Skipping Heartbeats

She watched as the flight’s board changed from boarding to departed. Her heart thudded with pain as a few tears trekked down her cheeks. It was final now and somehow she was wishing that as she walked out of the airport, he’d come running back down the ramp with that stupid smile slapped across his face.

Facing the fact that he wasn’t going to come back, she let the glass door shut behind her and stared one long last look before turning around and heading to her vehicle. She reached her small beaten car that smelled of him. Climbing inside, she pushed the keys inside the ignition and let them be.

Shutting her door, she was grateful for the early flight. Darkness covered over her as she let more tears flow and soon sobs joined them. Her body convulsed with loud sobs that made the windows fog. She sat in her seat facing the floor board. Breaking her stare, she glanced at the passenger seat where he used to sit.

Breaking into more sobs, she turned the key and waited till it sputtered and finally turned over. Wiping her face with her long purple sleeve, she cleared her throat and pulled out of her parking space. Driving home for her turned into auto-pilot mode. She didn’t remember how she got to her driveway, but what she did know was that her father’s face was in front of hers in seconds and his arms pulled her from the vehicle.

She began a fresh set of tears that soaked his shoulder, but that didn’t matter. His daughter was broken down and beaten. He carried her inside the house, where they passed their family dog that whined with discomfort and sadness. Chuckles, their dog, followed his owners into her room.

No words were spoken, they weren’t needed. Her father held her tight and rubbed her back while the sobs slowly ceased. Chuckles padded his way over his young master and placed his wet nose on her knee, then whined.

Smiling at her dog, she laid down on her bed before turning her back to her dad, silently asking for solitude. He patted her shoulder a few times for comfort before pulling Chuckles out the door and closed it.

Pulling her pillow over her face, she closed her eyes. Inhaling through her nose, she could still smell his scent that lingered on her pillow. More tears poured from her eyes before sleep took hold.



He pushed his face into the corner of his hooded jacket trying to hide his leaking face. Holding back his sobs, he tried to put on a strong face. He was on a plane full of strangers headed home. Home to Australia, yet, it was no longer home. Someone once said ”Home is where the heart is.” and he truly believed it.

His wasn’t in Australia; his was with that certain blonde haired girl who plagued his thoughts and dreams. It was with the way she smiled when he told one of his lame jokes. It was with her father that nearly ran him over while working on that crappy car. It was with that stupid dog, Chuckles that would drool all over his lap regardless of how many times he pushed him away.

Simply, it wasn’t with him, it was with Abigail Marie Lawrence.

Bracing himself for more tears that threatened to spill, he was tapped on his shoulder. Turning to the man on his right, he smiled brokenly before sniffling and clearing his throat. “Leaving something important behind?” the man had a thick Australian accent like himself.

Nodding he struggled to speak, “I came to finish high school as a foreign exchange student, yet,” he couldn’t finish.

“Something changed all your plans?” he guessed.

“You could say that, yes. And I wouldn’t have changed it,” he stated.

The stranger smiled and patted his arm before holding out his hand, “Aiden Conde.”

Pulling his hand out of his pocket, he smiled back slightly, “Anthony Beamont.”

Aiden smiled at the young love struck boy, “If it is truly what you need, it will find its way back to you somehow. Or you to it.”

Grinning brightly at the strangers words, he agreed, “I hope it does. I really do.”