A lovely family send-off

It was an excruciatingly long couple of weeks, but at long last it was time to go.

Despite giving me some space leading up to it, Mum and Dad were insistent on coming with me all the way to the gate. It was slightly embarrassing getting dropped off by my parents like I was going to school, but I figured I would humor them as thanks for not trying anything else with Charley.

As it turned out, I would come to regret giving them the benefit of the doubt like that.

As we walked up to Heathrow Terminal Two, I spotted a figure waiting by the entrance watching us as we came closer. And after a second or two I could make out who it was.

Charley had at least had the courtesy to not doll herself up or anything. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that Mum had clearly dragged her here against her will, and she was dressed in stay-at-home clothes with her hair done up in a loose bun like she’d just slapped it on after rolling out of bed.

And yet, it was still Charlotte Kim we were talking about. Even in sweatpants and a hoodie, she was the most breathtakingly beautiful girl I could even imagine existed. After just a cursory glance at her slightly unruly, glossy and thick blonde hair, and a moment looking into her deep brown eyes, I had to look away. I could already feel the pit growing in my stomach.

I turned to my stepmum and glared at her, but she just smiled wryly back at me. “Wow, Luke. Look who came to say goodbye.”

Charley flashed us all a brief smile as we reached her. “Uh, yeah…” She looked over at Mum, but her words were clearly directed at me. “Mum and I decided it would be nice … it’s a bank holiday, so not like I have to go into work or anything.”

Oh, yeah. Work. With everything that had happened, Charley starting her job a week or two ago had been the furthest thing from my mind.

I thought back to the day we’d spent together before the fallout, how we’d discussed what we’d do after her first day. All of that was quickly starting to feel like it happened a lifetime ago, even though all the emotions were infuriatingly sticking around.

“Cool.” I looked down. “Well, I better … you know.”

Mum sighed as we all made our way over to check in, clearly sensing things between Charley and me weren’t going to magically fix themselves. As we got to the assigned desk, she stepped up to me and gave me a quick hug, “I hope you have a great time, Luke. Make sure to keep in touch. With all of us.”

“Right,” I replied. _She’s not even _trying to be subtle about it.

“Great, but not too great,” Dad added, looking at me knowingly. “It’s still part of your degree.”

“Yep, of course,” I said. At least I could count on Dad to just be his usual, uninvolved self.

Then Charley cleared her throat, and I stiffened up. “Have fun, Luke. I … I’ll see you when you get back.”

Will you really? I wondered what kind of headspace I would be in by the time I returned to London, whether either of us would actually be able to get over this and go back to ‘normal’ like she’d said. Somehow, I doubted it.

“Thanks,” I replied quietly. Very much ready to go now, I grabbed my suitcase. “Well … bye.”

“Hang on,” Mum spoke up with her eyebrow raised. “You don’t have a hug for your sister? It’s going to be nearly six months before you two see each other again!”

Fucking great. Always trying to meddle. I couldn’t help but glance at Charley, and saw her eyes flash with alarm. “Oh, that’s not…” she trailed off.

“Sorry,” I said, pretty much **** the words out. “Gotta run. Can never be too careful with security.”

“Luke,” Dad butted in, frowning. “Stop being difficult. Give Charley a hug goodbye.”

With that, there was clearly no getting out of it. We both shuffled over to each other awkwardly, not looking each other in the eye.

As she slowly draped my arms around me, it was almost like my brain was subconsciously trying to make me stiffen up, not to let her touch me. And as I reluctantly followed my dad’s orders and reciprocated, holding her and feeling her bury her face in my shoulder, it was clear why.

Instantly, it felt like we were back; like the last three weeks had never happened. I could feel the warmth of her body against mine, smell the familiar scent of her hair, hear her soft breathing. But more importantly than any of that, I could feel that ache in my chest again. The one I got whenever I was around her.

For a second, I was somewhere else entirely – in an alternate reality where she hadn’t shot me down, and we hadn’t stopped talking. We were together, and this was a tearful ‘see you later’, not a final, **** escape.

It was all way, way too much. I quickly untangled myself from her and **** a smile at the three of them, though I couldn’t bear to meet Charley’s gaze. “Really got to go now.”

I rushed towards security, my parents’ calls to ‘have a safe flight,’ and ‘work hard’ growing quieter and quieter. I just wanted, needed to get away from all this.

Two hours later, I sat back in my seat as the plane sped up down the runway. Feeling my stomach drop, I gazed out the window despondently and watched the London skyline grow smaller and smaller, before it all disappeared beneath the clouds.

Once again, I was faced with the monumental task of trying to let go of my feelings for Charley. And this time, I knew it had to be for good.