i know, i know, i know // mc71 x fem!oc
the walk through the airport i've been to a million times feels significantly different than it ever has before. each of my steps heavier, slower. the hallways stretching longer than i remember. each "welcome to san jose!" poster feels nothing but deterring.
i know, deep down, that i'm exactly where i'm meant to be—that i was never meant to last in philadelphia by myself. not when my entire family is here... my entire life. i guess i just didn't expect to not even make it through my first semester of school.
my parents knew something was wrong the second they picked up the phone. they always do.
almost instantly, they started arranging a paid internship for me back home, speaking so efficiently about transferring me to the closest university that it felt as though they'd been planning it from the moment i announced i was moving out of state.
i feel like i got whiplash from the quick turnaround my life had taken. granted, given the circumstances, i think any parent would be rushing to bring their child home.
my mom has been texting me all week, throwing me question after question. "are you sure you still want to go into this field?" "have you thought of taking a semester off and clearing your mind before you hop back into school and work?" "maybe you could work for your father."
though, the last one isn't so much a question. it's more of a statement... that's been repeated over and over.
the lights in the airport are already blinding, so when i reach the large wall of windows at baggage claim, i can't help but wince. for a brief moment, i'm not sure if i'm ascending into heaven, or if the room truly is this impossibly bright.
squinting, i make my way through the crowds of people, thankful i made the decision to ship almost all of my things. dealing with dragging a bunch of heavy suitcases off of a moving conveyor belt would genuinely send me over the edge right now.
of course, regardless of the fact that i made my travel experience as simple as possible, i wouldn't be me without at least one mishap along the way.
right as i reach the exit for passenger pick-up, i run into the most sturdy woman i've ever encountered. considering how she's a relatively slim lady, i'm seriously curious if she's made of bricks.
i barely hit the ground before she's already dropping all of her luggage to help me up.
"oh, goodness me! are you alright, dear?!"
her soft hands grip my forearms, pulling me up quickly, moving to my shoulders to steady me once i'm back on my feet.
her eyebrows shoot up as she tilts her head to look down at me. "no wonder you went flying to the floor, you're tiny!"
while she's not exactly wrong, she also happens to be the tallest woman i've seen in real life.
opening my mouth to chime in, to calm her clearly growing nerves, she speaks up again, pressing her hands to my cheeks. "oh no! you hit the ground so hard, you can't think straight anymore!"
her hand flies to my forehead, feeling me as if my temperature would give her some insight. "do you know where you are? what day it is?!"
the odd circumstances bring an unexpected smile to my face before i burst out in laughter—straight in this woman's face. well actually, she's about seven inches taller than me, so maybe straight in this woman's... chest?
my thoughts make me laugh even harder, the loud sound escaping me draws looks from people passing by.
anxious and frantic, the lady exclaims, "oh my gosh, i've knocked some screws loose!" sending me further into my hysterics.
i shake my hand in the air, clenching my stomach as i bend over in a fit of giggles. "i-i'm okay!"
her relief is so strong that i can practically feel it coming off of her in waves. i try to gather myself the best i can, feeling somewhat unfamiliarly cheerful after this whole ordeal.
trying my best to tone down my smile since this lady probably already thinks i'm a loon, i stand back to my full height and look up at her.
"i'm sorry, i didn't mean to start laughing... i just-" a small giggle escapes me. "well, it was very unexpected. i appreciate your concern though. i promise you, i'm completely fine."
i try my best to reassure her, and from the way she begins to smile softly back at me, it's working. "that's alright, dear. it was my fault after all. i should've been watching where i was go-"
her ringtone, which happens to be on full blast, interrupts our conversation. the unforeseen sound causing us both to jump before she begins digging rapidly into her purse.
i'm unsure if i should walk away now, or if it's rude since she didn't finish her sentence. deciding against causing any more possible conflicts, i stay standing in front of her... just staring at her as she checks her phone.
and suddenly i'm thinking she's the crazy one, because i swear she stares at the phone call on her screen for a long while before jumping back into her anxious, quick-paced fashion.
good grief, is she medicated?
she glances up at me quickly before spinning to grab her discarded bags, already rushing away. "i'm so sorry, my husband is here to get me, and he's very confused. i'm sorry again, i hope you're alright. have a-"
i'm assuming she finished her sentence with 'great day' or some variation, but at that point she'd already walked too far away for me to hear properly.
with widened eyes, i quickly grab my phone out of my back pocket, checking how long my uber has been here for.
17 message notifications from - ALFONSO
+ 9 messages. CLICK TO READ MORE
oh gosh. there goes an extra $20 for being late to my ride. just what i needed.
goodbye, philadelphia. hello, san jose... and alfonso.
