I hugged her tightly around her neck. “Thanks, Mom. It’s perfect.” I ran over to Daddy and hugged and kissed him too. They went back inside and left AJ and I outside to take the car for a test drive. I hadn’t been behind the wheel since my accident, so I was admittedly a little nervous.
The engine barely made a sound as I started it up and gripped the wheel tightly. When I didn’t move for a few seconds AJ realized that I was hesitant. “If you’re not ready, no one’s forcing you to do this. It may take some time.” He said reassuringly.
“I’m fine.” I shifted the gear into reverse and backed out slowly. He rested his hand on my back and tried to keep me calm. On the main street I drove about five miles under the speed limit which was still faster than I wanted to go. A car swerved in front of me and I tensed up.
“It’s alright.” AJ said, trying to keep me from spazzing out. “Do you want to pull over and I’ll drive back?” He asked.
“No, I have to do this. I can’t let that one incident keep me from living my life.” I paused. “Once I do it this once it’ll keep getting easier. I just have to get through it.”
He seemed to understand my feelings, so he sat back and just tried to be supportive. We drove a few miles further down the road and then I turned to go back toward the house. When we pulled into the driveway again, I felt a sense of accomplishment for conquering my fear and AJ was proud of me for not folding under the pressure. This was the first step in getting past the tragedy that took place, and I knew that soon, things would be close to normal again.
*****
“That’s everything.” Daddy said as he loaded up the last of my boxes into the back of the moving truck. He and mom turned to go back inside to check all the windows and doors before we left. My throat tightened as I realized it was time for me to leave my home and my family behind. Saying that I was afraid was an understatement, but it was time for me to grow up and embrace adulthood. I heard AJ pulling up behind me on the street. There was no way that I wasn’t going to miss him. It would surprise me if I was able to function without him. Letting go, even if only for a short time, was going to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. He cut off the engine and stepped out; he couldn’t even look at me as he came in my direction.
“I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it,” I said quietly.
“My dad insisted that we finish loading my things so we can get on the road in an hour.” He smiled weakly, attempting to mask his true emotions.
“We’ll see each other tomorrow. Don’t be so down,” I said as I reached for his hand. My words didn’t make the sadness fade in the least. AJ still looked like the world was coming to an end.
Behind me, I heard my parents coming from the front door and Daddy’s keys jingling as he turned them in the lock. AJ straightened his posture when he saw them coming toward us. I think we were both shocked when my father greeted him with an embrace. “Good luck, son. Hope to see you here on Thanksgiving. You already know you have a standing invitation.”
He released AJ and took a step back. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be here.” AJ smiled and I could see that Daddy’s words meant a lot to him.