home run

a room of one's own *

Leigh was dreaming, she knew it. Everything was too slowed down to be reality but she still allowed herself to continue sleeping, to keep dreaming.

She was laying on her pack on a sandy beach, staring up at the star-lit sky, watching as a satellite tracked its slow movement through stars and across the deep navy of the night as water lapped her bare feet. Leigh rolled her head to the side and saw Anthony, his strong chin and cute nose silhouetted by the reflection of the stars onto the sand, lighting up the ground around them. He turned his head towards her and they stared at each other for a moment. Leigh felt over the moon happy to be here with him and watched as he opened his mouth to say something. Before words came out, something scurried across her ankles and she shot up into a sitting position, looking down at the crab that crawled across her. Leigh narrowed her eyes and the crab opened its tiny mouth, familiar words coming out of it.

"Leigh, I like you."

She stared at it and shook her head feeling panic as the dream started to become a nightmare, "No."

"I know, I know... Just— I'll wait for you, I swear."

"Josh—"

"You're unlike anyone I've ever met. I'll never feel this way for anyone again." The lines were the same but it was a different location, not the hallway outside of her dorm room, but the beach and his voice came out of the tiny crab and Leigh scooted back on the sand, looking sideways for Anthony again but he was gone.

Leigh's panic startled her out of her dream and she woke up with a small gasp as the seat belt lights dinged on. She was on the airplane home and a quick glance out the window told her that they were close. Leigh could see downtown Chicago sprawled out as they passed it to O'Hare.

She let out a shaky sigh, remembering her dream and what it was based on before thinking about something else— the conversation her and Dickie had before they parted ways to different gates in the airport.

"You're super cool, Leigh. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed that you have a boyfriend but I respect that. You seem happy, when you're on the phone. I do want to stay friends though. I don't know a bunch of people that can talk for two hours about sharks without stopping for breath." He had said, laughing.

Leigh smiled at him anyway, appreciating everything he did for her and that he was so respectful, "I'd like to stay friends, too. Even though you don't think hammerheads are cool."

She shook her head again, now, clearing her mind of that and looking forward to touching down in Chicago and seeing her brother, Kate, and Anthony. Of course, Anthony. Being away for a month had opened her mind to a possibility she hadn't considered before.

The homesickness she felt wasn't for Chicago, or her small bedroom in Lakeview. It was for Anthony. Leigh knew she loved him— that was obvious to her, but she never realized that she was dependent on him. The thought terrified her. She had gone from being wary of starting a relationship with someone she didn't really know to considering the fact that she felt irrevocably attached to him, to his presence.

She stumbled off of the plane and walked through the terminal, hoisting her carry-on onto her back and searching the area outside the gate for a familiar face. It was her brother, Michael, who stood a head above everyone else and smiled widely through his beard as she jogged over towards him and into a hug.

"Missed you, sis." He mumbled into the top of her head and squeezed her tight. "Let's get your suitcase and head home. We've got a lot to talk about."

Leigh tilted her head in question but he waved it away and walked with her towards baggage pick ups.

It wasn't until they were on the Blue Line train that Michael finally fielded her questions.