Mrs. Independent

Chapter Sixteen: Home

Chapter Sixteen: Home

Josh

I stand at the gate, running my hands across my jeans to dry the sweat.
The second I got off of the phone, I took a shower and shaved and put on her favorite shirt.
Because she's alive, and she's okay, and she's coming home to me.
She's gonna be home.
I rather told instead of asked the family to stay with the kids, and all four of them threw a big fit when they found out they weren't coming to see their Mama.
But she's my wife, and I'm going to be selfish.
I want to be the first person to touch her.
I stare at the screen on the wall.
SLC to JFK - Arrived
Arrived! She's arrived!
I should've gotten her something.
Chocolate? Roses?
But people are filing off the gate that she's supposed to come out of and I wipe my hands on my jeans, my eyes searching the crowd to see if she's coming.
A lot of strangers hug the people picking them up and I feel my patience level rise.
Maybe I can check her location, because her phone is on, right?
I reach in my pocket for my phone, but stop myself.
What if I miss her coming off the plane?
I haven't even seen her for a full twenty four hours in a month.
A full, long ass month.
Thirty something days.
That's so long. That's like eternity.
The people stop coming off the gate exit and my shoulders slouch.
A few moments later, people start emerging again and I search the crowd for her, but I don't spot her.
I rake my fingers through my hair in frustration.
What if she missed the plane? What if the plane crashed?
My heart speeds up in anxiety and I look down, and then back at the board.
It still says it's arrived, so where the hell is she?
I start bouncing on the balls of my feet, glaring at couple as they reunite.
Can't they get a room?
I force my annoyed glare off of a couple hugging and look through the crowd again.
My eyes lock with a blonde woman and then drift away, and a moment later they snap back, because that blonde woman is my wife.
My heart leaps to my stomach and it's like every other person in the airport disappears.
I start making my way towards her, slowly at first, and then faster until I'm running, dodging strangers who shoot me the stink eye.
My hands find her waist and I lift her off the ground, wrapping my arms around her. Her legs lock around my waist, her arms around my neck, and I squeeze her body against me so hard that she groans.
"Can't...breathe!" She rasps.
I loosen my grip slightly, pressing one hand to the back of her head to hold her against me.
She smells different but she feels right.
Multiple people bump into us so I start moving out of the way until we're near a wall, away from most of the people.
Then, and only then, do I set her down.
My hands clasp her shoulders and I look into her eyes. I can't help it as I slide my hands down her arms, checking for cuts or bruises.
She looks tired, but she's smiling so big I can see all her perfectly white, straight teeth.
I press my hands to her cheeks and squish them, grinning like a manic when she makes a forced fish face.
"I-I-" I swallow. There's so much I want to say to her. "I got a phone case!"
I release her cheeks.
She laughs, and the sound makes my body fill with warmth.
"You did?" She asks. Her voice is smooth and it's like...she's like chocolate covered strawberries.
"Yeah, see?" I pull my phone from my pocket to show her. "And I got one of those glass things!"
"That's great." She beams at me.
I was so busy fretting over her to make sure she wasn't injured that I didn't even realize she got her hair cut.
It used to be down to her ribs, but now it's just barely touching the tips of her shoulder.
"You cut your hair!" I exclaim.
"Oh, yeah, I had to." She says. "Does it look bad?"
"No." I shake my head frantically. "No, it's sexy."
"Really?" She asks.
"Yeah." I smile.
I put my hands on her cheeks again, but this time I lean in and peck her lips.
She's so familiar and it just feels right.
Everything is okay. She's okay.
"I love you." I whisper.
"I love you, too." She murmurs, reaching up to run her fingers through my hair. "Can we go? I want to go home."
"Yes, let's get your bags-"
"I don't have any."
"Oh." I say. "Right. Okay, well, let's go then."
She's not wearing the same clothes she left in. Now she's in a gray t-shirt, light blue skinny jeans, and gray converse.
I take her hand and she walks with me. She has a backpack, so I take it from her and throw it over my shoulder.
"I can carry it." She says.
"Yeah, but no." I throw my arm around her shoulders and pull her body against mine. She wraps her arm around my waist, and we stay like that all the way to the Escalade.
I open her door for her, kissing her cheek as she thanks me, and then I shut her door and go around to the drivers side.