Yes. Yes, I could believe that.
The fasten seatbelt sign came on, and the flight attendant instructed us on the safety features of the plane. I tried to tune out their speech so I wouldn’t have to think about emergency exits, oxygen bags, and inflatables in case of a crash into the ocean. Damn, I wished Todd was here to hold my hand.
My eyes closed as the plane took off, and they didn’t open again until I could feel the plane level out. The woman beside me was smiling like a loon with her lipstick smeared on and around her lips. “You scared of flying, dear?” she asked.
I nodded, and then quickly closed my eyes again to pretend to sleep. The one thing I hated more than flying was talking about my fear of flying while in the air.
When I got off the plane in New York, the environment felt as though the earth had shifted. No more casual, relaxed mood surrounding me. Instead, stress, a rushed feeling, and a high-tension mood floated about. Gathering my bags was like trying to fight my way into a Black Friday sale where the most popular toy of the season was offered at half the price. By the time I made it to the curb, I was exhausted.
Yellow cabs, limos, and shuttle buses lined the passenger pickup area. I wasn’t sure what to do. I’d never done it completely on my own before. I had very little cash and only one credit card to my name. Everything I’d saved while working was needed to go toward my dad’s debt, so I opted for the shuttle, where I shared a ride with forty other passengers and had fifteen stops every few miles. It was the cheapest option, and I had to face reality. I wasn’t rich anymore. I didn’t even have an income anymore. I was one step away from a homeless shelter.
I packed my belongings quickly, leaving behind what wouldn’t fit in my second suitcase. I sent a quick text to my mom, letting her know when I’d be arriving. Again, she promised to pick me up and hung up with another, “Everything is going to be okay.” I wondered if my dad would be with her, or if he’d even want to face me.
I sucked it up and called a cab after arranging my flight back to Georgia. The extra thirty dollars wasn’t going to make a big difference in my budget after the four hundred for the one-way ticket. I noticed a missed call from Todd before I turned my phone back off. Lana had probably made me look like a real fool by now, and I wasn’t in the mood to hear about it. The driver stuffed my bags into the trunk of the cab, and I slid into the backseat.
I turned to look out of the back window as we pulled off, watching what I was leaving behind. My freedom, my independence, my chance at happiness. A cab pulled up, taking our spot from in front of the condos, and I could’ve sworn Todd got out of the backseat. The traffic, the fog, and the fact that my heart was still aching for him must’ve been affecting my eyes.
“Everything okay?” the driver asked.
I turned back around in my seat, leaving the image of what I thought I'd seen behind. “Yes,” I sighed, slouching into the worn leather seat.
My phone was still in my hand but turned off. I stared at the black screen, wondering if I should turn it back on, just in case. Quit being silly, Katrina. Todd’s in Florida, probably relieved to be rid of you.
Back in the airport I’d just left, I fought my way through the line at the ticket kiosk, and then through security. The plane was packed, my seat between a large man who was sweating bullets, and a young boy who had been separated from his family.
I squeezed into my seat, closed my eyes, and followed the same ritual as before to get through my short flight. At least I wasn’t in the back this time.
As the plane took off, I imagined Todd holding my hand, whispering that everything was okay. My mind spiraled with thoughts of our adventures, and how far he’d been able to push me past my limits. I could smell his cologne with my eyes shut, and even taste his delicious lips.
“We’re arriving in Atlanta on time,” the pilot came over the speaker, pulling me out of my daydream.
The large man was staring at me, a wild smile on his face. I suddenly felt flush. I was scared I’d fallen asleep and talked, or worse, moaned. The young kid beside me wore his headphones while playing with his handheld video game, so if I did, at least I didn’t break any laws.
Mom stood at the baggage claim, her getup just as extravagant as always. “You look awful,” she said as she gripped my face in her hands.
“Thanks,” I snarled playfully. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s at home, resting.”
Yeah right. I knew he would have been there, even with broken fingers and legs any other time. He was a proud man, and knowing he’d put me in danger made him want to hide from me. He was going to have to face me soon enough. Hell, that condo of theirs was so small, he had nowhere to hide.
I grabbed my bags and handed one to my mother to carry. She looked confused as she fussed with the handle, trying to release it to pull behind her. She’d never had to carry her own bags before. It was actually quite amusing to watch.
“You’re gonna have to learn to do this kind of stuff, ya know,” I teased.
Janice Delaney rolled her big blue eyes as she finally pulled the handle from the suitcase. A smile widened on her face, filled with pride at her small accomplishment. “I used to do this all the time,” she reminded me. Oh yes, the days of Janice Delaney when she didn’t have money. When was that? Uh, never. Her parents were well-off, even though they didn’t have money like Spaceman, they had enough to pamper their beautiful daughter.
A black Lincoln was parked in front of the airport, and as we walked out, the driver gripped the bag my mother carried. I stopped and watched as he placed it in the trunk, and then came for the one I rolled behind me.
“What is this?” I asked, pissed that she was spending so frivolously while all our lives were being threatened.
“You didn’t expect me to drive myself, did you?” she asked, oblivious to why I was even mad.
“You can’t, I mean, we can’t afford this,” I snapped. “I took a shuttle, rode on an airplane by the bathroom, and even left personal stuff behind to save on additional baggage fees.”
“It's fine,” she said sweetly, sliding into the backseat.
The driver continued to hold the door for me while I absorbed my mother’s delusion. Wow. Some things never change.
I slid in next to her, still glaring in her direction with disgust. “Everything’s going to be okay,” she said.
“How can you be so calm?”
“Because we have everything under control.”
“We? Control? What are you talking about? There are crazy men out there, ones who broke Dad’s fingers, then kidnapped and threatened to rape me,” I spewed my anger without concern that the overpriced driver would hear.
“They won’t be bothering any of us again,” she said proudly.
“How is that possible? He owes them a million dollars. No, subtract the sixty grand for my ring,” I sneered.