her oversized purse while she wheeled her larger bag. Once inside, we stopped at a kiosk that allowed Gabby to print off her boarding pass. I waited patiently, silently praying for some catastrophic event that shut the airport down for the next month. Maybe a super power outage, workers on strike—it didn’t matter. I wasn’t picky. Just as long as it meant that I could keep my best friend by my side.
Unfortunately, nothing happened and now the time had come.
We stood off to the side of the security line for our final moment. Gabby turned to me and I noticed she already had tears glistening behind her eyes. A few strays slid from mine and down my makeup-free face.
“You know, when we first packed our bags to drive you up here, I had alternative plan in mind,” she paused for a moment, desperately trying to regain control of her emotions. I focused on my breathing - anything that could possibly keep me from crying the way Alice had upon her arrival into Wonderland.
“Oh yeah?” I asked and Gabby nodded.
“I was going to tell you that your life wasn’t here. That Corey wasn’t as great as you made him out to be. Your Grandmother’s Inn would be fine and your Grandpa could sell the house. I was ready to tell you that you needed to come home with me. We could raise this baby together. We’re practically sisters anyway—why tell that sweet little baby any different? It was going to work perfectly and…” she stopped to swallow back the same growing lump present in my throat, “… and I wasn’t going to have to say goodbye to my best friend.”
The first ugly sob raked through my chest and escaped into the open. There was no hiding the depths of my pain to the passersby.
“So what happened?” I somehow managed to croak out.
Gabby’s hands wiped under her eyes, catching the freshly fallen tears.
With a large, resigned sigh, she answered. “This is your home, Danielle. I’ve seen it—in the Inn, your house, your family and, most importantly, Corey. I could never take you away from all of this. You belong here and you and Corey belong together. You need to show him that you are here for the long haul this time. That you don’t merely want a distraction from him. Show him that you want a family with him. This is where you need to be.”
I threw my arms around her shoulders and hugged her with no intention of letting go. Gabby was right. As much as I knew I would miss her and wish for her to be by my side—I couldn’t imagine a future without Corey. This was where I needed to be, despite the pain a goodbye could cause.
“Don’t you dare get another best friend without me around!”
Gabby let out a strangled mix between a laugh and a sob. “Are you kidding? Where else could I find another crazy woman like you?”
I hugged her tighter. “I’m really going to miss you.”
“Text and call me every day.” I nodded as more tears made their way down my face.
“I promise.”
“Now, go find your happiness, Danielle Hamilton! And this time, don’t be afraid of it when it comes.”
“I won’t be.”
Gabby pulled back and cupped my face in her hands. “I love you, Dani. I’ll be back as soon as I can and you better believe I’ll be on a plane the second you go into labor.”
I nodded against her hands. Words failed me and tears overwhelmed me. In the blink of an eye, Gabby was on her way through security and back to the life I decided wasn’t meant for me. I stood in that very same spot and watched until I could no longer see her through the masses. Through the free-falling tears, I made my way out to my car. Behind the wheel once again, this time alone, I let out painful, heart wrenching sobs. The feeling of loneliness coursing through me was stronger than it had been since the day I said goodbye to Corey. And now it was just me, my little one and the hope that all would work itself out.
Corey
Monday
Unfortunately, nothing happened and now the time had come.
We stood off to the side of the security line for our final moment. Gabby turned to me and I noticed she already had tears glistening behind her eyes. A few strays slid from mine and down my makeup-free face.
“You know, when we first packed our bags to drive you up here, I had alternative plan in mind,” she paused for a moment, desperately trying to regain control of her emotions. I focused on my breathing - anything that could possibly keep me from crying the way Alice had upon her arrival into Wonderland.
“Oh yeah?” I asked and Gabby nodded.
“I was going to tell you that your life wasn’t here. That Corey wasn’t as great as you made him out to be. Your Grandmother’s Inn would be fine and your Grandpa could sell the house. I was ready to tell you that you needed to come home with me. We could raise this baby together. We’re practically sisters anyway—why tell that sweet little baby any different? It was going to work perfectly and…” she stopped to swallow back the same growing lump present in my throat, “… and I wasn’t going to have to say goodbye to my best friend.”
The first ugly sob raked through my chest and escaped into the open. There was no hiding the depths of my pain to the passersby.
“So what happened?” I somehow managed to croak out.
Gabby’s hands wiped under her eyes, catching the freshly fallen tears.
With a large, resigned sigh, she answered. “This is your home, Danielle. I’ve seen it—in the Inn, your house, your family and, most importantly, Corey. I could never take you away from all of this. You belong here and you and Corey belong together. You need to show him that you are here for the long haul this time. That you don’t merely want a distraction from him. Show him that you want a family with him. This is where you need to be.”
I threw my arms around her shoulders and hugged her with no intention of letting go. Gabby was right. As much as I knew I would miss her and wish for her to be by my side—I couldn’t imagine a future without Corey. This was where I needed to be, despite the pain a goodbye could cause.
“Don’t you dare get another best friend without me around!”
Gabby let out a strangled mix between a laugh and a sob. “Are you kidding? Where else could I find another crazy woman like you?”
I hugged her tighter. “I’m really going to miss you.”
“Text and call me every day.” I nodded as more tears made their way down my face.
“I promise.”
“Now, go find your happiness, Danielle Hamilton! And this time, don’t be afraid of it when it comes.”
“I won’t be.”
Gabby pulled back and cupped my face in her hands. “I love you, Dani. I’ll be back as soon as I can and you better believe I’ll be on a plane the second you go into labor.”
I nodded against her hands. Words failed me and tears overwhelmed me. In the blink of an eye, Gabby was on her way through security and back to the life I decided wasn’t meant for me. I stood in that very same spot and watched until I could no longer see her through the masses. Through the free-falling tears, I made my way out to my car. Behind the wheel once again, this time alone, I let out painful, heart wrenching sobs. The feeling of loneliness coursing through me was stronger than it had been since the day I said goodbye to Corey. And now it was just me, my little one and the hope that all would work itself out.
Corey
Monday
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