Sad goodbyes

Sad goodbyes
I didn’t want to waste another second in LA. The moment the press conference ended, something inside me just shut down and it felt like the city was breathing down my neck, like every street corner held a memory I didn’t want to look at anymore. LA wasn’t my home, maybe it used to be, but not anymore.

As soon as we got back home, Victoria practically collapsed on the couch, her heels kicked off before her body even hit the cushions. I went to the fridge, grabbed a cold glass of water, and handed it to her.

“Thank you, Aiden,” she said, gulping it down instantly.
I waited until she finished before speaking. “Mom… I’ll be going back to Florida today.”

She choked, literally choked while coughing as she tried to swallow the rest of the water. “What?! Why the rush, Aiden?”

I pressed my lips together to keep me from laughing.

“Mom—”

“No, no, don’t ‘Mom’ me.” She leaned forward, dropping the empty glass on the table a little too loudly. “You’re acting like LA is some kind of cursed wasteland. Come on, this city used to be your home, it used to be where your family was, where your entire life was, so what’s happening now?”

I chuckled lightly. “Mom, it’s not just about the place, and it’s not like I’m being chased out of LA or anything. It’s just… my life isn’t here anymore, it’s in Florida. So since everything is finally sorted out now, I don’t see a reason why I should stay back anymore. You of all person should understand that in as much as I have good memories of this place, I equally have bad ones too and I don’t want to be around anything or anyone that makes me remember that.”

Victoria narrowed her eyes. “Oh really Aiden? So you don’t have any reason to stay back in LA? So what about me huh? Am I not a reason? Or am I not good enough reason for you to come back here anytime?”

“Oh, come on mom—”

“No, answer me.” Her voice was steady but soft, almost like she was being hurt. “I thought you went to Florida for a vacation, but it’s been months. And whenever I asked when you were coming back home, you always found an excuse to give to me. It felt almost as if you don’t want me involved in your life.”

That stung really hard.

“Mom, that’s not fair,” I said gently. “How can you say something like that, you know that’s not true. Of course you’re a good reason for me to visit here anytime, anyday but to live here? No. I don’t want that anymore. As a matter of fact, I plan on relocating permanently to Florida. I just need to put a few things in place first.”

Her lips trembled slightly.

“And about not telling you why I’ve been there for so long, I just didn’t see the need too” I continued, “It wasn’t necessary. It’s time to finally let go of me mom, you can’t hold onto me forever. I’ve found the path that I actually want to walk on for the rest of my life and that actually makes me happy. I’m finally choosing myself over everything else and you should too. Go and have fun, go on dates with Richard, travel as much as you want, do whatever makes you happy. You deserve that that. 

“So don’t think that I’m going away from you because I’m not, rather you should just see it as a long holiday and you just won’t get to see me every single time, but you can always visit me whenever you miss me so much” 

I concluded, and watched as she folded her arms and rolled her eyes, while pouting dramatically. “Yeah, yeah, yeah…”

I burst into a laugh. “Mom, come on.”

“Well,” she said, rolling her eyes, “I’m not disputing the fact that you’re grown enough to decide on what you want to do with your life, i’m just worried that you won’t be able to take care of yourself the way I would take care of you if you are close to me. Darling, you know you’re all I have and I don’t mean to sound dramatic but I just can’t help it.”

I smiled and stood up, walking around the couch to sit beside her. “Goodness, Victoria. I’ve never known you to be such a softie. What’s happening?” I teased as I placed her head on my shoulder, tapping it gently.

“Of course I understand, but maybe I don’t have to be all you’ve got after all. Maybe it’s time you opened up your heart to someone else too. You may not believe it, but you also deserve happiness, mom.”

She looked up at me with small, watery eyes. “But I don’t want you to go Aiden. I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But I also have someone who’s missing me too. Someone I am equally missing so badly that I can’t wait any longer to see, someone who makes me so happy, someone whom I love with all my heart and every fiber in my being.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “Hmm. Well that’s fine. I don’t want to pry by asking who that is, but even though you must go, must you leave today? Can’t you leave tomorrow morning? Or at least stay the night and help me pick out the dress for my dinner with Richard? It could be just like old times?”

I snorted so loud I surprised myself. “Mom, you don’t need me to pick out your dinner dress okay. And now you’re just overthinking it and I know what you’re doing, you’re intentionally stalling and I’ll have you know that I’ve booked my flight already, so I just need to quickly head down to the store and pick up something before heading to the airport.”

She gasped. “Aiden…”

“But,” I added quickly, “If it’s any consolation, I knew you would agree to dinner with Richard, so I picked up the dress earlier today now you don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

“You what?” She jumped up, hurried into her room, and came back with a garment bag. When she unzipped it, she gasped again. “No way. You didn’t! Aiden when did you get this? I mean, I’ve been with you literally all day!”

“That’s not important mom,” I said, grinning. “Do you love it?”

She nodded, still shocked. “It’s really beautiful.”

“That’s all that matters. Just have fun at your dinner later tonight and don’t forget to tell me all about it later on. I have to get going now.” I said and got up to hug her.

She laughed, shaking her head as she pulled me into a tight hug. “Thank you, sweetheart. This means a lot to me, and it’s not just about the dress, but seeing us just like this once again warms my heart, and it makes me regret how things changed between us, but it doesn’t matter that’s all in the past now. I love you Aiden.”

“I love you too mom.” I responded still hugging her.

When I pulled back, I grabbed my suitcase, as she offered to drive me to the airport, but I declined. “No need mom. I’ll just get a cab. You should just relax ahead of your date tonight.” She laughed and we said our goodbyes. I headed out, with my suitcase in hand, and got a cab to the store. Ken would have my head if I didn’t come back to Florida with the Chanel purse, I told him I already got for him. But he wasn’t the only reason why I stopped by. I’d also ordered a custom-made necklace for Jamie.

“Hi, good day. Pickup for Aiden Vale,” I said to the sales assistant.

She bowed slightly, retrieved the purse for Ken, then went to fetch Jamie’s gift, the 18k custom gold necklace. This wasn’t meant to replace the one he had returned earlier on. It was for a totally different purpose. It was to signify a new beginning, something more meaningful, something more personal, something that reflects us and it has our initials engraved on it. 

I watched as she packaged it gently, decorated it beautifully, then asked, “Would you like to add a handwritten note in it?”

I nodded, took the fancy card, and wrote something short, sweet, and intimate, something only Jamie would understand. She sealed it inside, wrapped everything, and handed it back to me with a smile. I paid and left, with my heart practically galloping inside of me.

The ride to the airport was quick, checking in was quick, boarding was even quicker. My mind was too full of Jamie to notice anything else, and the four-hour flight breezed past me like nothing.

Once I landed, I went straight to the hotel, showered, changed into something sharp, something that would look good in his doorway, something befitting the occasion.

I shouldn’t have been nervous. But I was.

The taxi ride to his cabin was the longest thirty minutes of my life. When I got to his door, I took a breath, steadied myself, and dialed his number.

He picked on the first ring.

“Hey, poodle,” I said softly, excitement bubbling under my voice. “Where are you?”