The Gray Zone

CHAPTER 35

/Alexis' POV/

It was five AM when we left the house the next day and got into the taxi Mom had called. From all three of us, she was the most excited to go back to Chicago and even though I'd never had thought it would come true one day, but I really didn't want to leave Newbury Park at the moment. Not now, when everything was getting so much better. 

"Are you excited to see everyone? Aunt Marie and your cousins Jason and Victoria?" My Mom asked from the front seat while I looked out of the window. This town seemed even more dead than usual, but I turned around to answer her. "Yes, kind of. But I've been missing the cold weather most of all." 

"Oh god yes, I probably don't even know what it feels like anymore." Levi added.

Soon, we arrived at the airport and boarded our plane. It was just a few minutes past seven so we would arrive at one o'clock, Chicago time. I wrote a quick message to Jesse before turning on flight mode and let me fall back against my seat. I'm not afraid of flying, but at this moment I was scared of never coming back.

My aunt picked us up from the airport and after lots of hugs and welcomes we began to drive towards their house which was located in the Near West Side, only a few minutes of walking away from our former apartment. While my mom and her chatted enthusiastically, I saw the beautiful buildings of Chicago passing by the window. There was real snow everywhere and it was freezing and I realized how much I had missed all of this. I couldn't wait to go downtown tomorrow and see the lake and the skyscrapers again.

When we arrived, my two cousins and their dog ran towards us and laughed. "Linda! Levi! Alex!" before hugging us. 

It felt so odd being here again and it felt odd too, that I was so touched by all of this love. I mean, Jason was eleven and Victoria thirteen, but now they acted like they were five and seven again. I loved them when they were in that age, even when I normally didn't like children. My family wasn't really big though, just the three of us, one uncle in Chicago, one aunt in California and my Grandma, Leslie, which my uncle would pick up later today. We hurried to get in the house, because it was really cold outside and my uncle greeted us too. 

"Levi, you got really big, son! I didn't know there was so much good food in California." He grinned. 

My uncle Dave had that kind of grin that made everyone else smile too and I bet he was really handsome when he was younger, but the years of managing his business had made him look old. But there still was that grin. They owned a really big house, the house of Grandma to be more specific, but she wanted to live somewhere calmer since she turned seventy so she had bought a really small house outside of Chicago. 

Because of the many rooms, every one of us could have a room for themselves and once we got our luggage out of the car, Victoria showed me mine, which I had to share with Grandma since she stayed a day here too and the room, had to daybeds and also I liked the company of Leslie. She was a great story teller and very sufficient. It didn't change much since I had been here the last time, which was half a year now. From the window I could see down to Skinner Park, where I had played countless times as a kid. I just stood there and looked out of the window. If only Jesse would be here so that I could show him around town. If only he could see how beautiful this place was. In that moment, my phone ringed. 

"Hi, Jesse!" I bursted out, still happy about being here. Being home. Kind of. 

"What's up, Babe? Had a good flight?" I heard his voice.