the choice • charlie conway

chapter twenty four

sadie

Our flight to Miami is delayed, as usual.

I don't understand how a five a.m. flight gets delayed for over an hour. What else are they doing this early?

I barely got any sleep last night, because I was up all night packing. I figured I'd be able to get a few more hours of sleep on the plane since the flight is three and a half hours, but I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep now that everything is delayed.

At least Maggie isn't having a breakdown this morning. When she started screaming bloody murder in the airport because she was hungry when me, Ella, Morgan, and all our families were going to Aspen for winter break, I wanted to evaporate into thin air. I was literally never more embarrassed in my life.

After we pass through security, I immediately try and run for the Dunkin' Donuts that's maybe twenty feet from the end of the security section to grab myself the biggest coffee I can get. I make it maybe five steps before I hear my mom yell, "Sadie, where do you think you're going?"

I turn around and wave a hand towards where I want to be. "To get coffee...? Where else did you think I was going?"

She gives me a look as she puts her shoes back on. "That can wait, we need to get to the gate first. You should know that by now with how much we've traveled over the years."

"Mom, it's literally three-thirty in the morning!" I protest, crossing my arms as I give her my best sulk. "We have plenty of time to get to our gate and make our flight."

"Don't give me attitude Sadie Elizabeth." she snaps, causing my dad to place a calming hand on her shoulder. "Relax Annie, she isn't doing anything wrong. Let her get the coffee and chill out."

I give my dad a grateful smile and sprint for the line. Maybe it's because I'm tired, but the line takes forever to move. By the time I get my coffee, almost half an hour has gone by.

I look at my phone to check what gate we're at, and make my way over to my family. My mother is still sulking about my dad letting me get coffee, but I'm not letting it bother me. At least I'll have some energy now.

While I was at Dunkin', I also bought some munchkins for myself and my sister. I offer them to her when I sit down next to her, and she immediately lights up when she sees them. That makes me smile, knowing that something so small made her happy like that.

After another twenty minutes, I decide the best thing to do is to get some sleep while I can. I put in my Airpods, put my hood over my head, turn some music on, and close my eyes, hoping that I'll be able to fall asleep.

It doesn't really work as well as I'd hoped, because my dad is waking me up to board just as I was about to drift off. I'm not too mad about it, because I know that I'm going to be able to sleep on the plane. As soon as I'm in my seat, I do the exact same thing. Airpods in, hood up, music on, and eyes closed.

When I wake up, we're touching down in Miami. The first thing I do is text my cousin Sam, who's my age, that we're here. I know she'll have plenty for us to do when I get to her house.

I only have four cousins, and they all live in Miami. They're all my dad's brother's kids, and I love visiting them. Samantha, or Sam, is my age, followed by Cooper, who's thirteen, Millie, who's eleven, and AJ, who's eight. They're all so much fun and I'm so glad I get to spend this week with them.

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