It only takes 10 seconds

Part Fifty Eight

Rachel's POV

Nick and I check our bags and start walking to the lounge for our plane. As we walk, his hand falls gently into mine and our fingers interlock, slowly but surely, like it was meant to be all along. I smile as I glance down at our hands and I notice that even our footsteps are in sync. I just can't help falling in love with this boy. It's like something brought me here, to this moment, to find him, to find someone who understands me. When I think about the past few months and then I think about Nick, it all just fades away because he makes me feel like I belong and that everything is going to be alright. He's here no matter what. 

I go through pictures on my phone as we sit in the lounge, Nick with his arm wrapped around me as he texts Jonathan about the upcoming games they have. He's going to stay for a night and then fly back to Chicago to play again. As I swipe through my pictures I fall on one that my mom sent me awhile ago. It's of me and Laura when we were little, sitting in a plastic pool in our backyard. We both have on huge shades, and one-pieces with flowers printed all over them and I smile at our goofy grins and the little umbrella drinks we have in our hands. Laura looks around eight which would make me four at the time and I smile at the memory. I can actually remember that day funny enough and how we later drew on ourselves with chalk because we thought we were cool.

It makes me think about how I've been acting since I got here, treating Laura not-so-nicely. It seems like ever since she got a job and I went to college, we've just drifted further and further apart. I bite my lip and turn to Nick. "Hey Nick?" He looks up at me. "Yeah?" "If you and your brother didn't talk that often but you used to before and you haven't been so nice to him the last time you saw him, do you think you can make up again?" I ask, the words tumbling out, all in a jumble. He takes a moment to figure out everything that I've said and then nods. "I would call him. And you should call Laura," he says, reading my mind. "You're sisters and I know she loves you." I take a deep breath and nod. "You're right. I'm going to call her."

My fingers are shaking a bit as I dial the number, but I hit call and wait for her to pick up. "Hello?" she asks. "Hi, it's Rachel," I say.  "Oh." I can hear her voice and picture the face she is making now that she knows who it is on the other end of the line. I take another breath. "Look,I'm - I'm sorry. About everything. It's just been really rough these past few months and I know we haven't been really close these past years, but I just wanted to tell you that I still care about you." There's nothing on the line and I think that maybe she hung up already, but then I hear a little breath. "I care about you too, Rachel," Laura says. "You know you can tell me anything." I nod, even though she can't hear me through the phone. "I know. I just felt like I had to tell you that no matter what happens, I still love you." "I love you too," she says and I can tell she truly means it.

The flight attendants open the gates to start boarding and Nick motions to me that we have to go. "Laura, I have to go," I tell her. "I'll see you around Christmas. Love you." "Love you too, Rachel. See you then!" I hang up with her voice still in my ears and a weight off my shoulder. Nick takes my hand as we head to the plane. "Everything better?" I nod. "Everything is much better." 

Kami's POV

Corey snuggles against me, his nose tickling my neck and I laugh and give him a kiss. "Hi," I giggle as our eyes meet and he copies me. "Hey." His eyes turn a little more serious. "Kami, is everything alright with the baby?" he says, his hands nervous and fidgety. I tilt my head at him. "Yeah, why would something be wrong?" I ask, confused. "Well," he says, "You said the other night that you felt a pain in your side and I just wanted to make sure everything was okay." "Oh Corey," I say, smiling and leaning in for another kiss. "Don't worry about that. I probably just slept funny or something. Nothing to worry about."