Rightfully Hers

XX

JADA WARREN

Goodbyes are hard.

There was nothing else to say except: goodbyes are hard. Utterly and irrevocably terrible.

My flight was for 11:45pm, it was the cheapest and earliest flight I could get. I'd get to Toronto before 10am, which was good considering Isabelle has threatened to have my head if I didn't call her safely from the Institute at exactly noon. She sent me an adorable glare as she said it, and I'd only kissed her temple in response, and she seemed happy enough, all things considered.

It was about eight, and we all sat around the dining room table, four boxes of pizza opened on the table. I'd barely been able to touch my slice, so I focused my attention on Dante, who was already on his fifth. Noticing my curious stare, he shrugged. "It's not like you're not coming back," he gargled through chewed food, "and this is a good waste of pizza."

Arabelle looked at her uncle in disgust, her small nose crinkled and her lips fitted downwards. "Uncle Dan, do they teach manners in Italy? Because that was dreadful."

"They do indeed, Ari, and it looks like they teach sass here in America," Dante said back with a playful smirk. We all looked at the little girl, anticipating a remark, and she gladly gave us one.

With a small shrug of her own, she replied, "No, that's just me."

I found it hard to focus on the conversation for the rest of dinner. I couldn't wrap my mind around the thought that after merely a month of being here, I was leaving. I couldn't believe I was going back to Toronto, back to my small apartment, back to my parents and my brother. I unknowingly made Kauai my home, and I knew Toronto and the institute would bury me in loneliness when I finally arrived tomorrow morning. I found myself dreading going back.

"Jada, can you follow me please?" Isabelle abruptly stood, the legs of the chair she sat on scratching against the hardwood. She didn't wait for me to respond before she rushed out of the room and in the direction of her bedroom. I sent the table a worried glance before getting up and following behind her. My heart was racing in my chest, and I rested a hand over my chest in a weak attempt to calm myself, but to no avail.

She was turned away from me when I slipped into her room and she made no indication that she would turn around to face me, even after I quietly closed the door behind me. I waited a minute for her to look at me, but when she didn't, I hesitantly stepped forward and rested a hand lightly on the small of her back.

A sob slipped between her lips at that exact second, and I didn't think before grabbing the material of the shirt and pulling her towards me, twisting her to face me simultaneously. She threw her arms around my neck and sobbed, loudly and uncaring. She couldn't hide her hurt, and I didn't want her to. I roped my arms around her waist and pulled her flush against me, not being able to take the distance between us.

"Isn't there another way?" She cried, squeezing even tighter. "Isn't there a way we can take care of Jared Manning and keep you here? I can't let you go, Jada, I can't. I can't do it. Please don't make me let you walk away. I don't think I'll be able to take it. How will I fight not knowing if you're safe or not? How will I fight without you beside me? You're my Luna, I need you. I need you here. Please stay. God, please fucking stay..."

"I'll be back." I cussed myself mentally when my voice cracked slightly, and I knew Isabelle heard it, because her sobs became more violent, wracking her entire body. "Isabelle, I promise you I'll come back. I'll be right back. Julian knows what he's doing, and Micah will be here. I'll be helping the mission from Toronto, and the second I hear it's done, I'll be on the next plane back. It's not forever, please don't make it feel like forever."