Page 6 of Summer Haze & Tokyo Craze

I wish I could split in half and be everywhere at once. But I can’t.

And then Zoey couldn’t get far enough away from home and picked a college on the other side of the country. It makes me feel like an asshole for even thinking it, but for the first time in sixteen goddamn years, I feel like I can breathe. Like the weight of expectations on my shoulder has gotten a little less.

I don’t need my brothers to pile on a load of guilt in its stead. Dread settles in my stomach when I realize that my phone is still buzzing incessantly.

Tanner: Hello, earth to Adam?

I quickly scroll up the group chat. Of course, just like always, all of them ignored my suggestion and continued on the conversation.

And I know we will have the exact same exchange, not even a month from now, but at this point, I’m growing tired of having to justify myself over and over again.

Reed: When are you flying back again?

It’s the last message directed to me and the one I’m assuming Tanner wants a reaction to. I quickly check the calendar in my phone and type out my answer.

Adam: Conference is two weeks. Might come back earlier if it’s too boring.

I hate conferences. If it wasn’t such a good network opportunity as well, I would have skipped it or sent one of my consultants instead. That’s what sucks about being companyowner – it’s expected that you make time for networking. No matter how mind-numbing and irrelevant to the company a conference will turn out to be.

At least they’re not going to be taking up the whole day. Most of the attendees are high-ranking employees in their respective companies and none of our jobs pause just because we're at a conference.

I’ve gotten lucky and my secretary Barbara managed to call off or reschedule all important meetings while I’m in Tokyo. I would have attended them virtually, but the time difference would have meant they’d be in the middle of the night for me or at inconvenient times for Philadelphia. Thirteen hours’ time difference is not easy to navigate.

Now, speaking of work.

I stand up to get out my laptop. I still have a few emails to answer and documents to look over – easy enough tasks that I saved up for this ungodly long flight.

Jackson: I'll free up the family jet for you. God beware you’ll have to travel Economy again ;-)

Adam: Please and thank you.

Then I lift my phone and take a selfie in the cramped premium economy seat.

Reed: I feel so sorry for you.

Reed: :D

All I send back is a middle finger emoji. They might be laughing but I know fully well none of them would be happy about changing places with me.

I wake up due to a small ray of light coming from my left. Lily turned on her lamp in this otherwise completely dark plane and quickly turns it to her lap with panicked movements before looking up and lifting her hand in an apologetic gesture when she meets my eyes.

Looking back down, she rummages in her handbag and fishes out a journal and a pen, gently pulling down the tray on the seat in front of her and opening up the journal.

I turn my head the other way and close my eyes in an attempt to fall asleep again.

But it doesn't work.

Despite my noise cancelling headphones, I swear I can hear the pen fly over her paper, and before I know it, my head is turned into her direction again.

She looks so serious. The tray is put up again and she’s sitting sideways now, propping her thigh on the empty seat beside her, leaning her back against the plane window as she writes into the journal in her lap.

She reminds me a bit of Zoey when she sits on her windowsill to read one of her books.

Lily, though, she seems focused instead of entertained, biting the end of her pen with closed eyes, lips closing around it, before she opens her eyes again to hurriedly jot something down.

Suddenly, I can't take my eyes off her.

Her hair keeps falling into her face, and just as often, she brushes it behind her ear while she continues writing.

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