Midnight Train

Chapter 6

"Is that how you guys met?" Bex asks, lifting her head off my shoulder.

"Yep. I shared an awkward train ride with a complete stranger at the time." I smile at my husband, who is chuckling slightly.

"Well, what happened next?" Sam asks. I look at James, and he continues talking.

"I was feeling really upset, so I didn't pay much attention to the time. I didn't even realize your mother was trying to get on the train until I heard the sound of pounding footsteps. I saw a girl with (h/l) (h/c) hair flying out behind her. She made a mad grab for the bar right next to the staircase I was still standing on. I reached out my hand and she immediately grabbed it. I pulled her in just in time since the train started gaining speed. Though, I guess I pulled her in harder than I meant because she crashed into my chest. I'm still really sorry about that."

He directs that last sentence at me, and I smile. "We're married now. You're good."

He smiles, then continues on with his story. "I sat down, and tried to distract myself by messing around on my phone when I heard someone walk up to me. They wanted to know if they could sit with me. I looked up and there was the same beautiful girl."

I blush when he says that.

"I tell her she can sit down and we exchange names. Then we both go back to our phones."

"It was an awkward silence," I input, earning a chuckle from James.

"Yeah, it was pretty awkward. We didn't really talk much. We just kinda say there. It might have been an hour or so. Then, her phone rang."

I sigh and stare down at the ground. "When I answered it, I heard yelling. My parents had discovered I was missing. Apparently someone had checked on me after I was gone and they were furious. They demanded that I come home. I hung up quickly, tears glistening in my eyes. My hand dropped, my phone falling onto the seat. I covered my face with my hands, tears streaming down my face."

I was getting myself choked up now, those painful memories threatening to spill more tears again, fourteen years later. James stands up and places Atlanta into Bex's lap. He then pulls me into his lap when he sits down again. He wipes my tears away with his thumb and pulls me into a tight hug. He just lets me cry, the three kids staring at us. They knew we never spent any time with my family because we didn't get along, but they never knew what my life was like.

"I'm fine," I tell them. However, I don't move from the protective embrace of my husband's arms. At least not yet.

"I just sat there crying when I heard someone start talking. It was your Dad. He asked me what was wrong. I didn't want to share much, but eventually my seemingly hopeless situation made me open up. I spilled out my heart to a stranger. My parents had called, demanding to know where she was."

"I was surprised to hear that your mother ran away. But, as she talked, I understood why she left."

I stood up from my husband's lap, walking the incredibly small space back to my seat. I sit back down and pick up Atlanta again.

"I needed to get away. this was my only escape. Once I had shared my entire life story with a stranger I had met not even a half hour ago, I finally stop. No words of comfort were spoken, which I was ok with. We both went back to our phones. I pulled out my ear buds as well and pulled up one of Uncle Nathan's videos. They always managed to make me laugh. Then, I noticed something. The man sitting across from me looked almost identical to one of Nathan's best friends."

"I saw you looking up at me then back down at your phone. Probably figuring out who I am," my husband interrupts.

"It was solely by accident. Nathan's videos were a blessing for me. I finally got up the courage to ask if he was 'the James'. You probably expected fan girling or begging for an autograph."

"I remember. The only thing you said was, 'Thank you for saving my life.'"

Bex and Sam stare at me while Atlanta lifts her head off my lap. Apparently they expected something more severe than what actually happened.

"You honestly did. Not really literally, but you guys were always there to cheer me up if I ever felt sad, stressed, angry, whatever."

"So, what happened next?" Sam asks, perking his head up.

"Well, that was a breath of fresh air. We traded stories, discovered why both of us had gotten on the train. You already knew why I got on, but I still didn't know your story." I direct the last part at my handsome husband. His face breaks into a smile.

"We continued talking, enjoying each other company. After awhile, I got up the courage to ask her on a date."

I couldn't help but smile, reliving good memories. After a few seconds, I notice James staring at me. "What?" I ask him. "I'm just reliving good memories."

My husband chuckles. "At least you said yes!"

Now I'm laughing. "Yeah, I did say yes."

"So, when did you go on your date?" Bex asks, sleepiness thick in her voice.

"The next day," we both respond simultaneously.

We both state at each other, smiling because of how in sync we are.

"Anyway, we decided to go out again the next day, on the midnight train again. We traded numbers and talked some more."

I continue, "After awhile, it got too late to talk, and I was starting to fall asleep. Your Dad moved over to my seat and I was falling asleep so quickly, I leaned my head over and landed on his shoulder. I was going to move my head away, but he just patted my head. I closed my eyes again, and felt something press against my head."

"What? I was tired!" James defends himself. "And besides, if I was going to let you rest your head on my shoulder, I was going to rest my head on yours."

"And that's how we met."