Leave The City (Book 8 of Adopted by the Josephs)

10. Samantha

I was heading home for the weekend.  I know Mom and Dad wanted me to come home earlier but I didn't want to leave my new friends already in the first month of school!

We'd made arrangements that Aunt Sarah and Uncle Brendon would pick me up at school with my backpack already packed. All I'd add in was my computer, math book, and English book that I'd have with me at school.  It was a little awkward carrying books around without my backpack but it was one day and everything else was staying in my locker over the weekend.

Once the bell rang, I was out the door as quickly as I could be.

"Sam! Have a great weekend!" Brandi called out as I passed her in the hall. "Enjoy Ohio!"

I waved and smiled at her as I went through the hallway.

It was still weird that being in the hallway was being outside on the first floor.

I went through the Administration Building and out to the front of the school. There was their car!  I hopped in.

"Ready?" Uncle Brendon asked.

"Yep," I said.

"Make sure you say hello to everyone for us," Aunt Sarah said.

"I will, of course," I said.

"And make sure you don't tell them that you're our indentured servant and that we've taken you out of school to maintain the house," Uncle Brendon said. Aunt Sarah whacked him in the shoulder.

"You're terrible!" She laughed. I did too.

"I won't tell. I promise. Besides, you said you'd let me have dinner this week if I didn't," I said.

"You're just as bad as he is!" Aunt Sarah exclaimed.

"Like you didn't know that," Uncle Brendon said, pulling onto the freeway.

It actually didn't take long to make it to the airport, and my flight was at four thirty, so I was calm, cool and collected. I had an hour and a half for a domestic fight.

Uncle Brendon parked and they walked with me into the terminal. Yes, I'm 18. Yes, I am capable of flying on my own and checking in at the airport alone. But they wanted to see me off, and I had no complaints.

We checked the flight board and saw my flight was still expected to leave on time. I didn't have any luggage to check, so I went to the counter to check in for the flight and get my boarding pass, then hugged my aunt and uncle and went through security, which is a trip in and of itself because of my leg. They have to do some extra screening and test for explosive materials. Like I was hiding a bomb in my leg or something. It is what it is and I know I'm not planning on blowing up the plane, so I just submit to it. They need me to pull my pants up as high as I can and then they use a wand thing with a cotton swab on it (not a Q-tip. It's more like a little round cotton pad). They just sort of rub it on the part on my thigh and on the post and put it into a machine that analyzes whatever residue is on it, and obviously, it came out clean. I then headed to my gate.

I found a seat in the gate waiting area after confirming my flight hadn't changed gates, and waited for the flight to be called for boarding.

Before I knew it, we were landing in Columbus! I was so excited to be home. I couldn't wait to see Mom and Dad, and Rosie and Junie, especially.

When I left the luggage area - not needing to pick up any luggage, I was one of the first out of the doors. I was nervous for a second. What if they forgot I was coming home?  Nah. Dad wouldn't have forgotten.  He was pestering me all week, reminding me.

Then I saw them and ran to them to hug them. I hugged Mom and then Dad. It was so great to see them and touch them.

We drove home and Dad asked if I wanted anything. I hadn't finished my dinner on the flight because it was gross but instead of asking for take out I asked if they had leftovers. Mom said she'd made fish and rice and broccoli. I asked for that. I just wanted to be home.