Chapter 94 Side Story 1
Chapter 94 Side Story 1
Jessica.
(Months later)
"Jess, do you think I packed enough socks?" Emma asks, holding up a colorful bundle of socks for my inspection. Her room is a whirlwind of clothes, books, and the general chaos of packing for college. I chuckle, surveying the piles of stuff strewn across her bed and floor. "Emma, you've got enough socks to last you through a Siberian winter, let alone a Boston fall," I tease, reaching out to ruffle her hair affectionately. She pouts and shoves them into her bag, going through her wardrobe once more. "You can never have too many socks. The last thing I want to do is run out of socks," she murmurs, her lips scrunched up in displeasure.
"What if I meet some cute guy in a laundromat, and he's short on socks? I could save the day!" She suggests, shrugging as she walks around.
I laugh at her logic. "Alright, alright, keep the socks. You're definitely going to save the day in a laundromat someday. You'll be the Sock Savior."
Emma grins, her blue eyes shining with excitement. "That's the spirit!"
We continue packing, the room filled with the hum of anticipation and the bittersweetness of parting. This is it, the day Emma leaves for Harvard University, a world away from our cozy home in San Francisco. We've shared a room, secrets, and countless laughter-filled nights. She's my baby sister, but today, she's a grown woman ready to chase her dreams.
My phone rings, and I pick it up to see it's Sophie calling. Informing Emma, I pick it up, Facetiming her. "Hey, you guys aren't on the road yet?" She asks, noting the surroundings.
"Not yet. But we're almost done. We should be leaving anytime soon," I inform her.
"Where's the brat? Give her the phone." Sophie tells me, and I pass the phone to Emma. I watch them converse as Emma packs the last of her things into her bags.
"Did you get the gift I sent you? Sorry I couldn't be there, busy exploring the world!" I hear Sophie yell, snickering at the end. After her graduation, Sophie has been traveling to different countries, creating content, and working as a freelance fashion designer who makes clothes on demand. She plans to launch her business in the beginning of the new year and needs all the experience she can get.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Thanks for the gift anyway. I really appreciate it," Emma replies, her voice sincere.
"Okay, have fun in University and don't forget to take care of yourself," Sophie warns.
"I wonder how many times you're going to repeat that," Emma mutters as she passes the phone back to me, but there's a smile on her face. I bid Sophie goodbye, glancing around the room. "Looks like we're done packing. Let's get going already."
Devon, my husband, enters the room, leaning on the doorway. He offers a warm smile to Emma, winking at me. "You ready, ladies?"
Emma nods, clapping her hands. "As ready as I'll ever be!" Devon chuckles, walking into the room and picking up one of the bags, then walking out of the room. I take one as well and join him as we walk down to the car.
"You don't have to do this, you know? I can easily have a driver take us there. I'm afraid it might take much time since we'll be spending days on the road," I tell him, but he just shakes his head, opening the trunk of the car and placing the luggage in.
"Well, I insist, Jessica. I'm going to miss Emma just as much as you. If I can spend more time with her through this road trip, then I'm down for it," he says.
I shrug, even as a corner of my lips curls up in a smile. "Okay, I won't argue anymore," I answer, and he nods, pressing a kiss on my lips.
"That's more like it," he murmurs against it before striding back into the house. After what feels like hours, everything is finally packed into the car. Emma's textbooks, clothes, photos of us, and even her favorite teddy bear are carefully arranged. The car looks like it could burst from the sheer volume of her belongings. We squeeze in beside the bags, ready for the road trip to Harvard.
Devon and I get into the car, and he starts up the engine, driving us out of the house and into the streets, the atmosphere a mix of excitement and sadness. The open road stretches ahead of us, promising adventure but also marking the beginning of Emma's journey away from us. It's going to take us at least four days to get to Boston from San Francisco, keeping in mind all the pit stops and hotel breaks, and we plan to make the most of it.
We take turns singing along to Emma's playlist, snacking on chips and cookies. The miles tick by, and we make pit stops to take photos at picturesque viewpoints. Our first stop is Lake Tahoe in California. We all step out of the car to stretch our limbs and have a late lunch. It's mostly home-cooked meals that I've prepared for this journey since eating out won't appeal to Emma. While she's busy taking pictures of the stunning view, Devon and I settle on a park bench, sharing the food into reasonable rations among ourselves. Emma comes in much later to have a bite, commenting on how good the meals taste and how she's going to miss my cooking.
"I'm sure there are better dishes in Boston," I mutter as I take a bite of the air-dried potato dishes.
"Yeah, but they won't be homemade. Homemade meals are the best!" She yells, grinning. I chuckle, and we take some time to relax before getting back into the car, and Devon continues to drive us. We spend the night at a hotel and very early the next morning, we're back on the road and continue driving.
There's not a single boring moment as we listen to songs and sing along. The conversations are light-hearted, filled with jokes and laughter, but beneath it all lies the unspoken awareness that we're driving Emma to her new life. Though Emma would get tired quickly and doze off in the backseat, her head resting against the window, leaving just the two of us awake, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. Occasionally, Devon will gaze back at her, watching her sleep before returning his gaze to the road. I'll steal glances at both of them, feeling grateful for this moment of togetherness. It's a four-day trip filled with adventure, laughter, and memories but sadly, it comes to an end.
We finally arrive in Boston where her university is located, and Emma, who's been dozing off in the back seat, jolts awake, rubbing her sleepy eyes to gaze around at the new city she'll be calling home for a while. Driving around the campus, we watch other students who have resumed or are resuming, carrying their bags around or exploring the university.