I really need you right now.

Leather Jacket

Fast forward-
Alaska is 19.
Tyler is 20.

"I never knew I would be in this place. I miss you."
Alaska sighed. She held the phone closer to her ear. It was hard to hear Tyler in a crowded store.
"I wish I had known. I would have died just to stop your pain. Where are you? I wanna talk to you in person. I'm almost there."

The last 5 years weren't so great. Alaska's dad had died, and the last thing she had said to him was,
"Nothing matters anymore."
She deeply regretted that.
She wasn't ready for college, and her mom had worked so hard to prepare her educationally.
Tyler had gone away for a year to see his grandmother.
Her cat Benny died. She cried whenever she spoke about him.
And now she stood in a JCPenney's looking for a leather jacket for Tyler when he got back from the trip. She had needed to see him so badly but he was so far away. Now she had a chance to tell him everything face to face.

"That will be 19.80."
Alaska swiped her card and smiled politely at the cashier.
"Have a nice day, ma'am." She said while walking away with Tyler's new jacket.
Tyler was lanky and tall. Alaska dreamed of seeing Tyler in a jacket like this one.

"Hey, Tyler. I'm outside. Go ahead and pull up." She said, looking around for him. The parking lot was filled with other black cars like his, so the game of "Find Tyler" was way too hard to accomplish.
He pulled up a minute later and rolled the window down.
"You look beautiful today."
"Hi, Tyler." Alaska hopped in the passenger seat and put the bag in his lap.
"Oh, wait. You look beautiful everyday." He winked and opened the bag.
"Isn't it nice? I think you'll look handsome in it." Alaska begged him to try it on.
"Thanks, deary dear." Tyler said, holding back tears. Wearing the jacket, he leaned in and hugged Alaska for a very, very long time.
"Sorry, it's just I missed you lots." He smiled up his tears and took the tag off the jacket.
"You as well. Life was hard without you. I don't know what I would do without you, Tyler." She looked out the window as Tyler started the engine and drove off.
"So, my lady, where shall we go first?" He turned his head towards me and raised an eyebrow.
"I really want to take you to the beach. Lets go home and get ready. You have to see Carlton beach- it's absolutely incredible." She daydreamed about the beautiful blue waters and white soft sand that graced the beach. She couldn't imagine how amazing it would be with Tyler there by her side.