Choices (Book Four)

Chapter 33

Lyla

I squirm and twist my body as much as this tiny airplane seat allows me to. Thankfully, I lucked out and got a window seat with no one beside me so I can stretch a little into the vacant spot at my side. I only have about two hours left of my flight home from Africa. I can't believe how fast this summer went by. It feels like just last week I was on the plane on my way there. Every day was go, go, go. I'll admit I am thankful to get a bit of a break now from all the manual labor, but a part of me will still miss it. Mainly I miss the young children I got to know over the last three months whose pictures clutter up my phone right now. It was sad to say my goodbyes to them yesterday and I shed more than a few tears.

I reach under the seat in front of me to grab my backpack and retrieve my laptop. I open it up and start to browse through old emails between Shawn and I from this summer. As I look through them now I realize how many we actually sent each other and it brings a smile to my face. We wrote one another almost every day, never seeming to run out of things to talk about. Plus the two FaceTimes on each of our birthdays. I pull up the screenshot photo I saved of him and Rupert. I giggle softly as I admire the adorable pair. It truly isn't fair that Shawn is allowed to have a dog that friggin' cute by his side, as if he wasn't irresistible enough before. He's smiling in the photo, his dimples on full display, as he hugs Rupert into his side. The t-shirt I got him clings to his broad chest and knowing what lays underneath the material starts my mind down a path I need to revert back from quickly, reminding myself I'm on a plane full of strangers.

I admit that when I first left and sent my initial email to Shawn, I had prepared myself for the chance that I might not get a response. For all I knew, he may have just been being sweet when he accepted my lame request to be pen pals. Then when he replied the same day my stomach was filled with butterflies. I was elated. Exchanging one email after the other felt like I was able to share my summer with him still. He knew all about the days I finished smiling, crying, angry, or annoyed. I knew all about how his rehab was going and his new job. I admit I was a bit jealous when I found out he would be bartending all summer long. I knew he would get hit on, it was inevitable, and he was single and free to take any offers he pleased. I dreaded the mention of any other girl in his emails, but luckily he never did. Well, except for Bailey, who I spent the summer emailing as well. Not as often as I did with Shawn, but probably once a week or so.

I let out a long sigh as I stretch my legs out for the hundredth time during this flight. I can't wait to get off this thing. My parents are picking me up at the airport and I am so excited to see them. We FaceTimed once a week while I was away and I couldn't help but continue to worry about my dad as he stared through the screen at me, his eyes sunken into his face. He didn't like to talk about his health issues with me, he was stubborn that way, so I got all my information from my mom. Over the summer they had gone for follow ups with a few different specialists and still hadn't pinpointed what the real problem was, but that didn't stop them from putting my dad on a myriad of medications my mom had to force him to take every day.

I will be staying with my parents for the first while so I imagine I will be helping my mom kick my dad's butt into gear about his meds. It feels nice to be going home for awhile, although I know in the back of my mind that I will miss my privacy and own space after about a week probably. Unfortunately I don't have another option right now since I have zero money saved up. At least I don't have any student debt looming over me, in thanks to my scholarship and my parents. Rachel had offered to let me come and live with her and told me she could cover the rent until I got a job, but I didn't like the idea of her paying my way so I politely declined. We still are planning to move in together though, hopefully in the next month or two as long as I land a job.