Page 102 of The Last Man on Earth
“Almost.”
She straightens slowly, rubbing her stomach. “This is it.”
“Yeah.”
We land just fine. No incidents. Pretty smooth, in fact.
The real turbulence is what’s waiting for us on the ground.
Chapter 53
Ari
As soon as theplane door opens, I start shaking.
My palms sweat. My throat is dry.
Vincent slips his hand into mine. “It’s okay,” he murmurs in my ear. “I got you. I ain’t lettin’ you go. You ain’t lettin’ me go. It’s us.”
I nod, but my body doesn’t listen. My knees feel weak as we step into the jet bridge. The hum of the airport grows louder with every step, a mix of machines, voices, and life. It’s too much after the quiet I’m used to.
At the end of the bridge, a black man in a suit greets us. Vincent tightens his grip on my hand.
“Yall kept the media out?”
The man nods. “Yes sir. Everything is contained.”
Vincent nods once, then follows the man into the airport, then down a series of hallways. We stop at a door guarded by security.
Vincent takes a deep breath, looks at me, and raises his eyebrows.
I nod at him, he nods at security.
Then the door opens.
The noise hits first. Gasps. Screaming. Crying.
Then it all happens at once.
A woman and a little boy run towards Vincent. His fiancée. His son.
He drops my hand instantly.
I stand there, frozen, my heart sinking as my family runs to me.
Ashara reaches me first. My other half. She grabs me in a hug, but I don’t even feel it. I’m not present. Mentally, I’m still with Vincent, holding his hand, watching him go back to his family.
Ashara’s crying so hard, she’s gasping for air. I hug her back, shaking as my own tears begin to flow. Then my parents appear—Mom clutching my face, Daddy hugging me from behind. Both of them sobbing. My nieces pile in on either side, squealing and crying louder than everybody else.
For a few minutes, it’s chaos. Beautiful, unbearable chaos.
When the dust finally settles, the room feels different. It’s too quiet. Too aware. My family stands there awkwardly, eyes darting back and forth between my belly and each other.
“Congratulations,” my Mom says softly. “We’re so glad you and the baby made it home safely.”
I nod, wondering when they found out. Did the embassy tell them? Vincent’s team? Or did I just surprise the hell out of them? It’s all so confusing.
I glance across the room to see Vincent surrounded by his family. Two women are crying so hard, they can barely stand. One collapses to the floor, and I can only assume it’s his sister. Her grief is visceral. I tear up again at the sight of it. And Vincent—he’s holding both of them as best he can as tears stream down his face.
