I've Changed

4. stupid sport

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Jae's pov

Home sweet home

I look out the window and welcome the bright city lights that outline every building and street. I admire the cascading sky all up until the plane safely lands.

I carefully turn my head to avoid bothering a sleeping Cassidy on my shoulder. "Cass," I whisper, kissing her head. "We're home."

"Hmm," she stirs in her sleep.

"The plane landed." She slowly rises from her seat and stretches after a tiring flight.

"Are you excited to be back?" She kisses my cheek at the same time as the lights of the plane flick on. "You haven't been here in so long. It's been...over a year?"

"I am excited." I say confidently before our pilot speaks through the intercom about our arrival and the proceeding steps to exit.

"What a relief. Welcome home!" She shakes her body side to side. Her excitement encourages some of my own although there's a hint of anxiousness beneath it all.

Once the crowds have emptied out from the aisles, Cassidy and I get up from our seats to grab our belongings from the upper compartment. I take her bags first, following with mine, then double-check our area to make sure we didn't forget anything else.

"I can't believe we're here." Cassidy grabs my hand as we cross the loading bridge.

"You came home last month." I look at her with amusement.

"Still," she shrugs. "I can't believe you're here."

We enter the airport behind everyone else. Despite it being late, the airport remains busy and crowded with travelers. I cling onto Cassidy's hand even tighter so that she doesn't get lost amongst the chaos.

Eventually, we manage to retrieve our luggage and find the gates to exit. We enter the mass space, sliding doors revealing tons of people who await their loved ones. I adjust the bag on my shoulders, suddenly feeling a little worried. I try and distract myself by squeezing my girlfriend's hand. I even believe that it'll comfort her although truly it's more for me.

"My parents are picking me up," Cassidy tells me all while us hauling all of our bags to the arrival terminals. Since we're moving back to Toronto, it required a ton of packing and squeezing our stuff into any available space. It made travelling unnecessarily more difficult but at least we made it. 

"Will you be okay?" She asks.

"Of course."

"I'm just checking because its been awhile," she nervously fidgets with her bracelet. As soon as I notice it, I take both of her hands into mine.

"I'll be just fine." I look her in the eyes so that she knows I am not lying—that she has nothing to be afraid off. Her features immediately soften and the tension her body was once carrying releases in a relieving sigh.

"Cassidy!" The familiar sound of her mom catches both of our attentions. Not too far, we spot her parents jogging through the entrance and towards us.

"Hi Mom!" Cassidy draws her mom into a close embrace. I watch as Mrs. Lewis squeezes her head in between her hands then showers her face with kisses.

"Hello Jae," her dad pats my shoulder. Our hands put forward in a brief shake.

"Hey Mr. Lewis."

"How many times did I tell you to call me Brian?" He shakes his head. 

"Sorry," I laugh alongside him before Cassidy catches my attention by simply wrapping her hand around my bicep.

"Don't call me ma'am." Mrs.Lewis—or what she tells me to call her, Rose—pulls me into a tight hug. "Look at you! So handsome." She pinches my cheeks similarly to what she did to Cassidy.