them collect shells. I looked over to my right and smiled.
"You know, you aren't going to get a view like this in Germany," my dad said, and I laughed.
"What, are you going to try and talk me out of it now?" I asked him, and he smiled.
"No, I'm just letting you know," he said, and I smiled. "That Gustav," he said, and I tilted my head, listening keenly. "He's a good guy. You'll be happy with him." He looked towards me, his blue eyes twinkling in the sun. His short brown hair danced in the wind. He looked back out at the ocean to where the rest of our family is. "You'll still take good care of them, right?" he asks me, and I look at him horrified.
"Dad, I wouldn't ever abandon them," I said defensively, and he laughs.
"I know, honey. I'm just making sure that they will be all right with both of us gone," he said. I looked back out at my two baby sisters and my beautiful mom. Would they be alright? I smiled.
"They will be fine. Mom is doing really well, and the girls are doing good too. They'll be sad for awhile, but they will be fine," I said. I see my dad turn towards me.
"How about you," he asks. "Are you doing fine?"
I take a moment to think about this. Sure, I missed my dad still, I would still cry every once in awhile. But I laugh and smile more than I am sad. I nod.
"I am fine. It was hard at first, you know, but I'm fine... I have Gustav," I said, my heartbeat fluttering a little when I said his name. My dad smiled.
"Oh Gustav. You'll be happy with him," he said again, and I laugh.
"You're acting like I'm going to get married to him!" I exclaim, and he gives me a sad smile.
"Well, I'll never know," he says sadly. I feel my heart throb a little.
"Sorry," I murmur, and he shrugs.
"You are okay." We sit there for a little bit in silence. Suddenly, my dad stands up.
"Well, I should get going," he says, and I look at him in dismay, standing up with him.
"Wait, go where?" I ask, and he smiles, pointing back up there.
"Oh, that big hospital in the sky," he jokes, and I couldn't help but crack a smile. He laughs a little, his carefree smile plastered on his face. We look at each other for a moment before he opens his arms to me. I walk into them, tears pooling in my eyes.
"I miss you, daddy," I whisper, and he strokes my back.
"I know sweetheart, I know," he soothes, and I feel a tear roll down my face. We stand there for a moment, my dad softly rocking me back and forth. "Nora,-badora," he whispers to me, and I look up at him, wiping my tears away from him. He smiles, pushing aside some of my hair. "I love you, sweetheart. You are beautiful, smart, funny, and you are strong. You are a wonderful person, and I know that you will take care of yourself, your mother and the girls," he says, and I nod at him, a couple more tears rolling down my cheeks. He carefully takes the vial of ashes that was hanging on a chain around my neck, holding it up where I can see it. He looks me in the eyes, his blue eyes still sparkling. "I am always with you, okay?" he says, and I nod. He smiles, kissing my forehead.
"I love you dad," I whisper, and he nods.
"I love you too, Nora." Then, he hugs me one more time. "I am so proud of you."
The wind starts to blow harder, and I see a familiar grey ribbon begin to blow away from me. Ashes. As my dad starts to blow away in the wind I hold back my tears. He kisses me one last time.
"Remember, Nora-Badora, breathe."
When I open my eyes, I hear the seatbelt sign ringing. I look out the window, and I see that the plane was getting closer and closer to the ground. Within a minute the tires were screeching on the run way, and I was gripping at the seat for dear life. When the plane had slowed down considerably, I felt my hand go up to my neck, and the cool glass of the vial tickled my finger tips. I smiled.
"I love you too, daddy." I whispered. I tucked the vial underneath my shirt just as the seatbelt sign turned off. I began to unbuckle my seatbelt. I was so excited, I was trembling, and I shakily stood up. I carefully made my way out of my seat, opening the over-head compartment for my book-bag. I slid it out, and I hung it on my shoulder. A smile bloomed on my face as I started to make my way down the aisle.
I hurriedly made my way down the pathway between the airport gate and the plane, my heart beat increasing. When I burst through into the airport, I began searching frantically for Gustav. I walked further out, not seeing him. I began to wonder if he was late.
Suddenly, I felt someone tap my shoulder. I spun around, and there he was.
"Gustav," I breathed, and he smiled.
"Hey there, Nora-badora," he says, and I smile. I throw myself into his arms, and he kisses me. I pull back, resting my head against his.
"I'm here."
What Obscure Worlds!~Thirty-fourth Embarrassment, FINAL CHAPTER, END