▪ ♪ ♩ ♫ ♬ @fierylittleniece sent: [LINGERING GOODBYE] – Sender takes a little too long to say goodbye.
Goodbyes had been said throughout the day; he could hardly count how many people had wished him well on his travels, no matter how crazy they thought he was when they heard the reason he was striking out. His van was gassed up and filled with supplies to get him through the first leg of his adventure. He'd checked out everything at the shop to make sure the old girl was ready to drive that far; he was expecting to leave the state if he couldn't find the sort of oddness he wanted. Had to be prepared.
Through all of it, Johnnie had been right at his side. Even though he'd already said goodbye to her family, even the twins, and that hadn't been the easiest goodbye. Those goobers were beloved. She'd practically refused to hear a goodbye and stuck with him through any errands left to run.
Now they were at the end of the line, and she was still making it hard. He'd teased her that she would drag him to her bedroom and lock him down if she was strong enough to manage it, that she was going to stay awake at night missing him, and she'd taken it all without huffing away. Mateo was impressed.
“Alright, is this some sort of plot to stop me from leaving? Like, if you don't ever accept me saying goodbye, it never happened, and I'm not allowed to leave?”
