Family is Forever (Sequel to Running on Insulin)

Chapter 64

I tried to be happy at breakfast while Mom and Dad and Aunt Sarah and Uncle Brendon and Zack and Kala talked about the past week.  But I still didn't want to leave. 

After breakfast, we said goodbye to Zack and Kala before Uncle Brendon and Aunt Sarah drove us to the airport.  Kala wrapped me in a tight hug and told me to be good and hopefully she'd be able to see us over the summer on tour, if my vacation overlapped with any of the LA dates Dad's tour had. I didn't know the dates yet, so I didn't know if I'd be in LA during the summer for the tour. 

I gave Kala and Zack hugs and told them how much I was going to miss them.  Zack kneeled down to my level."

"Kiddo," he said. "You know you can call, email, text or FaceTime any time, okay? Even if you just want to chat. We're all here for you any time. Okay?"

I nodded. Kala hugged me again and said the same thing. 

Then, we had to get in the car to get to the airport so that we didn't miss our flight. 

"Would it be so bad if we did?" I asked.  Dad laughed and Mom smiled. 

"I wouldn't mind," Uncle B said, laughing. 

"See, Uncle B wants us to stay," I said. "Let's move here."

Dad laughed. 

"You're still trying to negotiate that, huh?" he asked, pulling me closer to him. 

"Please?" I pleaded. 

"Sam, I know you'd love to move here, but Ohio is home."

I pouted, just a bit. Partially as a joke, partially for real. 

I tried to hold back tears as Uncle B turned into the  airport Departure level.  Dad got out and he and Uncle B started pulling our luggage out of the back of the car.  Mom and I got out on the sidewalk side and Aunt Sarah came over and wrapped me in her arms. 

"I am going to miss you, Samantha Joseph," she said. I burst into tears.

"Me too," I cried. 

"Aww," Aunt Sarah said, looking at me. "Sweetheart, it's okay. All good things must come to an end.  Believe me. If you were to stay here in California, you'd still have to go to school and do homework and all the boring stuff."

"But I could see you and Uncle B all the time," I said. 

"Yes, but Uncle B works a lot, too. So even though he's around, he's off at meetings or in the studio, or other work related things. And like everyone has said, you can call, email, text, FaceTime any time you want, okay?"

I nodded and wiped my eyes. She kissed me on the forehead. 

"You are, without a doubt, one special person, Samantha," she said. 

Uncle B then came up to me and pulled me into a hug. 

"Well, Ms. Joseph. Did you enjoy your visit to California?"

"All but the drowning part," I said. 

"Hmm. Yeah. Let's not do that one again, okay? Next time you convince your parents to come out here, let's skip that attraction," he smiled. 

"Deal," I sniffled. 

"Aww, don't cry, sweetheart," Uncle B said. "We'll see each other again, before you know it."

"When?"

"Well, I don't know exactly, but no doubt it won't be too long," he said. 

"Alright, Sam, we've gotta go.  Say goodbye to your aunt and uncle and let's go go go," Dad said.  

I gave them both really tight hugs and told them I love them and I was going to miss them.  They both gave me hugs and kisses on the head and said they wanted me to text when we landed so they knew we were home safe. I agreed. 

I put my backpack on my back, and waved goodbye as we walked into the terminal. I kept my head down as Mom put her arm around me and Dad shielded the two of us from some paparazzi that were around the airport.  It wouldn't stop them from getting pictures of us, but at least Dad would be most noticeable and hopefully no one would be able to tell that I was crying. 

We got to airline lounge and Dad got me a diet Coke and himself and Mom a coffee. 

"Want anything to eat?" he asked me. I shook my head no.  My stomach was in knots because I didn't want to go home. 

I knew we had to, but I really didn't want to. 

"I think someone enjoyed vacation just a bit too much," Mom said. "That she doesn't want it to end, huh?" 

I nodded. I didn't trust my voice. 

Mom put her arm around me and rubbed my arm.

Dad smiled at me, but he could tell I was upset. I mean, how impossible would it be, considering my eyes were all red and puffy from crying. 

He knelt down in front of me. 

"Sam," he said. "I know you're upset vacation is over, and that we're leaving. It's the worst part of a vacation, I know. But it is what it is, and that's both the best and worst thing about a vacation. You don't want it to end, but when it does, it leaves you excited for the next time you go on vacation."

"I guess," I whispered. 

"You only have a couple of months of school left. Josh and I leave at the end of May, and you and Mom will join us at the end of June. And it'll be like a vacation, although a little less relaxing, since I'll be working. But we'll be together all summer."

"It won't be the same, though," I said. 

"No. You're right. It won't be. But it'll be fun. It'll be a different kind of fun, but it'll be fun."

He gave me a hug, and sat back in his seat while we waited for our flight to be called. 

When it was, we gathered up our stuff and headed to the gate. The flight attendant checked our boarding passes and sent us on  our way onto the plane. Mom and Dad and I found our seats and settled in. Dad handed me a pack of sugar free gum. 

"Should have done this on the way here," he said.  "Start chewing a piece when we taxi to the runway, before we take off.  It'll help with the pressure in your ears while we take off and you won't have that stuffy feeling again."

"Okay," I said, taking the pack of gum from him. Mom smiled down at me and we sat back and relaxed.  Now that I knew what to expect, I wasn't quite so nervous about flying.