All Along | ✓

Chapter Nine

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"I was prepared, but it still hurt."

- Unknown

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Luna's POV

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Four Months Later

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"Luna, honey, can you go make sure the front door is unlocked for when they get here?" Mom calls from the kitchen, drawing my gaze from my phone.

I jump up from my seat, leaving my phone on the couch and heading towards the front door. "Sure, Mom!" I stop at the door and click the lock from its place, a giddy feeling building inside me.

It's Christmas Eve and it's been four months since I last saw Oli. He left for college at the end of summer and hasn't been able to come home since. Until now. It's winter break and he's finally coming home for Christmas. I'm so excited to see him. I've missed him so much. For the first time since I met him, I didn't get to spend his birthday with him. He turned eighteen during his first semester at college and wasn't able to come home and visit.

I've survived on video calls, phone calls and text messages the last four months. At first it was a video call or phone call every day, but he's gotten busy with more strict basketball training and also keeping up his studies, so sometimes he only has time to text me. And although that sucks, I know he can't spend hours talking to me every day, as much as I would like that. He has a new life in college now, and sometimes he just doesn't have the time to call me.

I head into the kitchen and find Mom and Dad preparing dinner. Claire and Zoey have gone to pick Oli up from the airport and are coming straight to ours for dinner. Tomorrow we'll spend the evening with them too.

We're going to have lunch with Dad's side of the family, then visit my grandpa in the afternoon. Mom's parents split up when she was a kid, so we don't see grandma that often. She lives in New York with her partner. Grandpa has a girlfriend, but it's not really serious, so she doesn't spend holidays with us. After visiting grandpa, we'll go to Oli's house to spend Christmas evening with them. After a big lunch, we'll probably just have leftovers or something for dinner and watch Christmas movies.

"What are we having for dinner?" I ask my parents, hopping up onto a bar stool at the counter.

"Steak and salad. Didn't want anything too heavy before tomorrow's lunch." Mom says, offering a couple slices of cucumber to me which I happily take and starting eating.

"Cool. Do you know what time they'll be here?" I ask

Dad turns to me and raises his brows. "That's the third time you've asked that in the last hour, Luna. The answer hasn't changed."

I groan, getting impatient. "I know what time his flight is, but that doesn't help me! Have they messaged you or anything to let you know they're on their way?"

"No, but they'll be here soon. Oli's flight was meant to land just over an hour ago, and as far as we know, it wasn't delayed. They'll be here any minute, babe." Mom tells me calmly.

"I just want to see him already!" I huff, finishing off the cucumber in my hands.

"I know you've missed him, but they can't control how long it takes to get here."

"I know..." I sigh, resting my elbow on the bench and putting my head in my hand, "But I only get to spend a few days with him. I want to spend as much of that time as I can with him."