Callie and Lexi's Kiss List | ✓

2: Lexi

When I walked out of the arrival gate, gaze automatically scanning the crowds for my mother and sister, my face fell a little when I locked eyes with only one brown-haired woman waiting for me. For some reason I stupidly hoped, now that Callie was more mobile, she'd be here waiting to see me again. 

Though honestly I don't know why I was surprised. Every time we had seen each other over the past few years, we've both struggled to even look at each other.

Trudging over to my mother, she immediately enveloped me in a hug before I could utter any words to her, squeezing me extremely tightly.

"I'd like to breathe," I managed to get through my windpipe, causing mum to finally release her hold.

Moving back, her eyes went over me, assessing me. "It's been too long, Lex," she whispered, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. Then she gasped and leaned in. "More piercings? How did you even get through security?"

With a roll of my eyes, I hoisted my bag strap higher on my shoulder and began nudging my mother towards the baggage reclaim area. Because I knew the piercings were only the start of the comments on my appearance.

Last I saw mum in person was a year ago now, with every interaction since then being through the phone. Back then, I hadn't gone through my full revamp in appearance—last she saw me, I still had long black hair and next to no piercings—so this was the first time she was getting a really good look at the new me.

Getting Callie onto a plane and down to Melbourne was quite the hassle for just our petite mother back when my sister was still using her chair. So usually I'd come up to visit them a couple of times a year, and mum would come down during the summer holidays while aunt Jojo would volunteer to look after Callie.

But the past year, I couldn't bring myself to be apart from my family with everything going on... so I stayed in Melbourne.

"I like the hair too," mum said, running her fingers through it again, rousing another eye roll from me. "Is this a specific style?"

"It's called a wolf's cut, mum," I responded, eyes focussed on the luggage now making its way around the conveyor.

"The purple ends are nice too. And I like the blonde."

This time she roused a laugh from me. "Then why don't you bleach and dye your hair?"

Mum scoffed and took a step back, looking me over like I'd lost my mind. "Because I'm not young and hip anymore, Lex."

Grinning at her, I threw my arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to me. "You're heaps young and cool, mother dearest."

"Yeah, sure," she grumbled back, though her head rested on my shoulder and her arm wound around my waist. "I missed you, Lexi," she whispered.

"I missed you, too, mum."

Some moments of silence passed between us as we waited to spot my suitcase. But mum never knew how to be quiet. "How was the funeral?" she asked, voice hesitant.

"Depressing," I mumbled, knowing the question was bound to come up. Even though it was a week ago now and I had been anticipating it to occur all year, somehow it still didn't feel real.

"Losing a parent is bound to be."

"Mmm," was all I had to say back. Thankfully, before my mind could drift further and recall the year of suffering, my purple suitcase came into sight. Unweaving myself from mum's grip, I stepped closer to the conveyor belt and heaved my suitcase off.

"That's everything?" mum asked, looking over my shoulder like she expected more.

"Yeah," I said, yanking up the suitcase handle and starting to walk towards the airport exit. "We organised for the rest of my things to come up via truck." Because when you have a year to anticipate a parent dying from cancer, there was much time to arrange my inevitable return here. Plenty of opportunities to ensure the transportation of my things was the most cost-effective.