CJA + ALC

Chapter 12

"What time is our flight again?" CJ pops his head into the living room to ask me, taking a moment from his frantic running through the house to pack.  

"Noon, so we should probably get to the airport around eight," I repeat the same response that I've given him the four other times he's asked that. "I thought you were already packed!" I call out after he passes the entrance to the living room two more times. 

"I did, I just want to make sure I really have everything I might need," He murmurs absent-mindedly. "I just want to be ready in case anything happens."

"Haven't you ever traveled before? Like, anywhere?"

"No, I have, it's been a long time, though, and we would normally drive if we went anywhere," CJ looks around the room. "I can't think of anything else I might need..."

"Then come sit down, we can watch some movies until we fall asleep then we can go upstairs. We can wake up a little early and double check that we have everything then," I gesture for CJ to come over to the couch. 

CJ shakes his head and moves over to the couch and grabs my hand. His eyes wander over the room as if searching for some hidden key in the curtains or the carpet.

"I can't sit down, I feel like I've forgotten so many things but I don't know what they are." 

"There's no point in worrying about something that you can't remember," I argue. "I'll make you a cup of tea, you sit down and choose a book to read or a show to watch, just anything that isn't packing, okay?" I stand up and grip onto CJ's shoulders, having to look up at him to make eye contact. "You need to relax, CJ. You're putting a lot of stress on yourself that you don't need." 

CJ nods and sits down on the couch, laying down as I leave the room. I hear the TV turn on as I start to make the cup of tea, placing the mug on the counter next to the electric kettle. Ash is sitting at the breakfast bar on her phone. She looks up as I turn the kettle on.

"Is CJ stressing about leaving?" She asks, setting her phone down on the bar. I nod and rub my face with my hands. "Make him some of the tea that's in the red tin, it helps him calm down. Add two small spoonfuls of sugar and one ice cube, that's how he makes it for himself," She smiles at me and leaves the kitchen, I watch her go through the living room and ruffle CJ's hair. I smile at the two of them, a warm feeling filling my chest at the thought of living with them and joining a relationship that's so close. 

X-X-X-X-X

"You guys have a hotel already booked, right?" Ash asks as we move through the airport toward the loading dock. 

"Yeah, we have it pre-booked for a week," I answer. 

"Alright, and you're renting a car, right?" I nod.

"God, why so many questions?" CJ asks.

"Yesterday was your day to stress, and today is mine! I'm sending my babies off into the world all by themselves! I'm allowed to worry." We find the waiting area for our flight and set our stuff down, one backpack each. 

"Actually, I'm older than you," CJ points out. 

"And by that means, I'm also older than you," I chime in. 

"What?"

"I'm a year older than CJ, didn't you know that?" I ask.

"No? I just assumed you were the same age I guess," Ash shrugs and the announcement for our flight sounds over the speakers.

"Now boarding flight 143A to Detroit. Now boarding flight 143A to Detroit." 

We all stand and begin to hug, giving our farewells to Ash, CJ and I walk onto the plane hand in hand. I can feel his hand shaking in mine, and I give him a reassuring squeeze. He looks down at me and gives me a small smile. 

"You've never been on a plane, have you?" CJ just shakes his head, biting his lip nervously. He has the wrinkles on his forehead again. We enter the plane and the stewardess points us towards our seats. "It'll be fine, don't worry about it," I whisper into his ear after we sit down. "You're getting the wrinkles again," I move my free hand to rub on his forehead. "You're thinking too much." 

"I know, it's just... I don't know if I'm ready to see him again. I don't know if he really wants to see me or if I should even waste my time. I know I still want to show him that I can be happy, but I'm still doubting myself and my choice to do this..." CJ rests his head on my shoulder and shuffles around until he got comfortable. 

"I know, it's a tough choice to make. You can even go and see him for a few moments and if you don't want to stay you don't have to, we can walk through Detroit and go to some museums or something." 

"Thank you, you've been helping me a lot through all of this," he yawns and shifts in his seat again. "I'm going to try to get some sleep."

"Alright, night, just tell me if you can't sleep."

X-X-X-X-X-X  

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, we will be beginning our descent into Michigan in about five minutes, so if you could please return your seats to the upright position and lift all trays that would be very helpful. Thank you." 

I nudge CJ to wake him up and he shifts to be sitting up properly. 

"Wussup?" He murmurs, rubbing his eyes with his hands. 

"We're going to be landing soon," I answer. "Thought you'd rather be awake at the beginning rather than being rudely  woken up by the shaking airplane."

"That's nice of you," he smiles over at me. 

The plane begins to land, and CJ is gripping my arm tightly, his hand is shaking again and I place my other hand over it, giving him a reassuring squeeze. 

"How'd you sleep?" I ask in an attempt to distract CJ from the turbulence. 

"It was okay, not very restful, though," he says in a tight voice. He looks at me, his eyes scan over my face quickly. "Did you sleep at all?" I shake my head no. "Why not?"

"I can never sleep on an airplane, I don't know why but I've never been able to." 

"Odd, that's not something that I would think you wouldn't be able to do."

"Yeah, it's pretty common, though. Why wouldn't you think that?"

"You can fall asleep almost anywhere, why would a plane be any different?"

The plane comes in contact with the ground and begins to slow down. The stewardesses come down the aisle after the plane came to a stop and thank us for flying with them. CJ and I stand from our seats and begin to move down the aisle after grabbing our carry-ons. 

We exit the plane and walk through the jet bridge to the airport. 

"Are you ready for this?" I ask CJ.

"I think so." 

We connect our hands and step forward into the airport, ready to take on this adventure together.