Lisa
I anxiously shift my weight from foot to foot, my eyes scanning, and scanning. Why am I so nervous? I watch dozens of people zip past me in the hustle and bustle of the airport, with their suitcases in tow behind them. I can tell who's here for business and who's here for pleasure, but I'm only focused on finding one person in particular.
Checking my watch for the hundredth time, I realise that she should be here by now. My eyes dart to the board with the list of flights to see that hers should have landed twenty minutes ago, making me even more restless.
My eyes scan the crowd one more time and finally a flash of brunette catches my eye, causing my heart to slam against my rib cage.
She scans the crowd, her baby blue eyes eventually landing on mine. They light up with excitement and hesitation, and she nervously tucks a strand of shoulder length brunette hair behind her ear.
Smiling, I walk over to her and meet her halfway, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Hey, Nini."
"Hi." she says, almost breathless. She pulls back, while flashing me a smile. "You look great."
"You, too." I give her a once over in her pale pink puffy coat, black jeans, and brown boots. "You cut your hair." I note.
She self-consciously messes with the strands. "Yeah, I thought it was time to switch it up."
"It looks good." I compliment. I've never seen it this short before, but it does look good. It makes her look just a tad bit older, more mature.
We stare at each other for a moment, with excitement thrumming between us as we take each other in.
I haven't seen Nini in over a year, since right after she called off her wedding to Taehyung and professed her feelings for me. We've talked on the phone occasionally since then, giving each other some space until we were both ready to see each other, but nothing could have prepared me to see her in person again after all this time.
Over the past year, I've travelled throughout Europe, backpacking from country to country to pursue my love of photography. The week after Nini called off her wedding, I pulled the trigger and packed up some clothes, my equipment, and Love, then we set off for Europe, with no real plan or agenda in mind.
I just knew that I needed to get away, to live and discover myself. My mum wasn't initially happy about it, but eventually she came around.
This trip has been really good for me emotionally. It's been a time of self-reflection, finding out who I am and what I want. I've lived, learned, and grown so much in the past year that I feel like a brand new person. I finally feel like I'm starting to belong in this world.
Traveling throughout Europe, alone with Love, I feel like I've truly found myself. I feel like I've seen the world with a fresh pair of eyes and a less heavy heart. On this new adventure, I learned to let go of all the heavy stuff, the memories that I have from the battlefield, the heartache, and so much more. I've learned to heal. To be better.
"Let me get your bag for you." I say, while reaching for Nini's suitcase, with my hand brushing against hers in the process. A small tingle runs up my arm and I clear my throat. "Are you hungry? I know this great café up the road."
She gives me a soft smile. "Sounds great."
We grab a table at the café and start off with some coffee, the waitress jotting down our breakfast orders after and heading off to the kitchen.
Nini and I stare at each other and my heart flutters madly in my chest. I feel like I'm on a first date with her all over again, my body racked with nervous, and excited jitters.
"So, how have you been?" Nini asks, while picking up her steaming mug. She blows on the light brown liquid inside, taking a cautious sip.
"Good, really good." I say honestly. "Europe's been great, and Switzerland..." I glance outside the window at the mountains, "... has been exceptionally beautiful."
Nini smiles over the rim of her cup. "I can't wait to see all the pictures that you've taken. I bet they're breath-taking."
"They are." I agree. "Nothing compares to the real thing, though, but I've tried to capture the essence as much as I could."
She giggles, while setting her mug down and lacing her fingers together over the table top. Her eyes lock on mine and her features smooth over. "I've missed you."
"I've missed you, too." I admit softly.
While I've learned to live without Nini, I can't deny that I've missed her. For most of the year, I was able to shove Nini out of my thoughts, but I could never shove her out of my heart.
She worries her bottom lip between her teeth, looking pensive. "I've really missed you, and I'm really happy for you. I'm glad you went away and found yourself." She pauses, while drawing in a breath. "I know that you've said you needed time... and I understand and respect that... and I don't want to push you or anything, but just know that... if you ever wanted to try again, I'd really love to."
I will my heart to slow down and reach over the table, while taking her hand in mine. "I'd really, really like that, Nini." I admit, giving her a soft smile. "I think I'm ready to try again."
