It's Me, Again

Epilogue

(Author's Note: I posted Ch. 41 just before this so make sure you didn't miss it!)

2 Years Later

Kate

"Last call for Flight UA517 to Sydney."

We made it to the gate as the airline worker was making the last call announcement. I had broken out into a sweat from running through the terminal and from the sheer anxiety that I would miss my flight.

"Ah just in time," the worker said to me as I held out my phone for her to scan my boarding pass.

"Sorry...I got....held up at security," I said, out of breath.

I looked back and Dylan was getting his phone scanned. After I heard the beep, I started walking through the doorway to get to the plane.

"That was close," Dylan said, also a little out of breath.

"I know. Too close. I don't know why they had to go through every single pocket of my camera bag. It already went through the x-ray machine." Now that I knew I wasn't going to miss the flight my nervousness was now overtaken by annoyance.

Dylan shrugged, "Who knows. But we're on the plane now so let's forget about it."

We found our seats, put our carry ons on the overhead compartment and settled into our plush, wide seats. The flight time to Sydney, Australia is over 22 hours and now that we've got grown up jobs and making pretty good money we've saved up for over a year to be able to afford first class tickets. When I found out how long it takes to get to Australia I knew there was no way I could sit there for that long in a cramped seat.

So I took all the photography jobs I could get to make some extra money. I even sold some of my Serengeti photos to a company that makes nature calendars. It's a far cry from my dreams of my photos hanging in a museum or gallery, but I'm only 24. And to have my photos hanging in a bunch of people's houses is a dream - even if it's in the form of a calendar and not a framed piece of art on the wall. Just being a working photographer is a huge accomplishment. Dylan landed a job at the architectural firm that he interned at during college. He loves it and has been working on a team that focuses on environmentally friendly new builds and revitalizing neighborhoods. He's put in some long hours to be able to afford this trip both financially and time-wise. Since Australia is so far away we knew we wanted at least 2 weeks away.

If you asked me 5 years ago what I thought I'd be doing now I wouldn't have imagined I'd be sitting in a first class seat next to Dylan on our way to Sydney, Australia. Then again, I hardly remember what was going on when I was 19 since a lot of that time period is still a blur to me. But, you know what I mean. I look over at Dylan who is flipping through the comprehensive food and drink menu that is offered to first class customers. A strand of his dark brown hair falls into his eyes and I brush it away. "Does the food look good?"

"It does. Who knows how it tastes though. It's still airplane food," he shrugged.

"True. But we've got some food in our bags if we're starving."

Dylan nodded and put the menu away. "Getting excited?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "I've always wanted to go to Australia. I'm so excited that we're going to go and travel the country. Maybe I can get some really good shots to sell and help pay for some of this when we get home."

Home. Dylan and I lived together now and everything has been going better than I could have hoped for. People warned us that the honeymoon phase might wear off and sooner or later we'd be at each other's throats living together, but we really have had no problems. Sure, we have some squabbles here and there, but never any serious, blow out fights. If I get annoyed, I just take a breath, go down the block to hang out with Sarah or Mallory and vent. Then, I'm back and we talk it out and make up. He does the same thing if he needs a breather. He'll go hang out with Josh or go for a run. The important thing is that we always come back to each other.

Our safari trip was a huge turning point in our relationship. Since then we'd gone on a few little trips and road trips. I want to see the world with him and experience everything together. Now we're off on another international adventure. It's always been a dream destination for me and to go with Dylan is a dream come true. I can't wait to see what's in store for us there and everywhere.

Dylan

When the TSA officials were searching through Kate's camera bag I was nervous for two reasons. 1) I was afraid we'd miss our flight. Traffic was a nightmare and it seems like everyone and their mother are heading out of town today. 2) I didn't want them to search my backpack.

Tucked away in an unassuming little zip up bag in the inside pocket of my backpack is a jewelry box. Inside that black velvet jewelry box is an oval shaped diamond ring with a diamond halo set in a platinum band. I'm excited and nervous enough to pop the question to Kate during this vacation, but can you imagine if she found out about it because the TSA agent takes it out of my bag? It would definitely be something to remember, but not exactly the romantic proposal I envisioned.

I'm not sure when I'll do it, but I figure I will carry it with me every day and when the time seems right I'll drop to one knee. I'm sure there will be a push and pull of when to do it. Part of me will want to get it over with so we can celebrate and I won't be nervous the entire time. Plus I'm sure the ring will be burning a hole in my pocket. Another part of me will probably be so nervous that I'll put it off. I'm leaning towards doing it as soon as possible. The longer I put it off while on vacation, the greater the chance that she'll find the ring.

I look over at Kate who is staring out the window. I had been looking at the menu a few minutes ago, pretending to look at the food options but really just thinking of what to say when I propose. The girl next to me wasn't just my girlfriend or the person I live with. She's going to be my future fiancée, my future wife. My current, constant, and forever love. There was a time when I never thought this would be possible. I thought I had screwed up beyond repair, but fate had other plans for us and I couldn't be more grateful. I have never taken this second chance for granted and I never will.

I reached over the armrest and took her hand in mine. She turned to face me and gave a smile, which I returned along with a squeeze of the hand and a brush of my thumb against her hand. I can't wait for this trip and this next part of our journey together. 

______________________________________________________________

Thank you so much for reading It's Me, Again! I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing this.