Almost - m.c

Chapter 35

But I need you to know how I feel.

Michael's P.O.V

It was Kelsey's final night in Australia & I had no idea how to process this.

We had seen each other a couple of times since her going away party but I was always in denial that her days were dwindling down & now we were at her final night in Australia.

But I had to accept it tonight.

I had no choice.

This was her final night.

Kelsey had a final roomie dinner with Decca & then she invited me over to come help her finish packing. I was actually going to the airport with her tomorrow because Becca claimed she wasn't strong enough to handle the final send off so I volunteered to do it instead so Kelsey wouldn't have to take a cab to the airport or anything like that.

"Hey Kels, Becca let me in." I was in the doorway to Kelsey's room as she was folding clothes into a suitcase.

"Oh, hey. Thanks for coming by."

"Of course. Do you really think I'd miss this final night?"

"I'm glad you came over though." She told me. "I really am."

"Anytime." I walked over to sit next to her as she continued folding.

"This is so weird."

"What is?"

"Well usually when I pack a suitcase to go back to Alaska, it's for a week but this time, it's permanent. I'm so used to going back to the states knowing that I would be back in Australia within a given time but this time, I'm not coming back & it feels weird."

"I mean you will eventually come back, right?"

"Well yea. But it might be in a few years. Flights are expensive & if this bakery thing happens, I won't be able to take a lot of time off. Of course I will try to come back whenever I can but it's not an easy trip."

"I get that. I'll come to Alaska then."

"There isn't much to see in Alaska."

"But you'd be there so that's something to see."

"True. Then you can look for a penguin & believe me when I say that they don't live up there."

"We can go to a zoo then or something."

"Alright, deal." Kelsey smiled at me as she zipped up this suitcase. "I just have one final bag to pack."

"Okay." I told her. "But I can't believe we're here right now."

"What do you mean, Mikey?"

"Well like look at our friendship." I began. "We met at a bar, both fairly heartbroken. Then we know each other for a week & you invite me on this crazy romantic honeymoon trip that sort of set everything off for us."

"That holiday was amazing."

"Kels, we literally lived in paradise, even if it took us two days of travel to get there."

"Oh, the travel was horrible!" She cringed. "God that was bad. But oh, that shower."

"Still the best shower in the world. Hey, remember when we got that call for dinner reservations & they called us Mr. & Mrs. Clifford?"

"Yes. & all of the fabulous wine we had."

"What about that last night there?" I laughed at her. "You threw up on those flowers, remember?"