It Was Always You

Chapter One

You hated airports. They were always too stuffy, and the lights were always too bright. But, there you were. Sitting alone watching airplane after airplane taxi out. It felt like it was just yesterday when you received the wedding invite in your mailbox. "Please join us as we celebrate the union of Steve and Margaret," the piece of white cardstock had read. You were happy for your brother, you really were, but you had half a mind to not go. You could come up with some lame excuse about how you couldn't get a dog sitter or how work couldn't go a second without their best coffee runner. But, when another flowery piece of paper fell out of the envelope requesting you to be the maid of honor, you caved. You hadn't been back to Brooklyn in five years. After high school, you slipped out like a thief in the night without even a goodbye to your closest friends. So, when you agreed to go there for a whole week, of course, everyone was excited. That was everyone but you. You left for a reason and hadn't planned on going back. Ever. Unfortunately for you, plans change.

You let your head fall back and exhaled a long sigh when the crackle of the PA system echoed throughout the busy terminal.

"Now boarding flight 537 for Los Angeles to LaGuardia at gate 2B."

You stood and begrudgingly boarded the flight leaving Los Angeles behind you.

When you landed in LaGuardia, you took your time gathering your bag and exiting the plane. Maybe if you took long enough, the plane would just take you back to Los Angeles. That plan fell through when the kind flight attendant politely forced you off the plane. The warmth of California was replaced by the bite of New York's cold winter. Naturally, your brother would choose the dead of winter to get married. You pulled your jacket a little tighter around your body and made your way down the empty boarding bridge. When you emerged, you were welcomed with the smell of fresh pizza and the sound of cars honking outside. You let the familiarity of it all fall over you like a blanket before continuing toward the doors. A small smile crept onto your lips when you saw your brother in the crowd. He was hard to miss. Standing at 6′1, he towered over the rest of the bustling people. You spotted his blonde hair almost immediately. When you finally came into view, a goofy grin spread across his face. You were happy to see that after five years, he hadn't changed a bit.

"For a second, I thought I was gonna have to go and drag you off the plane," he said, pulling you into a strong hug.

You chuckled and rolled your eyes,

"Ha ha. It's good to see you too, Stevie."

He held you at arm's length and shook his head in disbelief.

"Man," he said softly, "after all these years."

"What?"

That goofy grin was back.

"You still have that huge forehead."

"Really?" You said, slapping his arms off you.

"Oh, you know I'm just messing with you, Y/N," Steve said with a loud laugh. "Now," he said, pulling you into his side, "come on. I don't think dad can keep mom pacified for much longer."

And with that, Steve was scooping your bag up and guiding you out the airport doors.

Steve drove, allowing you to take in the streets you used to call home. The snow-covered sidewalks passed by in a pearly blur, and the bare trees stood in contrast to the buildings peppered in white around them. You sighed with content. Nothing had changed. The winters in Brooklyn were still as beautiful as ever.

It wasn't long before Steve was pulling into the driveway of your childhood home. You could see your mom bouncing in the front window before disappearing and throwing the front door open. You couldn't help the warm feeling you got in your chest at the sight of your mom so happy. Even though you chose to leave, it still hurt to say goodbye to the woman who raised you.