Hello everyone, first I would like to thank pumpkinking5 for the review on the last chapter; it means the world to me!
I would also like to say thank you to everyone who's been with me for this story, despite my crazy update schedule. I genuinely thought I would be able to get an update out in mid-April, but university kind of got crazy, and when I finally started to get on top of things, I caught Covid. Luckily it was very mild, but in the circumstances, it was a shock, and I took a step back from things to deal with some personal stuff/drama. Now the semester is finally over and I am back home in Norway and gotten over the majority of my jetlag. Anyways, please enjoy this chapter and until the next chapter, stay safe!
I hadn't really come out of my room since Troy left this morning. Mom had come up with breakfast a little after ten, but the empty plate was still sitting on my nightstand. "Gabi?" mom questioned, knocking on my door before entering. "Isn't it time to get up? It's almost eleven."
"Sure," I muttered but made no attempt to move. "Hija, what's wrong?" mom questioned, sitting down at the edge of my bed.
"I guess nothing is wrong, but I'm just having a bad day," I confessed as mom laid down beside me. Scooting closer, she wrapped me up in her arms.
"You remember what Estelinda said; it's bound to happen. Now you said you had a way of getting past that. Anything I can do to help?" Maria questioned, but nothing but a sigh left my mouth as I thought.
"No… She asked me to write a list of what makes me the happiest at the top and so on. Looking back at it, Troy was included in most of those activities. Either that or it included some of my friends but most of them are busy today."
"Well, there is nothing wrong with that but I suggest that you should call him after he has landed. I am pretty sure you're not the only one suffering. Always remember this hija; this isn't a breakup. The distance between the two of you may have grown, but the love you share won't fade away because of it."
"Thanks, mom, I guess I needed to hear that," I told her with a small smile as she kissed the top of my head. "I have two suggestions," she started as I looked at her curiously. "Why don't I take my sisters out for a couple of hours and you can see what you want to do. They still think you've been up here all morning because of the camping trip. Secondly, if I can get it confirmed at work, why don't the two of us take a vacation together? Before you move away for college wherever that might end up being."
"Really? That sound's wonderful. Anywhere particular in mind?" I questioned thinking back to where we had previously been.
"I was thinking of traveling somewhere new this year," she stated giving me a small smile. "How does Etrea sound?"
I gasped and I could have sworn that I would have fallen down if I hadn't been laying in my bed already. Mom started chuckling as she saw my reaction. "Really?!" I questioned excitedly as I sat up looking at mom. "Yes. I would love to see the country where you spent two weeks then decided you wanted to go to college there."
"Oh, thank you, mom," I exclaimed giving her a hug as she smiled. "I'll let you know when I hear something from work and we could make arrangements for Troy to meet us if he can. I knew he would be devastated if he knew you were in Etrea and couldn't meet."
I smiled at mom nodding my head as he wouldn't be the only one. After mom walked back downstairs, I laid in my bed smiling. I had something big I could look forward to. I knew that I would see Troy again before school.
Hearing voices talking downstairs before a door shut, I knew my family had left. Getting out of bed I headed into my bathroom turning on the shower before I undressed. Feeling the water with my hand, I stepped into the shower.
Stepping out again almost twenty minutes later I felt much better. Gone was the campfire smell that had lingered since the previous night, and my hair now smelt fresh. Finding a pair of jeans in my closet I stood debating which shirt I wanted to wear… "Since when had that really been an issue for me?" I questioned myself and reached for the red oversized Wildcat hoodie. All right it might not have been oversized if it truly belonged to me, but it didn't. This was the same hoodie Troy brought to me while I was hospitalized back in February. Pulling it over my head, I held the sleeve up to my nose, soaking up the unique smell belonging to Troy.
As I was sitting on the couch enjoying my book, I heard a car parking in the driveway and I knew they had returned. The door opened and first in came my two aunts Felicia and Mary both holding several different bags. "Oh, look who finally got up!" Felicia exclaimed putting the bags in the hallway before rushing towards me. "It was such a beautiful ceremony yesterday but you were gone as soon as we came home," she exclaimed wrapping me up in a tight hug.
"And look at such a beautiful young woman you have become," Mary followed pinching my cheek. "It only seems like yesterday you were sitting with your Abuela on the porch giggling about the butterflies."
