Page 101 of Shifting Gears

“Thank you, Syd. For everything,” I said as I felt her hug me tightly back.

We stood there for a moment. Neither talking, just existing. We’d been there to help each other get through some shitty times.

I’d never forget her and the friendship she had given me all these months.

Sydney pushed away and stroked my chest, looking up at me.

“Your heart never belonged here, AJ,” Sydney said, a sad smile on her face. “Go home. Be with the girl who makes you happy. Because you deserve it.”

She took a few steps backward, then turned and faced the koi pond, tilting her face to the sky.

I waited for a minute before I took a few steps toward the exit of the garden when her voice called out to me.

“Oh, and, AJ?” she said, her voice soft.

“Yeah?” I said as I glanced over my shoulder at her.

I saw tears sliding down her cheeks.

“Whenyou get her back? Never let her go again,” she said, her voice cracking on the last word.

I wanted to pull her in one last time, but that would probably only hurt her more. It wouldn’t be fair to comfort her when I wasn’t going to change my mind about going.

“Take care of yourself, Syd. I’ll see you,” I said as I resumed walking.

“Wait!” she cried out, and I turned as I heard her footsteps come up behind me.

She’d wiped the tears from her face before she made her way over. She stopped next to me and stood on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on my cheek.

“For luck,” she said with a wide smile on her face.

She turned away once more before I could see her cry again, shoulders squared, standing strong like the fighter she’d always been.

That was how I wanted to remember her.

I got back in my car. Hopefully, Ken would still be there when I got back to the shop. He was usually there late on weekends, catching up on things from the week that had backed up at work.

I drove up to the warehouse, and the mechanic bay was still open. I knew Takumi had gone home by now, so it had to be Ken. The bay lights buzzed overhead as I walked in, casting bright shadows on the floor, a stark contrast to the colors of the setting sun behind me. I glanced around and saw Ken wiping down the Nissan he worked on this morning.

“It’s all ready to go. Same with the 2006 Infiniti G35 over there,” he said as I approached.

“Sounds good. But I need to talk to you about something,” I said as I came to a stop and leaned back against the driver’s door.

“All right, what about?” Ken asked as he did a final spray on the windshield, making it spotless.

“I have to leave. Tonight. And I need your help to do it,” I said.

There was no point in beating around the bush. Ken and I always kept it straight with each other.

“Leave? Shit, you didn’t get into trouble with debt collectors, did you?” he said, laughing at his dig at how fast I spent my money when I made it. But when I didn’t crack back at him, he straightened up, the humor slipping from his face.

“No. I’m going back to LA. But I don’t have time to wait for Takumi to pay us again. I need to get back tomorrow. Problem is, I’m strapped for cash, and I can’t get a plane ticket. So, I need your help to get on a flight,” I said, my eyes going from Ken over to the car in front of me.

His gaze followed mine.

“You are one crazy American.” He laughed as what I was suggesting set in.

“What’s in it for me?” he asked after his laughter died down.

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