The Date Planner

2. 17. Longing

It's almost Friday and to say I'm relieved to have shipped to New York early in the morning would be an understatement.

Having had slept most of my flight back home and then having slept some more after I reached home. I woke up at somewhere around 5pm that too to someone stroking my hair.

As my mind slowly started to gain consciousness, I realized I was laying on my front on the bed with my arms spread in both directions.

And that's when I felt a hand running through my hair softly. My eyes opened slowly adjusting to the low light coming through the window and that's when saw her.

Sitting on my bed, smiling at me. I groaned in happiness as I closed my eyes and made to sit. Her hand finally left my hair a little reluctantly. I rubbed my face to get me out of the sleep haze and snap back to reality just in case I was dreaming.

Heck, I was totally expecting her to disappear the next second but there she was still smiling at me adoringly.

"Morning sleepy head. How was your flight?", she asked, softly.

I held back a yawn that was trying to break free at that, nodding at her.

"It was good", running a hand through my hair I sighed before looking outside the window to get an idea of what time it was.

"What time is it?"

"It's 5 in the evening. You slept through the whole day. Come on, everyone's been waiting for you to wake up", she tells me as she stands up to leave my room.

"Everyone?", I question out loud just as she reaches the door.

She looks back over her shoulder to answer me and my heart hammers away at an alarming rate.

"Yeah. Cole, your mom and obviously me", she smiles.

"Ohh", is all I could let out.

She shakes her head at me before leaving me to myself.

And after exactly five seconds, she pops her head back in as if remembering something finally.

"Don't forget to put a shirt on while you're at it", she says, a bit hesitant and shy which almost makes me smile at her.

But before I can reply she's already out of the door.

Leaving me to grin all by myself as I stare at the door where she was just a mere seconds ago.

***

Having had freshened up, I put on a pair of loose sweatpants and shirt and head out of my room without blow drying my hair, leaving it wet.

As soon as I enter the kitchen a small blur of someone is on me before I can even comprehend him, making me chuckle.

"Uncle Jason, I missed you so much!", and I practically feel his grin on my cheek as I pick him up and hug him to me.

"I missed you too, bud", I grin back at a very amused Justine and mom who's brewing something on the stove.

The moment I pull away, Cole starts blabbering non-stop and honestly, I can't understand a word of it other than a few words here and there.

"I bought this new game and it's so awesome. I've been waiting for you to come back so we can play together-", he keeps blabbering on and on until Justine steps in to shut him up.

"Cole honey, let Uncle Jason breath a bit", she chuckles when he pouts at her and makes to leave the kitchen.

"Dinner's going to be ready, don't wander off too far away", she calls after him.