Love Is Hard

*The Next Day*
Our flight was late tonight and we were going to be getting a bad storm. It looked like we weren't going to be leaving. I watched the news for a while and the newsman (who was still the same guy I watched a year before) said that the storm was going to hit the area bad, and the airport wasn't letting any planes leave or enter until the storm was over. So instead of going to the airport and getting stuck there and I didn't want to be with Ali all alone in a bad storm so I called Marie to see if we could come over there. She said it was ok. I brought our suitcases just in case we needed something.

While going out to the car I could feel the wind picking up. I packed up the car and went back to get Ali. "Mommy it's windy we are going to blow away." I shook my head and closed the front door locked it and went to the car.

As we drove down the road I rolled down the window. I could hear the trees swaying with the wind. Listening to hear for the cracks and the crashes. I continued slowly and then in front of me I saw a puppy. It was just sitting in the road, not moving. I got out. It had a collar on with an address on it. It wasn't around here. Out about 10 miles. I just picked up the dog and brought it to the car.

It sat in the front seat. The puppy looked no more than 1 year old. I wasn't going to let it stay out during the storm. Ali started talking to it, "Doggy, why you here? Where you mommy?" I smiled. At least she knew the dog wasn't ours.

We arrived minutes later at the house. I took the puppy in one hand and grabbed Ali’s hand in the other, we ran to the front door and Marie let us in, I explained why we had the dog and she said we would contact the owner to say that the dog was ok. But first I had to go back out and get our suitcases. Once I got the 3 suitcases I locked the car doors and went back in the house.

Ali saw the wind and heard the rain and it looked like she was going to cry. I opened up one of the suitcases and gave her a toy to play with. She took it and Marie brought her to the living room where the windows and blinds were shut and the tv was up loud enough so that you couldn’t hear much else going on. She went to the kitchen and called me over.

“Hold on, let me just called Josh on his cell phone check where he is. Josh was 19 and just started college. He went to the local community college like all his friends around here did. I think thats why he stayed so he would always be with his friends. I heard Marie panicking. “Where are you? Come home. Answer the phone.” I heard some noises and then I saw Sara come down the stairs. “Mom did you see whats coming on the news?” Sara is 17 and she was going to graduate soon, I smiled at her but asked her worriedly, “What’s coming?” She replied, “There’s a possible tornado warning, even this late it’s weird to see one.” When I was little I remembered there was a tornado that came through, but it was during the tornado season in Michigan which was like April.
It was odd to have a tornado in June or July. But it's not like it couldn't happen. It could happen. I immidiately was worried, what if something happened. How was I supposed to keep Ali safe? I decided to call my mom to tell her whats going on.

No service great. Then the power went out. I ran to the living room to Ali. She looked like she was going to cry. I held her in my arms and rocked her walking.

I really didn't ever like being a mom. When she was little she would cry and I would have to get up with her all on my own. My dad would always complain that he was woken up by her, but he wasn't the one that had to get up with her like every hour and put her back to sleep. It was hard for me.

“Ava we are going down to the basement,” Sara came over to tell me with a flashlight in each hand.

I walked following her, the basement is where Dylan and I had our first kiss, we were watching a movie and he just kissed me. It was perfect, I couldn’t help but not tear up when I remembered this moment.

When we got to the basement I looked at my cell, one bar. The little puppy was sitting on the couch and Ali was petting it. I knew nothing about what to do in a tornado. I texted my mom while I had the chance.

Me and Ali are ok. Tornado here at Marie’s house in the basement. Don’t worry. No power and only one bar of cell service. Text back quickly.

I got one back within a minute of sending it.

Be safe and protect Ali. Tell Marie thank you for letting you be there.

I laughed. My mom would say something like that.

The next 2 hours the power was out and Ali had fallen asleep in my arms. I rocked her to sleep because she kept asking why. So I told her it was nap time and I hummed to her and she fell right asleep. I was tired too. But I couldn’t fall asleep, I had to stay awake.

The day passed on and there was no sign of a tornado in our neighborhood. There was finally electricity back so Sara turned on the television. The warning was over and we were safe, but towns around us were hit bad. We were lucky.

I carried Ali upstairs and called the airport. The plane we were supposed to be on was planned to leave an hour later. It was 6:30 and the plane was leaving at 8. I had to call the dog owner.

I dialed the numbers slowly so I didn’t mess up.
“Hello?” I heard come from the other line.

“Yeah, sorry about this but your dog, I found him before the storm so I kept him with me. He’s fine and everything is fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to meet me somewhere to pick him up or I’ll drop him off.” I said giving the lady an option.

“Oh my you have Rufus? My daughter has been crying for the past 2 days, we thought he was dead,” she said quietly, “Nope he’s here with me. Where should I drop him off?”

“Come to the center of Millet, we are only 10 minutes from there.”

I agreed and since we had to be at the airport in an hour and Millet was only 20 minutes from me we had to get going. I carried Ali to the car and although she was sleeping she never woke up. I decided to text my mom that we were ok.

Mom, me and Ali and basically everyone are ok. We are fine, so towns got severe wind damage but not us thankfully. Our flight is delayed until 8. So I hope you will come pick us up at the airport. I will call you when we land.

No reply. I woke Ali up so we could say goodbye. She was crying and I told her that we were going home so it made her calm down for a little while.

We said our goodbyes to Dylan’s family. Marie held Ali for a while, hugging her. “You gotta promise to visit more, Ava, I never see her.” I smiled.

“Maybe that’s an excuse for you to come to California. I have to stay there, don’t have time or the money to fly out here often.” She laughed at me and replied, “I know I know I just never see her.” I hugged her and grabbed Ali’s hand. I put her in the car seat and the puppy in the front seat.

I turned the radio on and I was listening to the reports about the damage and the traffic and stuff. Then my phone rang. I expected it to be my mom and it wasn't, it was Justin. I answered it.

"Hello, Justin what do you want?"

"Oh my gosh Ava you answered, are you ok? Is Aliah ok?" I smiled he called her Aliah.

"Justin, we are fine. We are coming home later, our plane leaves here at 8. It got delayed."

"Thank god you're ok, it would totally be my fault if something happened to either of you." I pulled up to the center of Millet and saw a little boy and younger mother waiting.

"Look Justin, it wouldn't have been your fault. Now I have to go, I will call you before our plane leaves, but it wouldn't have been your fault ok," It kind of would have because I wouldn't even be in Michigan if he didn't give me the tickets.

"I'm just glad you are ok Ava. Goodbye. Be careful." He said quietly, "Goodbye Justin," I said and hung up the phone. I grabbed the puppy and turned around Ali was still sleeping I got out of the car and locked it behind me.

I went over to the lady and kid and handed them their dog. They thanked me and tried to offer a reward but I told them I didn't want it. I unlocked the car got back inside and drove off to the airport. It was a long day.