‘We have now arrived at Portland International Airport, the time is five seventeen am, I hope you enjoyed your flight and your stay in Portland. Thank you.’ The crackly voice over the intercom clicked off as the plane stopped. Everyone was immediately up out of their seats, reaching up in the overhead compartments for their hand luggage.
However, I remained in my seat. My hands clenched around the arm rest. I didn’t want to get off this plane because I knew that if I did, it was real. I had really flown home because my father had died.
‘Emmy,’ Haley whispered, her hand forcing its way under my grip of the arm rest and holding my own tightly.
I looked up at her, she looked tired, her hair was barely staying in the pony tail that she had scraped it back into.
She had immediately dropped everything to come and pick me up, coming back to Portland with me, even if we hadn’t spoken in a month. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffy, probably not dissimilar to my own despite the fact that I hadn’t cried since I had left Justin.
He had been so upset that he couldn’t come with me straight away. I had to physically force myself to step out from his arms after I had clutched him to me in a death grip, but he had a meeting in New York that he had to attend on Monday and he had promised that as soon as it was over he was flying to Portland to be with me and my mother.
I stood up and we filed out of the plane, neither of us having brought any actual luggage. We went straight for the taxi rank just outside of the airport and climbed in the first one we saw. Haley told the driver my address and the car pulled away. I had told Justin that I would call him when I had landed but I couldn’t make myself move.
I sat, immobile and staring out of the window.
It was drizzling out, the clouds were dark and hung low in the sky. The atmosphere was heavy, dense and it was a reflection of my own feelings. There was a sharp ache in my chest that was slowly spreading throughout my body. Haley hadn’t let go of my hand, hers wrapped firmly around my limp one.
The window was steaming up slowly, but I didn’t make any movements to wipe the fog away. I just stared through the glass anyway.
I still couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that my dad wasn’t going to be there when I got home.
Finally, things started to look familiar through the window and the car turned onto the street that the local Church was located.
‘Stop the car.’ I whispered.
‘Emmy.’
‘Stop the car.’ I said more forcefully.
‘Miss?’ The cab driver glanced at me through his rear view mirror.
‘Stop the car!’
The taxi pulled over a few houses down from the church and I pushed open the door, stepping out immediately.
