Palm Trees

"How was your trip?"

"It was fine, Hannah, nothing too bad."

"Was it fun, at least?"

"I suppose," I said.

My mind was not focused on the conversation with her at all. Instead, I was focused on the blue photo album in my hands.

Me being myself, I would never keep pictures like this simply because I was too lazy. When I left the island for the last time, my mom collected all the pictures our friends had and put them in here for me. I appreciated it, but it made me slightly nervous because there were things in those pictures that weren't exactly the... cleanest. She didn't say anything to me, so I guess it didn't matter to her.

I missed the island. It had been years since the last time I was there. I had a chance to go every year, as my family still went with Emily, but I didn't. I think I was avoiding it. Hannah always asked me to take her, but I didn't want her there. Something about bringing her there would just ruin it for me. I didn't like the thought that a place that had once belonged to you and me would have another part of my life mixed into it. It just wasn't right.

Maybe things had changed.

"Hannah, do you want to go to the island this summer?"

"That was pretty sudden, Aden."

"I just... well, meeting up with my friend made me miss it." Possibly the truest thing I said to in that week. Honestly, that's pretty sad.

"You know I've always wanted to go there."

"So that's a yes?"

"I'll be off for summer break, so yeah. Unlike you, the uneducated."

"I'll get someone to cover for me. I don't need no education," I joked.

"Try telling me that when I kick your broke ass out of my house in two years."

I laughed because I know she would never do that. She was supposed to move in with me next year (so it would be my house) and we would get married in the year after that. I wondered if I should invite you to the wedding.

I flipped to a picture of me and you. We were standing on the beach, arms around each other. We were both smiling like nothing could hurt us. We were so wrong. We had no one to blame but ourselves. I missed those times. We were happy, for the most part, and we didn't really have to worry about anything. Also, we didn't have to wear a lot of clothes on the beach so that was always a plus.

My phone beeped, telling me that I had a new message. I didn't really want to answer it while Hannah was on the phone with me, so I told her, "Hannah, I gotta go. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Alright, I hope so. I love you."

She didn't notice the moment of hesitation before I answered. "Love you too, Han."

I checked the message. It was from Sim. It's odd that she texted me right then, but she always had a thing for timing. When I read the message, I froze. I had no answer for her.

So, do you know what you want yet?