That One Year

Chapter 3

I still can’t believe we’re doing this.” I grumble, pulling along my Louis Vuitton carryon through the bustling airport.

“You mean ‘you’re’ doing this.” My mother corrects, ruffling my hair. She’s being awfully sentimental lately, which makes me suspicious.

I smooth out my hair, and shoot her a look. “Oh right. I’m the one moving to London.”

After tough discussion, also known as my mother making the plan and I just going along with it, is that I’m going alone to London. I’m going to live with my father, who I’ve never met before in my life, let alone talk to him. He’s never once sent me a birthday card, nor been there in my life at all. He left my mother once he knew that she was pregnant, and that makes it clear that my father has never wanted me.

This makes the journey soo much better, to know that in a few hours I’ll be seeing my father and his new family, and pretending like everything is perfect and cheerful.

My mother plans to stay in Washington DC, and move in with her sister in a sketchier neighborhood. (“Only one sister can succeed!” She always says, which is not very nice.) I, of course, have to go to London to see my father because it would be a good ‘transition’ for me, to experience other cultures. According to my mother, of course. And to practice being there for college, because I received a full-ride scholarship to Oxford University last spring. I was excited about going to the UK then, but certainly not now.

“Can’t I just spend the rest of my senior year here? And graduate with the rest of my class?” I plead. “I was just nominated for “Most Likely to Succeed” for the yearbook, and I worked so hard to become the co-captain for tennis. And you know how Kelsey can’t survive without me.”

I look at my mother thoughtfully, hoping that at the last moment, even though my flight was booked (thanks to my father) and my 8 bags were boarded on the plane, she would understand my pleads and let me stay.

“Beth,” My mother begins. We become separated for a moment as a family walks in between us. I haven’t even noticed the busy airport; I’ve just been focusing on what lays ahead.

“I think this is a really great opportunity for you to connect with your father.” She says, as we come reunited once again.

I snort. “Yeah right, he hates my guts!” I ignore my mom as she starts to protest. “He’s never made an effort to be in my life…why would he suddenly now?”

My mother is silent as she ponders over my statement.

I roll my eyes and look away into the crowd. I always liked looking at each person, wondering what each of his or her story was. Which person was going to meet a distant lover in a foreign country. Which person had a hard end job in which they went to 5 countries in a matter of a week. Which person just graduated college and wanted to explore the world.

And I was just another person with their own story.

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“Alright, do you have everything?” My mother asks, nervously. Her hands smoothed the creases in my trench coat, and she brushed away a hair in my face.

“I’m fine, Mom. I have everything.” I reassured her.

“You have your phone, and your laptop, right? And plenty of snacks to last you? And your vitamins?”

“Mom, I got it.” She seriously thought of the weirdest things.

“Okay.” Her eyes started to water, and I kissed her on the cheek.