friends //cody bellinger

thirty nine

Today is going to be rough, especially for Chris.

We're dropping Ashli off at the airport, and once she leaves, we won't be seeing her another two years.

Chris and Ashli's relationship has been on autopilot ever since she broke the news. Initially, Chris was upset, but he was the one who took the initiative in continuing the romance between the two because neither of them wanted to break it off.

I'm not sure what they're planning on doing now with Ashli half a world away, but I do know that pieces of Chris's heart and soul will be in Africa with Ash.

I finish getting dressed. I wasn't sure what to wear for this. I know Jen said where something nice because she wants to take some pictures of us before Ashli's gone, but still, it's also just an airport that we're going to.

I decide on black leggings with a creme sweater and light brown boots. It's a subtle enough outfit without having to try too hard.

I brush my hair and leave it down, but skip my makeup altogether. Getting ready feels like such a hassle these days, and I don't want to spend any extra time on anything that's not completely necessary.

I close my bedroom door behind me and head into the kitchen to start making tea for Chris. He's taken care of me with Cody gone, so me being there for him today is the least I can do. On some level, I can relate to how he's feeling. Not being able to be with the one he loves; the only difference is that my lover was taken and his is leaving.

Once the waters hot, I pour it into a travel mug and set a tea bag in it. While I let it steep, I make myself coffee and spill it into a cup identical to Chris's. I twist the lids on to both of them.

Taking one in each hand, I head down the stairs and to the basement where Chris was. I knock, and when I hear no response, I open the door and find Chris laying face down on his bed.

I sigh and set the tumblers down on the nightstand. Sitting on the bed next to him, I shake his shoulders.

He groans.

"Are you dressed?" I ask him. "It's about time to leave."

He sits up and looks down at the clothes he's wearing. He nods, and we both step to our feet. I hand him his tea, and he grumbles a small thank you.

We walk up the stairs and out of the house. We climb into Cody's truck and start the tiresome drive to the airport.

"I'm not ready for her to leave," Chris says, turning his head from the window he had been staring out of for the last five or so minutes.

I bite my lip, contemplating my next move because I don't want to say the wrong thing.

"I want to wait for her Em; I do, but what if two years is just too long?"

"You love her, right?" I ask, and he nods instantly.

Before Cody was detained, I understood what Chris meant when he said he didn't know if he could wait. Now I know that if the love you share is true, it won't falter under any circumstances.

I take my eyes off the road for a second so that I can look over at the boy who was falling apart next to me. "If you love her as much as you say you do, Chris, you'll wait for her to get back. I know two years seems like a long time, but it will fly by as long as you keep loving her."

"Is that what keeps you going?" He asks, and I sigh.

I'm hypocritical - the two years won't fly by, and I know that - but I can't let Chris lose hope. I know personally that every day I'm away from Cody feels like months, but Chris deserves to have faith that he and Ashli are going to make it through this. That's the only thing that's kept me going this long.