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━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❝ IF YOU'RE FEELING IT THIS MUCH, SO IS TALIA. ❞ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The airport was crowded, the sounds of announcements and rushing footsteps blending into a distant hum as Talia walked with Jacob, Bella, and Quil toward the check-in counter. Her boarding pass felt heavy in her hand, not because of its weight, but because of what it symbolized: leaving Forks and the people who had become her second family.
Jacob was in front, rolling her suitcase silently. His usually confident demeanor was replaced with something subdued, and Talia knew he was holding back his emotions. Bella walked close to her side, her hand brushing against Talia's arm now and then as though she were afraid she might disappear. Quil, normally the life of every situation, was uncharacteristically quiet, his hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets.
When they reached the check-in counter, Jacob handed her the suitcase without a word, his jaw tight. After everything was squared away, the group lingered at the edge of the security checkpoint, none of them ready to say goodbye.
Quil broke the silence first. "I don't like this," he admitted, his voice thick with emotion.
Talia turned to him, smiling through the tears already brimming in her eyes. "I don't either," she said softly, stepping forward to hug him. She wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, holding him like she wasn't ready to let go.
"Stay the same, okay?" she whispered. "Don't lose your goofy charm. You keep everyone smiling, Quil. Don't change for anyone."
Quil chuckled softly, though his voice cracked. "I'll try. But you better visit before I forget how to make you laugh."
She pulled back, shaking her head. "I'm counting on you to never forget."
Jacob was next, and he didn't wait for her to make the first move. He pulled her into a strong, protective hug, resting his chin on her head for a long moment.
"You're leaving, but that doesn't mean you get to ignore me," he said, his voice low and serious. "I'm still gonna call you, and you better answer."
Talia laughed softly, though the sound wavered. "You know I will. But Jacob..." She looked up at him, her voice trembling. "Look out for Bella, okay? She needs you more than ever. And don't try to do everything on your own. Let her help you too."
Jacob nodded, his brow furrowed. "I'll look out for her. You don't have to worry about that."
"And try to stay out of trouble," she added, her lips quirking into a faint smile.
