Thank you so very much to Purple Rhapsody, WhiteIce, MushLover92, Moviefan18, Aeris Tiniel Mirime for your wonderful reviews! Here's the next chapter!

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What am I doing?

She stared at herself in the cheap dingy mirror, as if she was waiting for it to answer her unspoken question. She leaned down, letting the water that was released in a messy spritz cover her hands. Her fingers splashed it across her face, rubbing profusely in an attempt to clear her jangled nerves.

She reached down to unlatch the accordion door and stepped out of the awkward toilet space, making her way down the aisle to her seat. Her plane neighbour brought his legs in to give her space to squeeze past, and she let her body thump into the uncomfortable seat. Her gaze went to the open little circular window and she watched cotton clouds zooming by.

She had been lucky to find such a good break on flight tickets – she silently thanked her friend Mary for taking that job at the travel agent months ago. There's no way that she would have been able to afford a ticket with no advance notice without her snagging her that discount! After she had hung up with London she had directly rung up Mary to tell her of her predicament; who had immediately contacted the airline and gotten her a seat on the next plane leaving Dublin for Boston. Maddie had been anxiously awaiting her friend's call back and when she informed her that she had pulled some strings and that she needed to be packed and at the airport in less than two hours – well, that didn't do anything to calm her down. Traffic in Dublin was hectic at best, and she knew she'd have to be out the door, suitcase in hand, in less than 20 minutes to make it!

She loved the Irish, she really did. She was so ecstatic when she first received that university offer twelve years ago – has it really been that long, she thought with wonder. It's funny, everyone tells you time flies, and when you're young you just laugh it off, not realizing just how true that statement is. She was glad that she made the decision she did – Dublin is where she belonged. It's where generations of Fitzpatrick's had lived and died, her great-grandparents had always told her wonderful stories of the beloved city when she was little. She remembered sitting on her grandmother's lap, watching her lips spinning the most fantastical and beautiful tales and each one always ended with "One day, Madeline, you will return to our motherland. One day, you will see just why Ireland is so special. You'll make us all proud, gra. Ta gra tu." Maddie loved when she spoke to her in the native Irish tongue; it somehow made her feel closer to her heritage. That's why she was so shocked when she had actually acquired a place at the prestigious Trinity College – not the easiest place to be accepted! But taking that honour came with a price – a price that still, all of these years later, laid heavy on her heart.

Esteban. He had been so good to her. He had been everything to her. A smile came to her lips as memories flooded her tired brain. She remembered the first time that they had met – oh, how she would always love the Tipton Hotel for their fateful introduction. Their relationship had bloomed slowly, starting with a few casual words here and there, budding into more meaningful conversations. Soon, she found that he was the reason she looked forward to going to work everyday after school, and she didn't even mind getting up early on the weekends to keep watch on the candy counter because it gave her an excuse to speak with him. She loved everyone at the Tipton – some more than others, those gossiping prunes – but Esteban was the one who she most enjoyed spending her time with. Carey had been wonderful, often serving as a substitute mother; the twins always provide much needed entertainment and support; Mr. Moseby was always there when you really needed him, his temper was sometimes biting but he was always the first one to beam with pride toward them all; Arwin was sweet – a bit crazy, but sweet and willing to help; London, well her relationship with London was always strange – a love hate sisterly dynamic, but they were always there for each other when it came down to it. But Esteban – he became so much more.

The first time he nervously asked her out, that would be forever etched into her mind. He had been so completely adorable as he removed his bellhop cap – he had always said that hat made him look so cool – and he twirled it furiously in his large fingers as he cleared his throat repeatedly. Maddie had tilted her head, looking at him quizzically, wondering what on earth had gotten into him. He was about to give up and step away, swallowing what he really wanted to say, when he risked a look into her eyes. She stood there, looking at him with genuine concern and he knew, he knew that he would never forgive himself if he didn't just suck it up and ask her. So, after a few moments of stuttering he finally gulped out an anxious invitation to "go out to a film of something...if you want...if you do not want to, then that would be understandable...but I do want you to, Miss Maddie...what I mean is, I hope you want to accompany me." His adorable twittering melted her heart and she gave him an exaggerated "Yes! I'd love to!"

Things rocketed after that, the two soon became even more inseparable than ever before. The flirting, laughter, and secret glances increased and they seemed to be headed down a primrose path. After they had dated for a year or so, Esteban decided it was time to take the pivotal next step – marriage. He had been watching Maddie go crazy filling out and sending dozens of university and college applications, but she had told him they were only fallbacks. Boston University is where both of her parents had attended, not to mention a handful of aunts and uncles, and that was where she was bounded for fall term. It had started him thinking of the future – a future that he could see spending with no one but her. He had roped London into going ring shopping with him, he wanted to make absolute sure that he picked out the right one for her, and he could think of no one better to help him with that achievement than the queen of fashion herself. He had found it – the perfect little ring of hope. It was a Claddaugh ring – he remembered Maddie once saying that her grandmother had the most gorgeous and special ring, one that was immersed in her Irish ancestry. A symbol of 'friendship, loyalty, and love' as her grandma repeated to her often – the tools for a successful and happy marriage. Esteban had been bubbling with anticipation over offering it to her, he had arranged the most romantic evening – little did he know that Maddie had a major announcement of her own.

She had applied to Trinity on a whim; not once having any serious thought that she may be given a place there. She hadn't even told Esteban – or her parents for that matter – because it was just a lark. But when that elongated envelope had been sitting, waiting patiently, in her mailbox – her mind blanked. With trepidation she slipped the white envelope out, her eyes quickly scanning the upper left hand corner for the fancy insignia. She unsealed it carefully, almost dropping the letter in her bewilderment.

The 'fasten seatbelt' sign dinged and the pilot's voice floated out of the speakers alerting passengers that they were approaching landing. She quickly did her belt up, leaning her head back against the seat. After six and half hours of drudging through memories and agonizing over what to do, the plane was about to touch down and she would have to face it – whatever it was. What was she going to do? Just march back up the her old workplace, that had become so much more than that. Retrieve poor unsuspecting Esteban's phone number, call him up and say...

Say what?

'Sorry for breaking your heart, running out on you years and years ago, and never explaining why?'

Yeah, that would go over well.

What if he doesn't even want to see me? What if he never forgave me?

These terrifying thoughts plagued her mind as the turbojets hummed with greater power and the cabin of the plane began to shake with the beginning of descension.

What have I gotten myself into to?

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Ah! I know, this chapter was mostly brief little background information, but it had to be there. Stay tuned for the next chapter, things turn exciting!

Review and make me happy!