My Angel

CHAPTER 14

BECKY

I pushed the off button the moment my alarm started ringing. I intended for the alarm to wake me up and keep me from being late because I was having so much trouble sleeping last night. It's a good thing that I did manage to get some sleep, but I didn't expect myself to be able to wake up earlier than my alarm. Isn't it supposed to be that when I get to sleep late, I will also wake up late? Whatever it may be, I just let it go and proceed to get myself ready for the day.

After all, today is a special day. It's the day that I've been waiting for, the day I've longed to arrive the moment she left. It's finally time for her to come back. Her family went abroad to attend her graduation ceremony, but we weren't able to go except for mom. Richie had started a job at the company, and dad is supervising him while I still had school and couldn't afford so many days out of school. I do think that it's a shame, but what else can I do?

I did prepare a gift for her graduation and for her coming home as well, so I just have to get the timing right to be able to give them to her. I hope she likes them.

Feeling giddy and excited, I briskly and friskily walked around the room to get myself ready. I want to present myself a little bit more ladylike to be able to show my mature side more, and hopefully she sees this in a positive light. I have proactively started changing my style, making it more mature and presentable while trying to keep my tastes and wants intact; after all, I never really wanted to change myself entirely but only to improve myself. I don't want her to think that the me that she has known since childhood is no longer around and has been replaced by a different me that is trying to be mature. That could come across as off-putting.

A sudden knock on the door startled me, bringing me back to reality. "Bec, are you ready?" I heard a man's voice say from the other side of the door; it was Richie. Ready? It's still early; why is he asking if I'm already ready?

Confused, I checked my watch and saw that I had been trying to get myself ready for over an hour already. It is needless to say that I was shocked. What have I been doing this past hour that I haven't finished getting ready yet? Have I been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I ended up wasting a lot of precious time preparing myself? That was pretty foolish of me—not very ladylike.

"I'm almost done, Rich" I replied, shaking my head in disappointment. "Give me five minutes and I'll be downstairs" I added as I started hurrying to prepare and finishing all my necessary preparations. "Alright" he said "hurry downstairs; we're waiting for you" as soon as he said it, I heard him start walking away from my room. I was feeling embarrassed, but what's done is done.

I hastened my movement and made sure that I was out of my room and was already on my way to the living room before I hit the five-minute mark. "She's here" my mom said as soon as she saw me, and I couldn't help but smile sheepishly in return. "Let's go then, or else we'll be late" said my dad this time. Deep inside, I felt happy that he didn't pay much attention to my being late, so I quickly followed him outside to where our car was waiting.

When we reached outside, I was shocked to see a big van parked and ready to leave where our usual SUV would have been, and when the driver opened the door for us, my embarrassment reached a new height when I saw Freen's parents already inside and waiting for us, mostly me, who was late. I could only apologize to them, which they only brushed off with a smile.

As soon as all of us had entered the vehicle, the driver went ahead and started driving the car towards the airport, where I'd finally be able to see her. I could finally see her again in person, and I'll be able to hug her again and spend some time together. Thinking about this brought a smile to my face involuntarily, which I quickly erased the moment I saw my reflection looking so love-sick on the car window. After all, I still need to confess to Freen and have her be my girlfriend before anything else. For now, I'll enjoy her return.

Once we arrived, we found out that the plane she was on had already landed, but the passengers had yet to alight, so we had to wait a little bit more before we could finally be reunited with Freen, but no one minded. This much wait is nothing compared to four years of being apart, and this time, their reunion is only a matter of time, minutes.

Although a little fidgety, I managed to stay still in one spot and wait for Freen alongside my family and hers. "People are coming out" Richie said out of the blue, effectively attracting our attention and making all of us focus on the sudden flow of people coming out with their baggage; some were alone while others were together with friends or family. One by one, the thickness of the crowd awaiting their loved ones slowly diminished, and I grew anxious. Is Freen not on this flight? Are we supposed to wait longer?

Just as my mind has started coming up with such questions and my heart starts to feel a little down, the very image of the person I long to see finally shows up. Everything felt so slow all of a sudden, and all my focus was solely on her. She has always been beautiful, but how could it have been possible for her to glow even more? How could she look so mature and young at the same time?

Freen went ahead and accepted the welcoming hug from each and every one of us, so I forcefully pulled myself together before I could go to a deeper sense of gaze and went forward to give and get myself a hug from her too.

"Welcome Home, Freen" I said to her, welcoming her sincerely as I gave her a hug.

"Thank You, Bec" was her reply as she hugged me back.

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