From the Ashes

Chapter 2

Dad drove us to the Charleston airport on Monday, just after dinner. The windows had been rolled down halfway, letting in the humid June breeze and tossing my hair around wildly. The temperature cooled to seventy degrees, the sky turning into shades of lilac and coral, clouds glowing a warm orange. Truly a beautiful South Carolina evening. As a farewell gesture from leaving home, I dressed myself in ripped denim shorts, a black long-sleeve shirt, and motorcycle boots. My only carry-on? A backpack.

My father's flight to Sacramento left tomorrow morning, so he was scheduled to depart a day apart from us. I knew he felt nervous but he didn't need to be. He'd be just fine. Now for us, on the other hand, I wasn't sure how things would turn out in Massachusetts. Would Aunt Susan be nice? Would we get along? What's Massachusetts like? Despite my uncertainty, I tried to stay positive. The important thing was to keep my mind occupied.

As Dad parked the car in the parking lot of Charleston airport, we entered the building, checking our luggage in and going through security. Once we came to the boarding area to wait for our flight, the three of us sat down.

"Are you sure you want to fly to Massachusetts?" Dad asked, looking at me. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I'm sure, Dad," I replied, giving him the best assuring smile I could muster. I was sure it looked more like a grimace. "Stop being a worrywart, we're gonna be okay. Livvy's in good hands."

He smiled back. "Okay. Just remember, if you run into any trouble, you've got your phone. Give me a buzz, I don't care what time it is."

Shortly after, the intercom for our flight announced the plane would take off in twenty minutes and they were now ready to board passengers. Dad, Livvy, and I stood from our chairs simultaneously. He hugged Livvy first, telling her to be a good girl and listen to me and he loved her. Then he came to me and we embraced, his grip tighter than mine. My eyes welled up but I blinked twice to fight back the tears.

"Tell Aunt Susan I said hi," Dad whispered in my ear. "It's been a long time but..."

"I will," I promised.

"Take care of yourselves and look out for each other. I love you both."

Taking Livvy by the hand, we walked to the line. I handed our tickets to the flight attendant, who handed them back after checking them. As Livvy and I entered the tunnel, I couldn't help but feel as if we were making our way down a space shuttle. I peered over my shoulder to see if Dad remained by the boarding area.

He was already gone.

Livvy and I kept walking straight down the aisle inside the plane until we reached three seats in the second from last row. I was surprised to see the plane uncrowded, as there were many open seats. Despite the near emptiness, though, I preferred sitting in the one place where people didn't like to be: the back. The risk of having a Chatty Cathy sit beside me dropped down to a slight percentage, anyway.

Lucy had dibs on the window seat while Livvy sat beside her, and I planted myself next to both of them. I leafed through magazines provided by Delta, which mainly consisted of realty, one very used and outdated People issue, and Southern Home cooking. Neither of which captivated my attention. I quirked the corner of my mouth. I placed them back, settling against the seat and listening to my playlist on Spotify.

The flight from Charleston International to Logan International was a bit of a long trip. Two and a half hours at most. However, flying didn't bother me all that much. I found it fun to be high up in the sky, above everyone and everything. It made me feel free and powerful, as cliché as that sounded. I liked gazing down from the window and seeing how things below looked like the little toys I used to play with as a child.