“Call me as soon as you land.” Delilah loosens her arms around me and I’m able to breathe again. “I’m going to miss you, but I’m so proud of you for doing this.”
“I’m going to miss you too.” I swipe away the stupid never-ending tears with the back of my hand. “Are you sure you don’t mind handling the moving company?”
In my rush to hurry and buy my ticket, I booked a flight before I hired a moving company. They weren’t available until a week after I left. Thankfully for me though, I have an amazing friend who stepped up right away.
“Are you kidding me?” She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You know how much I love your pool, and now that the world knows I chose Anthony, this is going to be our honeymoon pad until the attention dies down around my house.”
“Turning my apartment into a sex dungeon? Good for you!” I wiggle my eyebrows. “But seriously, if you need anything, just call.”
All of the nerves that were nowhere to be found when I took the plunge and booked my ticket have been slowly returning in the days since. Ella and Delilah have been calling me daily to remind me I’m doing the right thing, while my mom has called me every day to try to talk me out of it.
I stopped taking Mom’s calls.
“All set.” The Uber driver slams the trunk on my suitcases that are packed to the brim with brand-new dresses, jeans, the cutest rain jacket and boots ever, and not an Ann Taylor item to be found.
The dormant butterflies in my stomach go wild and Delilah pulls me in for one final hug.
“You got this,” she whispers in my ear. “It’s going to be the most amazing experience ever and I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
I return her embrace with more force than necessary, not letting go until the Uber driver rolls down his window and clears his throat. “I don’t mean to interrupt this touching moment, but traffic isn’t great and I wouldn’t want you to miss your flight.”
“The sarcasm is noted, sir. She’s coming,” Delilah says over my shoulder. “Okay.” She grabs me by the shoulders and looks me straight in the eye. “You are about to go on the adventure of a lifetime, so please don’t miss out on a single second of it, okay?”
My throat turns thick with unshed tears and I can only nod in response.
“Now go.” She spins me around and shoves me into the car. “And don’t forget about me.”
Like that could ever be possible.
Owen, my driver, was not wrong about the traffic. With every passing moment sitting on the stagnant Miami highway, the knots in my stomach grow. By the time we arrive at the airport, I have him blasting the air-conditioning, trying to counteract the nervous sweating I can’t stop.
“Thank you so much.” I take my second suitcase from him after he drops it on the sidewalk.
“My pleasure.” He looks like he’s holding back laughter. “And have fun on your trip.”
Owen was not only a superb driver who never forgot to signal or say thank you when he was allowed to merge, he also talked to me the entire ride once I started to freak out and gently told me he wasn’t going to turn around when I demanded it in the middle of the freeway.
He’s definitely getting a massive tip.
My sweaty palms struggle to grip the metal handle before I finally gather my composure and head into Miami International Airport.
The line to check in is blissfully short and doesn’t give me the opportunity to run back to Owen and beg him to bring me back to Delilah.
A woman behind the counter waves me down to her station and asks for my name.
“Maya Johnson.” I hand her my ID before I load my suitcases onto the scale.
“Perfect.” She pulls her red-painted lips into a bright smile I’m sure she gives to every traveler who passes through her line. But for me, it feels like a good omen, like she too can tell that I’ve made the right decision.
She tags my suitcases and throws them onto the conveyer belt behind her before handing me my boarding pass. “Have a wonderful trip.”
I’m not sure if she can see my hand shaking as I reach for the ticket, but she doesn’t say anything if she does. I take the ticket from her with a grateful smile, words evading me as the weight of the journey ahead of me weighs down on me full force.
But as soon as I look at the ticket and my destination looms large at the top, excitement and a sense of peace I’ve never felt before come over me.
I don’t know what the next year is going to bring, but I know that no matter what, I will never regret this.
For once, I’m following my heart and I’m excited to find out who I really am instead of who I thought I wanted to be.