"Thank you but please, I think mom might need some help in the kitchen," I desperately tried to get away from my aunts. "Oh of course," Felicia exclaimed dragging her sister along as I let out a sigh of relief. It was nice of them to fly in and surprise us but I haven't spoken to them in nearly ten years! I barely remember them, yet they seem to know a lot about me.
Grabbing my book, I saw the need to find a new refugee from my aunts. Quietly I snuck out the back door and took a seat on the bench on the back porch. Looking over the garden, I watched the hammock gently swaying in the breeze. Why did something so seemingly insignificant have to remind me of Troy? It seemed like no matter where I turned, I was faced with a memory of Troy and I. The breeze sent a chill through me as I curled up on the bench, flipping my book open, trying to seek refuge in another world while waiting on a call to bring me back into the real world.
"Gabriella?" I heard my name softly spoken. Looking up from my book I saw aunt Felicia closing the door softly behind her. Mom and Mary's voices could still be heard from inside before the door shut. "Is it a bad time? I come alone," Felicia stated and I offered her a small smile.
"It's all right, please have a seat," I offered placing the bookmark on the page I was reading. While I might not have known my aunts until a few days ago, it hadn't taken me long to realize that Mary was the crazy one. She always seemed to be bubbly, with lots of energy, and a bit too eager to spend time with me. While I liked the idea of getting to know them a bit more, I realized I needed some time to figure out where I wanted them in my life. I had no memory of them, yet here they were knowing a whole lot about me. Felicia on the other hand I felt more of a connection with. Her personality was the complete opposite of Mary's, and she seemed a lot more like mom. While she still had her moments, I suspected those were mainly coming from Mary's influence. Felicia seemed to understand my need for space, and I suspected that's why she was out here.
"I noticed you hiding out here when we got back. I just wanted to make sure everything was all right?" she wondered, taking a seat beside me.
"I'm all right I guess," I revealed to her with a small shrug of my shoulders.
"You think? What's troubling you? I won't tell the others."
"I think mom knows… Yesterday I was out with my friends in the mountain camping, and I had plans to meet with a guy, but I asked if we could re-schedule because of my graduation celebration…" My voice trailed off as it was hard to say out loud that he wasn't here anymore.
"Why didn't you just say so?" Felicia questioned, but I couldn't look her in the eyes, "don't feel like you have to keep the two of us company if you had other plans."
"Thanks, but it's more complicated than that… He was only here on an exchange year, and he received some unexpected news so he had to leave early. We said goodbye this morning before he left for the airport."
"I'm sorry to hear that. It seems that the two of you were quite close?"
"That's one way to say it," I smiled looking at Felicia. "We have been dating since October, but he's from Etrea."
"Congratulations, but wow, Etrea. That's quite far away, isn't it?"
"The other side of the world…" I told her with a sigh before she moved closer to me.
"A bit of advice, take time to call each other or send messages. Even surprising each other with handwritten letters or something small can-do wonders in a long-distance relationship. Sometimes the smallest things can mean the most."
"Thanks for the advice, it seems like you know a lot about this stuff," I mentioned as Felicia smiled.
"It was many years ago, but I did have a long-distance relationship. We both fought so hard for it to work, but when his parents found out they wanted us to end it. Of course, we refused and we kept it a secret for as long as we could. After about six months of hiding, they found out and he said his parents forced him to break up. That phone call was the last thing I heard from him ever again.
"I'm so sorry to hear about that, it seems…" I trailed off, not really finding the right words to describe what had happened to her.
"Traumatic and heart-breaking? It seemed so at the time, but I made it thanks to some great friends. Now, you don't have that to worry about, right?" Felicia made sure as I had to laugh a little.
"No, not at all. I actually spent Christmas and New Year's Eve with them when mom had to work."
"Aw, that's sweet of them. So did you make any plans of when to visit each other?" Felicia gushed but I had to shake my head.
"No, but we talked about it, and talking whenever we could, but you know Skype isn't the same as being able to be with each other. Plus, he has some family obligations he has to fulfill, so he's quite busy with them. On the bright side, mom was talking about seeing if she could get some time off from work this summer, and visit Etrea."
"That sounds lovely, and I'm sure the two of you will find the time. I remember from when I was young, summer seemed endless."
"Thank you, I guess I'm just waiting on him to call me, but it won't be for a few hours anyway," I sighed before Felicia wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
"I'll leave you alone for now, but let me know if you want to talk all right?"
"Thank you, I appreciate it," I stated bringing my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them as Felicia walked back inside the house.