Page 69 of See You Soon
Danny’s life was still a mystery to me, there was so much he wasn’t telling me. His life at home. His need for alcohol. I can’t help but feel there’s more to his estranged relationship with his father… andmy brother. There’s a reason why he’s the way he is. A reason for his drinking,his lust so dark.Still, I'm determined and I will unravel the secrecy surrounding my brother's death.
Chapter30
ari
Meredith and Emilia were waiting for me at the airport. A month passed and I finished my contract working for the hospital in Iraq. My false hope of Danny returning before I left, vanished. Leaving Doctor Diaz and Lori was so hard for me. I had made a new family and I was completely devastated when I finished my last shift. Doctor Diaz made every single staff member write comforting goodbye wishes on a card along with a party in the break room. We promised each other we would all reunite on a vacation trip somewhere in the States, one day.
The plane starts to descend and I grip the arm wrests as I feel my stomach float into my chest. Anxiety makes my heart palpitate as I internally plead for the plane to land safely. But I'm immediately reminded of Danny challenging my worst fear.Flying. The memories of Danny fucking me while I sat on him, unstrapped, loom in my head. He challenged my fears in ways that made me forget about it. I don't fear flying anymore. I loosen my grip on the armrests.
The plane lands without any of my delusional thoughts coming true. The sound of loud rumbles from the plane vibrates into my ears and I'm celebrating a safe plane ride.
I hadn't heard from him since he left which he told me was going to be normal. We couldn't communicate with each other so I patiently waited for his call or text. He reassured me his safe return but I took it with a grain of salt. My brother always reassured my mom and me, yet we were burying him a few months later after he left.
I fiddle with the new bracelet on my wrist. A red bracelet with a cowgirl boot jewel in the center. A gift from Violet before she was sent home. She thanked me for my kindness, patience, and willingness to listen to her. Bonding with her solidified I was doing more than just being a nurse... I'm a healer and I will forever hold Violet dear to my heart.
Most nights were sleepless, between the constant worries for Danny's safety and even Damon's return. I hoped Danny and his team would successfully bring Damon back home to Violet every day. It had been a month already with no word or updates from him so I knew the mission is still on.
Violet's and Damon's story was all over the news. Her name had occupied the national news at home for weeks and it had just recently died down. It felt wrong to leave Iraq and Danny. Knowing I was farther away from him, worried me. I couldn't imagine how Violet was feeling. It didn't compare. Violet and I exchanged numbers before she left. I made sure she knew that she could reach out to me whenever she felt like it.
I'm off the plane, carrying my backpack. Walking into an American airport felt so good. It felt great to be home. I went overseas fragile and came back an entirely different person. I was changed in such a short amount of time but I felt like it was a good thing.
The airport in my town was small but it was surprisingly packed with people arriving and departing. I had to go to baggage claim before anything else.
I'm walking through the airport, passing by restaurants and gift shops when something catches my eye. It's Emilia, Harry, and Meredith. They're holding a poster with my name on it,
Welcome Home To Our Favorite Nurse
My eyes widen when I realize what it says. I clear my throat and my chest tightens. I've missed them so much.
I walk faster as Emilia and Meredith head my way, running. Harry is left with the poster in his hands and he's laughing at how excited Emilia is. The girls and I embrace and I'm hugging them as nostalgia hits. I missed my close circle of friends.
"Ari! We've missed you so much," Emilia exclaims, backing up.
"Dude I've missed you too much! You came back just in time, I have this thing growing on my ass and I need you to tell me if I'm dying or not." Meredith jokes and I'm rolling my eyes at her.
"I'm a nurse, not a doctor, go see a dermatologist, you nasty ass." I shove her gently, giggling.
We reach Harry and we exchange greetings. Harry is tall, Filipino, and the sweetest man I've ever met. He's so good to Emilia. The way he treats her is how every woman should be treated. He was so gentle and romantic.
"Ari, it's nice to see you come back in one piece," Harry says, handing me my luggage. I'm not surprised they grabbed my luggage for me. I was lucky to have them as my group of friends.
"So, I already made plans for us tomorrow night, we're going drinking. The same bar we always go to." Meredith claps her hands together, excited.
"All I wanna do right now is see my mom. You guys are more than welcome to join." The girls agree and Harry offers to drop us all off at my house. He had some work to finish up at home. The best thing about his job was being able to work remotely and on his own schedule.
The distance from the airport to my house is about half an hour. Meredith catches me up on her life since I've been gone. Emilia expressed to me how stressed she’s been the past few weeks due to her wedding.
We get to my mother's house and I'm eager to walk in. I rush getting out of the car and I can already smell my mom's delicious cooking from outside. Homemade enchiladas fill my nostrils. My stomach rumbles and my mouth waters. It's one of my favorite recipes.
I walk into my house flinging the door open, with Meredith and Emilia trailing me. The sun is setting and it's around eight at night. I find my mother preparing the utensils for all four of us on the table with a napkin.
Her eyes circle and she's smiling as she sees me. It looked like she had aged a couple more years since I'd been gone and immediate guilt follows. My mother was never the type of person to constantly check on me. She was a woman of faith. Instead of calling and texting me every day when I was gone, she spent her days going to church, praying for me. That's what she did for Paul and now she did it for me.
"Mija! You're home! Finally!" She brings me into a hug and I can feel her radiant with happiness.
I squeeze her.
"I know Ma. I've missed you so much. I'm home! Thank you so much for making me my favorite." I held back tears as my mother greeted my friends. We all sit down at the table. My mother, of course, fought my pleas to help her serve everyone. I wanted to make sure she sat down to eat before I did. My mother always made sure that everyone else was taken care of before herself.
