Page 68 of Counting the Stars

“Oh God.” Gabby looks up at the ceiling while simultaneously rolling her eyes.

“Yes, you said that last night. Several times I might add and—” My phone buzzes. “Shit! Our driver says if we’re not down in five minutes, he’s leaving.”

“Ack!” Gabby starts throwing everything in her suitcase while I finish dressing. Thankfully, we packed fairly light since our stay was so short…too short. We need to do this again.

We make it down to the lobby with not a minute left to spare. I apologize to the ticked-off-looking driver, or maybe that’s just his face, and promise to tip extra for his patience. After catching our breaths from the panic of almost missing our ride, we settle into the back seat of the Mazda CX-30 that will take us to LaGuardia.

“Part of me doesn’t want this to end, but I’m also looking forward to going home,” Gabby says while watching the city scenery pass by.

“Same,” I agree. “This is a cool place to visit, but I don’t think I could live out here. It’s too busy for me.”

“I’m used to urban life, but even this is too much for me. I didn’t realize how quiet and peaceful Starboard Beach is until we came out here.” She pauses to reflect for a moment. “It gives me greater appreciation for our little beach town.”

“So you’re okay with living in a smaller place?” I furrow my brow. “I’ve always worried that you would get bored with it or move back to Arizona, especially because it’s warmer.”

“I do miss the warmer weather, but I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Home is where my people are. It just so happens that those people live in colder temperatures.”

“It’s not always cold,” I remind her. “Our summers can be pretty perfect.”

“This is true.” She nods, then her eyes light up. “Did I tell you I invited Lucia to come out this summer?”

“You didn’t. But I think that’s great. Is she taking you up on the offer?”

“She said she’s always wanted to visit the Pacific Northwest and now she has a reason to. We’re also going to try for monthly FaceTime chats. Originally, it was weekly, but with my schedule changing so much, once a month is more realistic. Oh! And we’re going to start our own little book club, you know, like choose the same book to read each month and talk about it. We have a lot of similar interests.”

“I’m so happy you two hit it off.” I reach over and thread Gabby’s hand through mine. “And that you were able to get some pictures too.”

“It’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever received. I can’t wait to get back and frame some of them. That way I’ll always have my family with me.”

“They’re still with you, baby girl. Even if you can’t physically see them, I have no doubt they’re still around watching overyou.” And I wholeheartedly believe their love has helped guide her through her life. Others in her situation might’ve given up by now, but Gabby kept pushing through. She made a life for herself. She still cares. She still loves.

I reach over, place a kiss on her temple, and feel a vibration in her coat. She pulls her phone out of her pocket.

“It’s Aly.” A wide grin spreads across her face. “While you were in the bathroom at the pizza place, I sent the girls a few pictures Lucia sent me.”

“I’m sure they got a kick out of that.”

“Mm-hmm. Aly loved my baby pictures. She said she needs one from you so she can put both our pictures through an app that will predict what our future children will look like.”

“She’s really excited we got together, huh?”

“Oh please, she told me she wants us to have babies so they can grow up together.”

“Did you tell her we already started practicing?”

“I did not.” Gabby’s face flushes.

“That’s okay.” I put my arms around her shoulders. “I’m sure once you get back, you’ll tell the girls all about how I kept you up all night meeting—no exceeding, all your expectations.”

“That’s exactly what I’ll tell them.” She leans into me, and before I know it, she’s sound asleep.

Unfortunately, I have to wake up the love of my life about fifteen minutes later because we arrive at the airport. The short nap gives her just enough energy to get through security and to our gate. I’m pretty sure she falls asleep before our plane takes off. I must’ve fallen asleep as well because the next thing I remember is the flight attendant waking us up to deboard.

It’s good to be home.

36

Alex

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