Waiting For You

Chapter 21: The Willems Brothers

Chapter 21: The Willems Brothers

Sam

I arrive in New Orleans on Monday.

It was a really crazy weekend and I'm still recovering from the veterinary convention in Atlanta. I push through the crowd of people, gather my things from baggage claim and text my brother to let him know I'm here. I also send a text to Lia, even though she's at work and probably won't check her phone until later.

I'm tired, I'm hungry, but most importantly I want about six beers.

I spent all of Saturday sitting through a few conferences and workshops that varied from excruciatingly boring to rather dull. It was like sitting in a college auditorium again, listening to a professor that wanted to be there about as much as we did. Don't get me wrong, there were some good bits too and overall, I was still glad I came. The Disaster Preparedness seminars were pretty entertaining. My co-worker Miles and I went out for drinks after the first day and didn't get back to our hotel room until almost one in the morning.

On Sunday afternoon, near the tail end of the event, I found myself on stage, speaking in front of hundreds of professionals in my field. I believe I did a good job of hiding the fact that I was mildly hungover and incredibly nervous. It took a lot out of me. I might seem pretty easygoing and sociable, usually I am, but public speaking was never my thing.

I don't know how Lia does it every single day.

Thinking about Lia is something I haven't stopped doing for one second since I left on Saturday. I tried to text her a few times throughout the day. We were supposed to FaceTime in the evenings once I got back to my hotel room but we've only done it once so far. On Saturday we talked around dinnertime, but after that it was far too late and I was far too drunk. On Sunday I got back at a reasonable hour but she was already in bed. Now it's Monday and she's at work.

Five more sleeps. It's what she texted me this morning.

I grab a drink and a snack from a couple vending machines and sit down to wait. I would've been fine calling a cab, but Austin is already on his way to pick me up. So I just watch people coming and going for a while. Couples are kissing goodbye. Families are reuniting after time spent apart. A big man in a suit is walking alone, quickly, like he's late for something. He never stops talking loudly through an earpiece.

I glance down at my phone for something new to do. No texts. No calls. Not even a notification. I put it back in my pocket, stretch my legs and look around again.

Two identical little kids with white-blond hair are running across the row of seats, heading straight for me. It's so weird. Before finding out that we were having twins, I never used to see other twins. This is the third time in about a month. I guess it's like a car. You never see a certain make and model until you've got one, and then you notice them all the time.

These kids must be around pre-school age. They're giggling and screaming themselves hoarse, completely oblivious to anything going on around them, or perhaps they just couldn't care less. I decide it's likely the latter. Their mother is struggling to catch up, calling out their names and ordering them back to her side in a tone of voice that could cut through sheet metal. She's pregnant and by the looks of it, she's about ready to pop.

For a split second while all of this is happening, the woman catches my eye and smiles almost apologetically. I smile back at her and shrug, the kind that says it's no big deal, I don't mind all of the noise and chaos.

I don't get to find out if she ever managed to wrangle up those boys. They're climbing over a few chairs when I spot my brother coming this way. He's got a big sign in his hands and on it, in big bold letters, reads Dipshit. I start to laugh.