I sigh and rest my head against the seat, wishing I was anywhere but here. I feel Luke's hand rest on my thigh; he knows the effect that turbulence has on me and unless it got any better over time, the small airplane toilet would know as well.
I wasn't happy to be on such a bumpy ride, but I was overjoyed that we were on our way home. It's been three months since we've been in Australia and I couldn't wait to finally step onto the land that I now call my home. It was good going back to Ohio, but it just proved to me that it was something of the past and my real home is the "land down under", as they call it. A place where I've made so many great memories with my family, new friends and Luke.
As I look back to the first day that I got here, it seems crazy to me how much has changed. I was so afraid to be somewhere new, so angry with my mother for forcing me to move to a place where I literally knew no one and nothing. I now know that this was for the better and that everything happens for a reason. If I would have never came here, I would only know Luke and the boys from hearing their names on the radio and seeing their faces on the internet. I would probably have the biggest crush on Luke, thank God I don't have to live a life of not knowing him.
I thought that it would feel like forever before we got back home, but these past three months have flown by. Waking up and going to a new city everyday was exciting, but it was also something that I wouldn't want to do every single day for the rest of my life. What I do know is that I want to wake up next to Luke everyday, in our own home. A home. I want a home; a permanent place where we would go every night to be together and sleep. I know Luke isn't ready for that yet, but I hope that someday he will get there. I won't rush him, and I am in no rush to settle down. I do love exploring the world with him, and when the time is right, we will hopefully take a bigger step in our lives.
After what feels like 10 minutes, Luke is shaking me awake. I hadn't even realized that I dozed off. Relief flew through me as I felt a calmness under my body. I squint and look at Luke through tired eyes. I barely make out his smile before I have to rub the exhaustion off of my eyelids.
"We're home," he whispers.
I give him a giant smile and we get up to join the rest of our friends in gathering their carry-on bags. I follow behind Lin off of the plane and into the air-conditioned building. We go through everything and finally get to baggage claim. I just wanted to get our stuff and step outside. It was such a long flight I almost forgot what fresh air felt like. As we wait a few minutes for our stuff to roll around, Luke grabs my hand in his. I look up at him and smile.
"Glad to be home?" He asks.
"Extremely."
"Guys!" We hear Lin call as she jogs with the rest of the guys to the belt. We all sort through our stuff and attempt to drag it all with us. As we step outside, I breathe in the hot, Australia air that I have grown to love so much. I open my eyes and immediately spot my mother standing at her car and waving us over. I tighten my grip on my things and bolt over to her.
Once I reach her, we collide and I squeeze her tightly. "I missed you so much," I whisper.
"I missed you too, honey," she says back, pulling me in tighter. As Luke finally catches up, they go in for a big hug as well. "And of course I missed you!" She says and squeezes his tall, skinny figure. He lets out a small giggle, and I cant help but smile.
After saying goodbye to our friends for the first time in three months, we pile our stuff into my mom's trunk and take off for home.
The drive home is so familiar, the same drive that we took when we first moved here. At the time, I had no idea where we were going and I was dreading the new house we would come to. Now, I am so excited to finally be back at that house. My mom hums along to a song on the usual radio station that she listens to and I smile as I stare out the window to the bright blue ocean.
As the warm air continually hits my face, I think about how it's already been so long since I've seen Ben. After everything that he put us through in Ohio, I know for sure that I never want to see him again.
As for Abigail, we saw each other again before I left. We got dinner and talked about our lives, mostly about her and Calum. She wanted to move to Australia to be with him and go on tour with us, but she had to finish school first and I was happy that she didn't give that up to go be with a boy. She is going to school to be a photographer, so she's hoping to be able to photograph the boys during their performances. I am missing her more than usual after seeing her again and knowing I won't see her for a while, but I am looking forward to when she does come here. I hope that her and Calum work out, it is good to see both of them so happy with each other and it will be amazing to have almost everybody that I love travelling the world with me.
Now that I am nearing the end of my online studies to be a wedding planner, I am trying to come up with a plan on how I would be able to do that while going on tour with the guys. So far, I have nothing and I'm not so sure how that will work out, but I am hopeful and will continue trying to come up with something.
I turn to look at Luke. He is staring out his window and the wind forces his hair to flop out of his quiff. He takes his lip ring in and out of his mouth and I can't help but smile. I don't want to think of anything other than this. I am happy to be here, reunited with my family, and home with Luke.
Right now, that's all that matters.
