"Bye, mum. Thanks again." he said softly as he gave her a quick hug. He managed to ignore the pang pretty well, he thought. They were parked at the kiss & ride and the revolving doors into the airport beckoned him.
"Good luck, both of you." his mum replied, her eyes soft, but her stance hard. "Call me when you land, please."
Eddy nodded. "I will."
He didn't even turn around to see her get in the car, he just rushed into the airport with Brett by his side and headed straight for the check-in line. Because they were on their way, now... and nothing was going to stop him from getting on that plane.
"Are you okay, Eddy?"
Brett's voice was soft, just loud enough to be heard over the plane's engine, and somehow managed to be so respectful that Eddy could feel it going right into the centre of his heart. He looked sideways at his boyfriend and smiled automatically.
"Yeah, of course."
There was no need, now, was there, to tell Brett about pangs? Or about punching pillows? No, they had left Brisbane now and everything was going to be just fine, thank you very much.
Brett nodded and looked out of the window briefly. He wasn't buying it, clearly, and Eddy could kick himself for being this needy.
Come on, mate. Get your act together. Do you really want to ruin this for him?
So he smiled again.
"I am, honest."
Somehow he didn't think he was fooling Brett, but he also really didn't want to talk about it right now, on a plane full of people who could overhear, who would be able to see the tears that he knew weren't that far down. No, now was a time to be happy. Happy, and excited.
"Do you know what time the first session is, tomorrow?" he asked him.
"Yeah, it's at eleven. So we'll have a little bit of time to get settled and sleep in."
Oh yes, he did not miss the way Brett's lips quirked up when he said that. Three nights. Three whole nights of being together, side by side. Three mornings of waking up with Brett right there.
This was going to be the best.
The hotel was a small and slightly dingy affair. Eddy dutifully followed Brett into the tiny reception area. Someone had haphazardly decorated it in dull reds and browns, it looked like about fifty years ago. A frumpy looking curly haired woman in her fifties or so eyed them from behind her desk as they walked up. Eddy was barely following the conversation Brett was striking up with her, really. The room was booked in Brett's name, so he was okay to just stand there and look around him at the faded cladding and the rack with newspapers on the counter. His throat was all thick with something he couldn't name, something he couldn't understand. He'd been looking forward to this moment for months. Why wasn't he ecstatic right now?
Brett took the key that the lady gave him and started walking towards the lift. Eddy followed him without words and watched as he punched in the button for the second floor.
"Tomorrow we'll take the stairs." Brett smiled. "Do something for our health."
"Sure." Eddy said, but his voice was weirdly hoarse. The doors pinged as they opened and they stepped into a large hallway with scuffed white walls and a faded red carpet. He watched again as Brett put the key into the lock, and he followed him into the room.
The walls where the same white as the hallway, and above the two single beds with grey cloth head boards hung one of the ugly watercolour prints that these places always seemed to boast. There was a door to Eddy's right, he guessed to the bathroom, and two chairs in the same colour grey right ahead by the window. Brett put his things down next to one of the chairs, and then he turned around and took Eddy's case. Eddy suddenly seemed to be rooted to the spot. He said nothing as Brett softly took the violin off his back and put it next to the case. Then Brett took his hand and led him to the bed on the left.
"Sit down." he said quietly. "Let's talk."
Eddy sat down, and just like that the dam burst.