About Kismet

29

Kismet walked a couple of steps behind Wesley towards the baggage claim. Luckily, due to the size of their flight, it wasn't a long wait until their bags showed up on the conveyor belt.

They were easily identifiable with the neon orange tags she had zip-tied to their handles. Wesley lugged both of their bags off of the belt, wheeling them over to where Kismet stood, waiting for him with Profesor's carrier.

She gave him a tired smile as he approached her with their luggage, opening her mouth to say something before they were interrupted.

A boy, who looked to be in his late teens, excitedly greeted them.

Kismet turned to look at him in confused surprise, sharing an unsure glance with Wesley. Do you know him, she meant to ask.

Wesley subtly shook his head at her, before smiling politely at the stranger who stood there with a permanent grin.

"Mr. Knighton? I'm a huge fan," he exclaimed breathlessly. "Could I get a picture with you?"

Kismet watched with amusement as Wesley effortlessly made conversation with the young fan, bending to take a selfie with him at one point. She had almost forgotten about his fame, neglecting the fanatical support sports players received.

A few minutes later, the boy walked off, glancing behind himself every now and then, his grin never faltering.

Wesley turned to Kismet with his lips pressed together embarrassedly, his eyebrows raised. "Sorry, I hadn't expected that," he said, muttering something about having to communicate with his management team.

Kismet rolled her eyes at him, not minding in the slightest. She reached for her suitcase but Wesley tightened his grip on it, frowning at her.

"I've got it. You carry Professor," he argued, leaving little room for argument. They both missed the man passing by them, looking at Wesley weirdly while craning his head to look behind himself, growing more confused when he didn't see anyone else with them.

Kismet, too, remained oblivious, sighing as she complied with his demand and began to walk ahead of him. She headed for the doors leading to the domestic arrivals lounge, Wesley following behind her.

She wasn't looking for anyone. Her father and Noah had flown out the same day as Matthew and Nate, leaving an occupied Anna. She had stayed in her office until 10 pm every day of this past week due to a pending case she was working on.

Wesley, on the other hand, found himself searching for a familiar face in the crowd. His face lit up when he spotted the waving man, standing near the back of the crowd.

Kismet glanced at him in surprise as he grabbed a hold of her hand, tugging her behind him. They walked through the populated pickup area towards a location unknown to Kismet. She only dumbly followed Wesley, her hand clasped tightly in his.

He let go of her as he saw his older brother, moving to hug him. Kismet's eyes grew wide as she recognized Cooper, her heart racing a mile a minute. She wasn't sure if he would be able to recognize her, or even remember her.

As the two brothers pulled apart, the eldest looked at his brother's company, the realization visible on his face. "Kim?"

Cooper used to call her Kimset after Wesley had stumbled over his words the first time he had introduced her to his family, and it shortened down to Kim over the years.

Kismet smiled at the use of the nickname, affirming his suspicion. She was quickly pulled into a warm hug, her heart beginning to resume its resting rate. She had been unsure of the reaction she was going to get from him.