You Were Meant for Me

The hustle and bustle of the airport was new to me, all the people trying to get through the crowd and all the noise. I’d never traveled anywhere out of the state before, let alone out of the country. But today, that was going to change. I hurried behind my family, dragging my suitcase behind. I could hear my father swearing in Finnish, saying how late we were running. Surely we’d make it to the gate in time.

I let out a sigh as we took our seats on the plane. No more running through busy terminals, I could relax. My dad kept telling my mom there was no need to fear. Unlike my mother and me, he had taken this journey many times before, so he knew what to expect. He patted my mother’s hand and she gave him a weak smile.

Maybe she wasn’t as nervous about flying as I thought, maybe she was nervous about meeting dad’s family for the first time. I know I sure was. I knew I had a cousin older than me, I knew my grandmother was sick, and one uncle had passed years ago. I was flying around the world to meet people who were essentially strangers, but better late than never, right? I slipped my headphones on and closed my eyes, letting the music take over. My anxiety flew out the window and I felt at ease.

The flight to Helsinki was definitely a long one, longer than anything I had ever experienced. Thankfully I slept a majority of the trip. I don’t know how, but I did. I gathered my carry on luggage and followed after my parents. As we collected our bags, I noticed a man to the side holding a sign with our last name printed in bold.

“Niko!” My father yelled in delight. “Good to see you, old friend!”

The two men hugged and exchanged a few words before focusing their attention to my mother and me, who stood silently beside them.

“Niko, this is my wife, Diann, and my daughter, Wynter.” I gave him a polite smile as papa continued to speak. “Di, Wynny, this is my oldest friend, Niko Parkkonen.”

The two men stood there, catching up for a while. I took a look around and noticed a large group of people standing off to the side. Most of them were men, a few girls held phones out in front of them, taking pictures. I couldn’t help but study them. One of the men noticed me staring and gave me a smile. His long brown curls poked out from under his purple beanie and his small frame was clad in all black. He was attractive in a strange way, not like anyone I’d seen before. I nervously chewed on my lip then smiled back. We kept our gaze for a few minutes before someone tapped on his shoulder, pulling his attention away.

Finally we were on our way to Niko’s vehicle. As we walked out of the airport, I couldn’t help but shiver as the cold Helsinki air greeted us. Sure, the weather wasn’t always warm back home, but this, this was a new level of cold for me. I pulled my jacket tighter to my body and waited for Niko to bring the car around.

“Etkö ole tottunut kylmään?” I turned and saw the beanie guy standing there, with a little smile on his face, as he asked if I was used to the cold.

“Ei, en minä ole.” I replied that no, I wasn’t. His face turned to shock as I spoke somewhat fluent Finnish. Well, more like broken fluent. I had listened to my dad for the last 25 years speak his native tongue, but mom didn’t speak Finnish. English was preferred, but I could manage coherent sentences.

"Tervetuloa Helsinkiin, jossa se on aina kylmä." He laughed, as he said welcome to Helsinki, where it is always cold.

Before I had another chance to speak, my parents and Niko arrived with the car. I gave him a quick smile before helping get our luggage in the trunk. I joined my mother in the back seat and gave the mysterious guy one last look before we pulled away. My mother noticed, and nudged my side a little. I shrugged my shoulders in reply before slipping one headphone in my ear.

I woke up as the car jerked to a stop outside of a beautiful tan house. It wasn’t a mansion, but it wasn’t a shack either. It looked warm, inviting, and cozy, a place I would probably enjoy spending the next few weeks at. Niko and my father shared a manly goodbye, then he led us to the front door. Before he could even knock, the door swung open revealing two older people I assumed to be my grandparents. The woman let out a loud squeal of excitement and the man just smiled.

“Äiti! Isä!” He grinned, throwing his arms around them, yelling out the words mom and dad. It was definitely a strange sight. My father was never one to be emotional, but it’d been awhile since he had been able to come home. With mummo’s health problems, they weren’t able to travel to us.

“Wynter, this is your grandmother and grandfather, Ari and Elina Nikula. Mom, dad, this is Wynter Katherine Nikula. I thought it was time for you to meet in person.”

Mummo and pappa embraced me in the most loving hug I could have ever imagined. It was like they had known me forever, and it wasn’t our first time meeting. We had spoke on the phone before, but had never actually seen each other. Next was my mom’s turn. They embraced her the exact same way, and I heard her sniffle in the hug.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t come before now, I don’t- I hope you can forgive me.”

“Oh no, Diann, you’re here now, that’s all that matters. It’s so nice to finally meet both of you,” Mummo smiled brightly. “I have thought of this moment for so long!”

I took a moment to take in mummo and pappa’s features. I never wanted to forget this moment, this feeling. Mummo’s hair was starting to pepper at the roots, and pappa had a shiny, bald head. She was beautiful, even in her weakened state, while he looked stoic. My father was a mixture of the two, an even mix. Mummo had sparkling blue eyes that reminded me of the purest ocean. They were kind and soft, almost in a forgiving way. Behind pappa’s thick glasses, he had ash grey eyes. I could tell his eyes were bloodshot, and he had deep, dark bags under them. It looked like he hadn’t slept very well in a long time.

I laid on the bed in the room I was going to be staying in and let out a tired yawn. Mummo told me that the rest of the family would be here for dinner in a few hours, so I had a little time to myself. Another yawn escaped my lips before I decided to take a little nap. After kicking my shoes off beside the bed, I pulled the giant down comforter back and wiggled my way into the sheets. Within a few minutes, I was drifting off to sleep.