I'm stood at the airport terminal like I've reached the end of the world. I'm so close to leaving, it's actually there – ready for me to do – an actual possibility. I turn from it, holding my breath at the sight before me. Everyone in The Family had come to say goodbye. Oli and a few others were there too, and it really was a tear-jerking moment. I hug Misa first – so she can spend the rest of the time crying.
"Don't you dare ignore me over there, you got that?" I laugh and nod, patting her head. I go to Skyar next, hugging him too.
"So I err.. managed to camouflage a few err... precautionary devices in your suitcase" He whispers, pulling away and winking at me; I gawp at him for at least a minute, trying to figure how he camouflages guns in my suitcase. "Camouflaged Mel, they're fiiiine. Done it loadsa' times" He reassures me, but it fails. I laugh nonetheless and turn to Rod.
"You're a lot like your dad Mel, but a lot like your mum too"
"So you tell me" I roll my eyes and move in for a manly hug – but he captures my shoulders and halts me.
"You'll call every now and then, right?"
"Yup" I nod.
"..You'll be missed around here, you know that?"
"Yeah, Skyar keeps telling me that too"
"It's true" Rod nods. "I get that you're all grown up now, but ... moving to another country? On yer Tod?" He shakes his head. "Way to scare me Mel" My head falls in guilt instantly and he shakes my shoulders harshly (probably unintentionally harsh because, you know, Rod's a big man n' all). "Nawh, don't go feelin' guilty. Like I said, yer all grown up! Yer your own man now! Should be able go n' do these things" I nod and he seems satisfied, pulling me in for a hug.
"I'm leaving you in charge of The Family – just to reiterate that" I say confidently after a few seconds, pulling away with a grin.
"Hmm...i still think you could-" As like last night, he tries to persuade me out of it.
"You've run it for the past eighteen years Rod, what's a few more years? Unless you die-..." The thought made me nervous. "So don't go n' die, ok?"
"Yeah, sure Mel, ...here" He passes me the picture that usually hangs to the left of the door in his office. He strokes the frame fondly and pushes it closer to me.
"I don't ...don't you...it's—I can't-"
"It's a copy; you asshole, do you really think I'd give your irresponsible ass the real thing?" I laugh.
"That's a relief" It means more to Rod than it ever would me, so I am glad he's kept the original.
"Y'know, England isn't that far away when you think about it"
"Nope!" I laugh.
"So the time difference is a pain in the ass...you can always call home though"
"As long as you don't move to LA" I reason.
"Mel, jeez, I was joking about that" I hug him quickly again. We'd had a heart to heart the night before, well, yesterday. It's half three in the morning now; the plane leaves at quarter past four. We separate and I say goodbye to everyone else too. I wish Halle all the best with Rod, and I hope they'll still be a couple when I get back. Oli wishes me well, which is nice. We swap emails too. I can't help but think maybe he could have been a great friend of mine if I'd taken the time to get to know him so much more. By the end of it, Misa's still crying, Rod's still trying not to, and Skyar's pushing me for time. I wave goodbye to everyone, to everything and enter the terminal. I'm relieved that the suitcases passed the security, but it doesn't stop me panicking for the entire flight to England.
The whole idea thrills me. I'm looking forward to the entire thing already. Living on my own, doing my own thing, getting back into school and seeing Wammy again – it's all so...ideal! It feels right, and I don't feel like I'm abandoning A or BB. In fact, it's the opposite, some insane part of me thinks that they're coming with me, that they'll always be with me.
And that, despite everything that's happened, is more comforting than anything I've ever needed.
Including Chocolate.
So, England! Show me what you got!
The End.