Run

If I stay, there will be double.

The airport is crowded, of course it is. It's an airport. Being busy is like their main purpose, just above actually having flights to places. It feels so long ago that we landed here on our way to Grandma Dani's house. I hope, wherever she is, she isn't disappointed in us.

Poppy takes my hand in hers as we wait near the front entrance, just checking in. She's been my rock this whole time, if I ever doubted myself, she'd be there to reassure me. This wasn't an easy decision, but in the end it's better to not be a burden on our family, and we need to give them space to process at their own rate. It's not forever. I try to keep that in mind.

I press a kiss to Poppy's lips, who smiles at me, full of love. "Rufus? Poppy?" a voice calls, the last voice I expected to hear in this place.

"Mum?" Poppy asks, her loving gaze turned to fear, as not just Mum but Mama also approaches us, bags trailing behind them. Instinctively, I stand between my girlfriend and our parents.

"You can't stop us." I bark, halfway between an observation and a threat. "We love each other, you can't keep us apart." I tell them directly, causing a look of pain on Mum's face as she gets closer.

Mum's hand on my face is gentle and caring, like it makes my life lighter just with its touch. "I'm not here to keep you apart, my precious boy." She tells me, tears in her eyes. "It breaks my heart that you thought you had to leave just to escape us... It's our fault. We weren't here to tell you that we love you, no matter what." She cries, pulling me into a hug. From the corner of my eyes, I see Mama has done the same with Poppy. "I'm sorry, Rufus, this must've been so hard for you. You must be so tired. I'm here now."

With those words my own tears burst forth, I lean on Mum, unable to keep a brave face any longer. "We won't stop you if you still want to leave." I hear Mama tell us. "But, know, we want you to stay more than anything in the world... We can't pretend to understand your feelings for each other, but our feelings for you are unconditional." She reassures us.

I look to Poppy, whose eyes are as full of tears as mine. As before, she's looking to me for an answer, both as her boyfriend and her big brother... But before I can decide anything, another voice cuts us off.

"Actually, there's really only one answer." Sienna calls, approaching us. I did think it odd that she spent so long paying the taxi fare, but I assumed she was doing it with her body... What? It'd be on brand.

"Why are you here?" Mum asks, apparently unaware of the details of our escape plan.

"We were hitching a ride with her, she's got a place in the States for us." I explain.

"What?" Mama exclaims. "You only told us that these two were running away together!" What? Sienna told them? How does that make any sense? All four of us turn to the troublemaker, each as confused as the next.

Sienna chuckles awkwardly. "So, I knew the best way for all of you to get over these weird trust issues would be a big emotional talk, so I figured, what if all the stakes were just out there? So I convinced Ru-Ru and Popsicle to come with me, and when they agreed, I let you two know when they'd be in the airport. Ta-da! Happy family reunion!" She explains, impressing no one but herself. "But, fun fact, I actually only have one plane ticket, and that apartment is only one bedroom, so... You can't actually come." She adds, uncomfortably.

It's probably only seconds that we stand there in silence, staring at her, but for everyone involved it feels like hours.

Sienna finally clears her throat. "Anyway, I've got things to see, people to do, so... Great catching up, Aunties. And you two crazy kids keep working on your technique; I'll want a taste when I'm back." She smiles, as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "Toodles!" She announces as she proceeds into the airport proper.

This has possibly been the biggest anticlimax of my life.

It makes me wonder.