The Road Trip

Chapter 21: Saying Goodbye

Jackie's POV

I spent the night in Travis' room and no, it's not what you think. We didn't do anything other than cuddle and talk. It seems that he was fond of keeping me hostage in his arms and I couldn't ask for more.

My back was facing his front as he was spooning me. I traced his tattoos lazily on his arms as I felt him raining kisses on my hair.

"When are you planning to go to Canada?" he asked as I felt him tighten his hold around my waist.

"Maybe in December. I always like to see snow." I turned around to face him.

He was shirtless and the warmth radiating from him was really comforting. His hair was hanging now that he wasn't tying it. I ran my fingers through his soft locks and he leaned in closer to my touch. Moments like now make me realize how much he values me.

"I can't wait for you to meet my Mom and Dad," he opened his eyes and looked at me. "They know that I came to the Philippines just to see you."

"Really? Well... what do they...uh... think of me?"

I wondered what his parents thought of me. My image wasn't that much to be proud of. I was a plain Jane and I never cared much about what I wore. Make up was also out of the question.

"Well I've been sending them pictures of our trips together and some stolen shots that I got." I glared at him and he just laughed as I tried to hit him in the arm. "Wait, let me finish."

"I wonder how I looked in your pictures. If you got one while I was asleep, that would be mortifying."

"Hey, I swear you were wearing beautiful smiles in the pictures. Anyways, Mom thought you're very pretty. She likes your eyes and she thinks that we're going to make really nice babies."

What? His Mom was already thinking about us making beautiful babies! I'm not even a senior in the university yet.

"I can't believe this." I covered my face with my hands and he tried to pry them away. He was just laughing at how uncomfortable I was at the mention of babies.

"Babe, she didn't mean that we have to have one now. I'll wait for you to be ready and of course, we'll have it after you graduate and after we get married."

I held his hand and brought it to the side of my face. His touch made me feel special and safe. I can definitely see myself settling down with him in the future with two or three kids. It was an ideal set up. He would work in his construction firm the whole day while I stayed at home looking after the kids teaching them how to paint and sing. I can envision a happy family with him. And I thank God for sending me this man. He was such a blessing to me.

Looking at him now, I felt that there was only one way to express I felt about him. I leaned closer to him so that our foreheads met and I touched the side of his face.

"I'm going to miss this," he whispered as he nuzzled his nose against mine.

"Me,too." I grabbed his face and brought our lips to a kiss. I put everything in that kiss. It was painful for us to give our temporary goodbyes but I knew that we were going to meet each other after this. The pain that's lodged somewhere in the middle of my throat disappeared as Travis kissed me with everything that he had too.

We broke apart panting with his thumb tracing my lower lip. "Promise me that you'll do whatever it takes to get to Canada." I nodded and he embraced me tightly.

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The day of Travis departure came sooner that I would have wanted it too. My parents accompanied the two of us to the airport to send him off. I was at the brink of crying but then I tried to hold it back. The night before his departure, he told me that he didn't want to see me cry because that would just make it harder for him.

We entered the international departures area with him pulling his baggage behind him on one hand and he was holding me with his free hand.

"So, this is it, Travis. Thanks for coming to the Philippines. We do hope that you come back," my Mom said as she held Dad around the waist.

"Yeah. I was happy to come here and meet all of you. I'll come back for sure."

Dad approached him and gave him a big hug to which he just reciprocated with a very tight one from his end. It meant that Dad really approved of him and even though that the two men didn't really have much exchange of words, I knew that they pretty much have built a really good relationship.

My parents went back to the car and decided to wait for me there. It was a good thing since I didn't want to be a crying mess in front of them. Travis and I looked at each other. He was a good thirty minutes earlier than his check-in time and we spent it talking to each other in the cafe.

"Just remember everything that I told you, okay?" I just nodded and refused to look at him. He tipped my chin up so that we could look into each other's eyes.

"I don't want you to go. I want you to stay here." I pleaded.

He smiled and pulled my chair closer to his and pulled my head to rest on his shoulder. I felt his lips touch my forehead and his hand running through my hair. Closing my eyes, I tried my best to remember his scent which was a combination of his body wash which he didn't disclose to me and his perfume.

"I may be in Canada, but I'm going to make it a point to call you or send you a message and before you know it, you'll be in Canada already. I'm going to miss you. Being without you is going to be hell."

"I know."

We continued to talk about our plans and the promises that we intend to keep when we were apart. I knew that distance, not to mention the time difference, were going to be sure forms of challenges in our blossoming relationship. Travis was dead set in keeping whatever we have now intact and I had the same feeling that he will stop at nothing to make sure that the both of us were going to last long and end up marching towards the altar and exchange I Do's.

The clock read eleven o'clock and the check-in counters for his flight opened. We both looked at each other and stood up so that he could enter the hall where the check-in counters were. He held my hand tightly as he fell in line and just when he was about to get in, he pulled me close and kissed me full on the lips. I responded despite my views on PDA. I held onto him as if he were every breath I took. Breaking from the kiss, he whispered to me the words that I least expected him to say yet so wanted him to tell me.

"Be prepared to be Mrs. Norton soon, babe."

"I will."

He kissed me on the forehead and bid me goodbye as he got inside and placed his luggage on the x-ray machine to be inspected and a few seconds later, he looked back at me and waved goodbye with a kiss sent my way. I nodded and responded with an air kiss as well as tears welled up my eyes. I was going to miss him terribly.

Walking towards the car, Mom immediately rushed to me and hugged me telling me that everything was going to be alright and for the first time in my life, I felt that everything was going to be okay.