One day I'll have it all. // Williamson

Back at Heathrow

I was back at Heathrow.

Again.

Somehow, this place felt familiar and foreign at the same time, a constant reminder of the transient nature of my existence. The bustling crowds, the cacophony of languages, the endless rows of departure gates stretching out before me like a maze.

It was like I had been here a thousand times before, each visit blending seamlessly into the next until they all blurred together in a haze of memories and emotions.

Weirdly enough, I had somehow managed to sit exactly on the same seat I had been sitting on the last time I was there.

I glanced around the bustling terminal, my eyes drawn to the sea of faces passing by. I was becoming better and better at tuning out the sounds around me. Probably because I was so used to doing it on game day.

I took a second to take in the sounds surrounding me.

An announcement was made; "Flight BA172 to Madrid is now boarding at Gate 26. Passengers are kindly requested to proceed to the gate for boarding."

Yeah. How fucking ironic, I thought, rolling my eyes.

With a bitter twist of irony, I couldn't help but scoff at the announcement, my lips curling into a wry smile as I glanced towards Gate 26. Madrid.

The simple idea of setting foot in this place had been scaring the shit out of me for weeks.

I looked down at my phone. I had no new notifications.

For a brief moment, I wondered what Leah was doing right now.

I wondered if she was thinking about me. If she was worried about me. If she regretted our fight. I wondered if she was okay, if she had eaten anything, if she had managed to get some sleep. I wondered if she missed me as much as I missed her.

But above all else, I wondered if she still loved me.

Because I did. God, did I love her.

I thought back to when I had left our house to go to Katie's. I remembered throwing up, the exact second I had closed the door.

Sure, we had talked. And sure, we felt somehow a tiny bit better than we did a few days ago. It was still agonizingly painful to be apart from her, to feel her absence like a gaping hole in my chest.

We had...Well, she. She had decided it was better I stayed at Katie's for a few more days. Even after the news. I didn't even have the strength to argue with her.

I sighed and looked up from my phone to the arrivals screen above me.

Barcelona. Tokyo. Los Angeles. Paris. Taiwan. New York. Buenos Aires. Sydney. Madrid.

One thing I knew, I was so glad I was staying in London.

"Valentina!" I looked up at the sound of my name, my heart skipping a beat as I saw a familiar figure making her way towards me through the crowd.

Charlotte, with a huge, stupid smile on her face, ran towards me with her suitcase trailing behind, almost knocking people over but having absolutely no care in the world.

I couldn't help but grin at the sight of Charlotte barreling towards me, her infectious energy lighting up the bustling terminal like a beacon of joy. Despite the heaviness in my heart, her presence never failed to lift my spirits, even if only for a moment.

"Charlotte!" I called out, my voice filled with genuine delight as I rose from my seat to greet my best friend.

As she reached me, she enveloped me in a tight hug, her arms squeezing me with all the force of a hurricane as she spun me around in a whirlwind of laughter and excitement. "Valentina, oh my god, it's been too long!" she exclaimed, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm as she finally released me from her embrace.