Dearest - truly flung out of space

22 - Welcome Home?

6AM. The sound of my alarm rings through the bedroom. I pull the blanket over my face and groan out of exhaustion. I didn't get much sleep last night and so I'm incredibly tired. But then I remember what date is today. I will see Carol again today. I will see the love of my life again today and I will get her back into my arms. Suddenly, I feel a rush of energy and almost jump out of bed.
"Today is the day, little guy," I giggle as I spin the teddy bear around.
I get ready for the day, take a warm shower and have a small breakfast. Carol would arrive at 1PM. My phone pings, a message of Abby popping up on my phone

Abby Gerhard
Hello Y/N,
how are you? I'm sure you're already excited to see Carol again. Trust me, I am too. I might come over tomorrow to tell you both about my date x.
Today is your day with Carol. Let me know how she reacts when you drive her.
Love, Abby xx

I smile to myself, felling happy that Abby is as excited as me. Putting everything together, I check the time: it's 11:34AM. Ugh, still so much time left. But on the other hand, not much time is left. I feel giddy out of happiness and excitement. Until I pick Carol up, I spend my time with watching videos on youtube and trying to find the perfect outfit. I'm so lost that I send Amelia at least 5 pictures with different outfits. After she agreed on a casual look with a blazer, I get the amazing idea of wearing a blouse from Carol. I sneak through her wardrobe but don't really find anything that fits the blazer. So, I decide to wear the blouse that Carol put on the little bear. Yes, that's a good idea. As I look into the mirror, I find myself beautiful. A smile paints my face.

12:30AM. I'm at the train station already, trying to find a parking spot. It seems like everyone in Manhattan decided to go to the train station today because the parking lot is completely full.
"Shit," I mumble as I drive a few more rows. Eventually, an older couple walks to their car. I pull down the window.
"Excuse me, are you leaving? Can I take your parking spot?" I ask and kindly smile at them. The older woman smiles back at me and nods.
"Of course. Here, we also have a parking ticket. We didn't need as much time as we thought. It will expire in an hour. You can take it, if you want," she says and hands me the ticket. I smile at them, being impressed by the kindness of a stranger.
"Thank you so much. Have a great day," I say before I pull the window back up and wait for the older couple to leave the parking lot. I quickly park the car and rush into the station to find the place where we said goodbye two weeks ago. The entrance hall is full of people which scares me. I try to push past everyone until I finally reach the location where Harge picked her up. It's 12:45AM now. After walking up and down for what feels like an eternity, the clock strikes 1PM. My heart skips a beat as I try to look over the people rushing through the hall. My hands are sweating and my body is shaking. Suddenly, a car stops and I hide behind the ticket machine. I take a closer look at the car and see a man and a woman getting out. I take a closer look but it is not the blonde that I have been waiting for. The woman kisses the man - something that Carol would never do.

Time passes and no Carol arrives at the station. I'm devastated and walk back to the car to immediately call Abby.
"Hello? Abby? She didn't come," I whisper into the phone as I try to contain my emotions and tears.
"Oh, Y/N, don't cry. She might have been caught up? You know she wouldn't leave you like this. Where are you now?" she asks.
"Still at the train station," I sob and put the phone on speaker. The crocheted flower bouquet lays peacefully on the passenger seat, looking effortlessly pretty. Somehow, I want to throw it out of the window. My heart breaks at the thought of Carol not being here with me right now.

With a heavy heart and a devastated mind, I wait for one more hour. Nothing. She didn't show up.

4PM. I'm at work. In desperation, I reached out to my boss to ask if I could cover a shift. Luckily, he found a shift and now I'm working the night shift. The restaurant is crowded but it's still okay and acceptable. While I cover the bar, I get to talk more to the trainee. She's actually really nice and she has recovered from her breakdown a few weeks ago.
"Y/N, order for table 6. Pasta con Salmone and a steak," my boss shouts from the background. I sigh and walk to the kitchen to prepare the food. Shortly after, I deliver the food to the table.