Goodbye

I set my bag on the belt. I watched it slowly slide into a black curtain along with all the other luggage. I sighed quietly and swallowed loudly. I turned back to stand with my parents who had come to see me off.

My Mother was wearing a chunky cardigan I had bought her from what seemed like, an infinite amount of Christmas' ago. She wrung her wrists nervously in her hands and shot me a nervous smile. I knew there was happiness somewhere behind her grin, but her anxiety only amplified mine. I leaned into her shoulder, and smiled up at my Father who was standing faithfully behind her, gripping her shoulder lovingly.

My Father was a big, bulky man with an even bigger heart. His face was composed, but his lower lip was pursed tightly. He gave me single nod and gripped my shoulder too. I cuddled under his arm and glanced at my watch.

Without saying a word, we all knew it was time to go.

My family walked to me security and they soon realized this was the furthest they could take me. I glanced down at my one way ticket and huffed to myself.

"Well.."

No sooner than I had said this, my father engulfed my in a great big hug. I felt his cheek rest against the crown of my head, and soon after tears falling onto my hair. I couldn't help but cry myself. We embraced for what seemed like forever, and as we parted we both chuckled at the tennis ball sized tear stain on his shirt.

I turned to my Mother and we shared the same type of hug. I rested my chin on her shoulder and squeezed her just as hard as she was squeezing me. As we seperated, she slipped something small and warm into my hand. I opened it and was surprised to see the promise ring my father had given to her when they were younger.

I looked at her quizically, and she gently stroked my hair. She shook her head lovingly.

"Your father gave this to me when we were a little younger than your age. He promised me he would love me forever and well," she looked up at him. "So far, this little ring is just about as real of a promise as you can get."

She refocused on me, and took my fist in her two hands.

"I promise I'll love you forever, and keep you in my heart always. I promise you'll always be my little girl, so long as you promise me the same."

Swollen tears fell heavily down my Mothers face.

"Okay, sweetie? Promise me the same.. Promise me you'll always be my little girl."

With that, we embraced tightly and I began to sob silently. Not because I was afraid of leaving my family. I was leaving to be with a man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I also wasn't crying out of fear. In all honesty, I couldn't quite understand the love I was feeling for my parents, and that was the only way I knew how to express it.

I silently promised her. We all embraced one last final time, and I walked through security. I walked physically away from my family, and the life I had known before, but emotionally, we all had never been closer.

Kaitlyn Harmon

Goodbye

© 2011, Kaitlyn Harmon

kaitlynharmon@live.com

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