Memory Documentation

chapter seventeen | documenting the way they are by my side

And Sylvia, I added, remembering how my initial unease and fear with the orphanage gradually lifted through the months.

"Take care of my daughter while you're gone," said Papa as Reece bent down to grab my bag.

Reece reached out to give him a pat on the back. "We will, Richard, don't worry. Darcy will be in good company."

Papa reached to give Jessica a hug as well. "You take care of yourself while you're gone, too, sweetheart," I heard him say to her.

Everything after leaving my apartment was a blur of getting to the airport and our gate in time. Luckily, the crowds weren't too bad at four in the morning.

This whole trip felt bittersweet. Papa hated planes and traveling, but I really quite enjoyed it. The airport especially always stirred something in me. They're a place of goodbyes, see you laters, and adventures that await us. I felt a beat of that thrill now, even if this weekend had a heavy note on it.

On our way to the gate, Jessica – the everloving sunshine that she was – talked about how exciting it would be to be surrounded by trees rather than skyscrapers this weekend. But in the moments of silence and stillness, I saw the weight of her sadness as she leaned against Reece for comfort or stared off, her mind clearly elsewhere. Reece was without his charismatic annoyances and instead was rather silent and stoic, constantly checking his phone or texting. When we arrived at the gate, I took out my own phone to see if Chris had replied, but he hadn't. So, I hugged my knees to my chest and shut my eyes until the announcement for boarding came about thirty minutes later. It roused me from the small slumber I'd fallen into. I opened my eyes to find only Jessica sitting next to me.

"Where's Reece?" I asked her, glancing around at the people sitting with us at the gate. A line was beginning to form at the entry.

Jessica began to gather her and Reece's things, and I followed suit. "He said he needed to go to the bathroom a little bit ago. He just texted saying to go in without him."

I nodded and followed Jessica into line once our section was called. Although we were in the same row, her and Reece's seats were in the middle column, with mine in the column directly next to them. It was a middle seat, and I crossed my fingers hoping that one or both of my seatmates wouldn't show up. It seemed luck was on my side because as the plane filled up, my seats remained empty. So did the one by Jessica. I reached out to nudge her.

"Where is he?" I asked worriedly. Was it possible for him to be taking this long of a bathroom break? Did he get food poisoning at dinner? Was he taking the longest dump in existence?

Jessica checked her phone and smiled. "He's coming in right now," she replied.

I slumped back in relief and closed my eyes again. "Good. Can you imagine if they closed the doors on him because he took so long in the bathroom?"

The exhaustion was catching up to me. I was ready to knock out now and wake up in an entirely new state. Sleep was ready to take me under when I heard someone next to me speak.

"Excuse me, Miss. I think I have the window seat."

That voice.

It was a posh accent. A fake one, but a good one. And a familiar one.

My eyes snapped open, but it took a second for my sleep-blurred vision to adjust to the fluorescent white light. When it did, I was met with familiar stormy blue eyes gazing down at me.

"No way," I breathed.

Chris was here. He was here, on an actual fucking plane heading to North Carolina.