Where you go, I go

"Thank you for flying with us today..."

"Babe, is something wrong?" I spin my head towards my boyfriend Alec, who was lounging in his seat but is now sitting upright in his chair, frowning at me with concern.
I shake my head, "Nothing's wrong babe, it's just these seats, there so uncomfortable." I answer as I fidget.

But Alec knows me too well... He knew I was lying. He was right too, something was wrong. I had been so nervous about this overseas trip that I didn't realise I'd started shaking a little and couldn't keep still. Which was understandable given that this was my first time overseas in about... forever!

I know what you must be thinking ... never been overseas? How old are you, 12?
But no, just yesterday, I turned 23. My parents could never even imagine going on a trip like this. We could never afford it.
Alec and I met when we were about 15. He came from the opposite side of town to me... He lived in luxury. His parents told him that he had to get a job for himself and not rely on them. He grew up constantly hearing 'the only things you truly value, are the things you pay for yourself'.
He'd had heaps of experience traveling overseas with his family, when he was younger. He always wanted to go to Vietnam but they'd never gotten around to it.

So as soon as we could, we started studying and working to afford this trip of a life time. I had become a fashion designer who is now working on my best friend's wedding dress. Alec is studying and working to be a neurosurgeon.
And here we are today..... We finally made it.

"Hun there is nothing to worry about, I'm here. Remember, where you go, I go. Just go to sleep or read a book and before you know it, we'll be there."
"Well, I couldn't sleep if I tried, the damn engine is so loud! Firstly, I have to skype Sarah. She wants a progress update on the dress."
"Excuse me, can I access wifi on this plane?" I say as the flight attendant strides by.
She nods her head politely, as I start to get out my iPad.

"Oh my gosh! You're finally on the plane. How's my best friend in the whole wide world?" Sarah screeches over the call. Everyone's heads snap towards me... That's when I realise I haven't plugged in my earphones.
I wave to apologise, and quickly shove them in to the iPad.

"Geez... Do you think I'm deaf or something? Quieten down!" I quietly whisper back to her.
"But yeah we're pretty good. Another 5 hours and 5 minutes to go... Yay! How are the wedding plans coming along?"

"There's actually not lot of difficulties. Just a few minor things here and there. Speaking of my wedding... How's 'my gorgeous' doing?" Sarah started calling the dress 'her gorgeous' ever since she saw the first draft. She feel in love with it instantly.
"She's doing wonderfully, thank you very much. Just finishing up the veil and picking final fabric samples for you to choose from. You did say you wanted little flakes of blue in the sleeves, right?"
"That's right! Thank you so much for doing this for me Aria, it means so much to me and it would have meant the world to her too."

It was cancer. Cancer took Sarah's mother away, a couple of weeks ago... Only 2 months before the wedding. Her mother's favourite colour was blue. Sarah wanted me to add some into her dress to make it feel like her mum was apart of it too. Sarah's mother was like my second mum, and I was like her second daughter. Sarah and I had been friends since we were children, so I got to see a lot of her. She was tough, the toughest woman I have ever met. She had been struggling with lung cancer for 10 years... I guess it just finally got the better of her.

"Anything to make your day perfect."
"Let me say a quick hello to Alec, I haven't spoken to him in what feels like months!"
I went to turn over the iPad to Alec, when I realised that he was fast asleep. He even started to snore a little.
"Oh wake up you! Sarah wants to say hello." I tell him as I poke him in the waist. He hates being poked there. He can't help but giggle.
"Hey Sarah, how's it going?"
"Not too bad, just a few wedding jitters. Can't wait for you guys to be back so we can finally get this over... Hang on, Alec what's that behind you?" The expression on her face looked like she had just seen a ghost.

Before I could even turn around to see what she was looking at... The whole far right hand isle of seats on the plane are ripped away. The iPad goes flying, and then so does Alec.
"ALEC NO!!" It happened in the blink of an eye. It all happened too fast! One minute he's sitting beside me as happy as ever... The next he's been splattered against the engine. I can't watch it anymore. I squeeze my eyes shut just praying for this to be a dream. But it's not. I keep hearing people screaming, screaming for someone to come and save them... Screaming out for their loved ones.

My chair is now hanging on by a thread... It's bound to let go any second now. Out of nowhere, I feel this gigantic gust of wind hit me like a tonne of bricks. I open my eyes. I'm free falling at about 300 kilometres per hour by now... I can't breathe, my vision is getting hazier by the second. I blink to try and force some vision back. There's now a house directly underneath me. I brace myself for impact, but it doesn't come. The only thing I feel is being enveloped by these warm, soft arms. I rub my eyes to get a better look at the stranger. It's Emily, Sarah's mum. That's when I knew that my time was up. No more getting to see Sarah, no more wedding, no more family, no more Alec.
All I could do was sink my body deep into her arms and cry.

She tilts up my chin to look at her, as she wipes my tears away and smiles down at me with that overwhelming, beaming smile of hers. She turns her attention away from me and looks across into the distance, I follow her gaze. There, only a few hundred metres away was Alec, looking as perfect as ever. He starting bolting towards me. I leap down from Emily's arms, only to be pulled into the arms that are so familiar to me.

"Like I always told you, where you go, I go."