The Unknown Journey

Chapter 3 Part 3

"Welcome back." Laura said as she hugged her best friend at the airport." How was your flight?"

"It was good thanks.  Glad to be back home."  Lana said. " I am tired though, barely slept on the flight." 

"I can just imagine.  A lot on your mind." Laura said helping Lana with her luggage. " Would you like anything before we leave?  Coffee, food?"

"No thank you.  I just need a smoke." Lana said smiling.

"Ok, no problem."

"Thanks for coming to pick me up." Lana said.

"No worries.  I left right from work." Laura said walking out to the front of the airport so Lana can have a smoke.

Before leaving to go to the parking garage, Lana and Laura stood outside in the smoking area.

"Lana, I am so glad you are back.  I couldn't stop thinking of our conversations when we spoke and the other teachers and staff at work kept asking me if I knew anything."

"What did you say?" 

"I told them that we never had much time to talk about it." Laura said.

"I will tell them eventually but for now I am going to keep it under wraps until we get it all sorted. "I will tell them that I did inherit a ranch that I am selling though."

"Ya that will shut them up." Laura said laughing.

"I have so much to tell you and I need your advice on something but I just want to get home first, have a nice shower and some real food.  All I have been eating was restaurant and take away."

"Take away?" Laura asked " Is that some form of English slang.

"Yes it is.  It's take out or fast food." Lana said. "Ok I am ready. Let's head home." 

On the way back to Lana's they talked about all the slang words they use in England, the views and the little towns.  

"Hey would you like to come in and look at the pictures?  I took a bunch from the Ranch and the B&B." 

"Do you mean Mansion?"

"Yes, ok the Mansion." Laura said smiling. 

"I have to get home but would love to see the pictures and talk some more. " She said as they pulled into the driveway. "Besides you need your rest, you said you were tired and wanted to take a nice shower." 

"I guess you are right."  Lana said. " How about tomorrow?" 

"Yes, tomorrow sounds good.  We can spend all day together tomorrow." Laura said with a promise.

"Great, sounds good." Lana said pulling  her luggage out of the car. With Laura's help they bought the luggage into the house.

"Thanks again Laura for picking me up at the airport and most of all for being my friend." She said hugging her friend. "I will call you tomorrow." 

"Ok.  Get some well deserved rest and I can't wait ."  Laura said turning to walk away.

Lana took a shower, got dressed for bed then made herself a sandwich.  She wasn't all that hungry after all.  Finding a bottle of wine in her fridge she poured herself a glass.  She was tired but with all the things on her mind she knew she couldn't sleep.  With it still being daylight it made it even harder.

All she kept thinking about was Cooper.  She wanted so much to talk  to him but she didn't want to stir the pot and give him hope.  Visions came back of the hand holdings, the smiles toward her and the last hug goodbye with the kiss on the cheek.  Should she message him and tell him she made it home safe or just leave it?   The latter of the two won over.  Again she didn't want him to think she had any feelings for him which for some reason she does.

An hour later she still couldn't sleep even after three glasses of wine.  She looked through all her photos and uploaded a few to Face book then noticed a friend request from him with a message saying 'hi, it's Cooper, hope you had a good trip here and made it home safe'.

She owed it to him to tell him she made it home.  She clicked on accept and replied. 'Hi Cooper, I did have a good trip and enjoyed England apart from the news about my real mother but other than that it was awesome.  Thanks again for the tour and everything you have done for me.  As you can see, I made it home safe and sound and ready to call it a night since I am still on England time.  Have a good night if you are not already sleeping.  Talk to you soon.   Lana.'

Clicking send on the message she immediately regretted it.  She should have waited until the morning but she didn't want to worry him either.

'Omg, he is still awake and typing a response.' she said aloud as she saw the little dots on the bottom of the message box indicating he saw it and is responding.

She didn't want to chat with him tonight.  It was late there and she needed to sleep as well so she turned off her computer deciding to respond in the morning.

Leaning back on the chair after closing her laptop and her eyes, she replayed everything that happened in England and wondered what it was he was typing that she never looked at.  Her phone was connected to Facebook and heard a notification but didn't want to look at it, instead she put her phone in her desk drawer, stood up and headed to bed hoping to get some sleep.

-------to be continued ----