Beautifully Broken

“Kat?”

“Hmm?” I mumble.

He strokes my hair. “Thank you for saying you’d stay.”

I smile. “Thank you for bringing me here. Today’s been perfect, Gavin. It’s exactly what I needed.”

“Good night, Kat. I love you.”

I love you too, I think as I drift off to sleep.

SPRING IS ROLLING IN. So are the college acceptance letters. So far I have five, all offering really great financial assistance. I still haven’t heard back from my top choice—U.C. Berkeley. Gavin doesn’t even know I applied yet. I didn’t want to get his hopes up in case I don’t get in. But if I make the cut, Gavin and I wouldn’t have to be apart. He could move back home and we could be together every day. I never thought I’d be that girl who’d let a guy influence her school of choice, but here I am all the same. It’s not like it’d be a compromise, though; it’s a great school that offers many different programs. It’s a win-win in my opinion.

We’ve just boarded the plane to San Francisco and I am nervous for my first flight. It’s a short one—under two hours—but Gavin’s had to assure me many, many times it will be uneventful. I’m not so afraid of the flying per se; it’s more the crashing and burning part that I’d like to avoid.

“Flight attendants, please prepare for departure.”

I white-knuckle the armrest as the captain’s voice comes through the intercom. We’ve taxied to the runway and our speed is picking up quickly.

Gavin grabs my hand and laces his fingers through mine. “Relax, Kat. This part’s fun.”

We’re going faster and faster as we bump down the airstrip. I’m pushed back into my chair as the nose of the plane tips up and we lift off the ground. We’re swaying recklessly from side to side as we climb into the sky.

“Is this supposed to happen? Why is it so choppy?”

Gavin chuckles. “Kat, relax. It’s totally normal. The ride will smooth out as soon as we get to our cruising altitude.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. “And when’s that going to happen?”

I feel his hand on my cheek. “Hey, open your eyes.”

I find Gavin’s face inches away from mine. “Do you think I’d let anything bad happen to you?”

“You can’t control the pilot,” I argue. “And what if something malfunctions? It happens all the time.”

He smirks. “First of all, it doesn’t happen all the time. They check everything before takeoff. And two, statistically, flying is safer than driving. You’re not afraid to drive, are you?”

“No, of course not.”

“Well, then trust me. We’ll be fine.” He pushes the armrest back and pulls me into his side. “Listen to your music if you need to. We’ll be there before you know it.”

“Promise?”

He kisses the top of my head. “Promise.”

It turns out I was being a drama queen for nothing. We landed safe and sound at SFO and now we’re walking around Fisherman’s Wharf hand-in-hand.

Gavin inhales deeply. “God, I love the smell of this place.”

I wrinkle my nose. “It smells fishy.”

“Well, yeah, but it’s more than that. The salty breeze coming into the pier…fresh clam chowder in sourdough bowls…hell, even the sea lions add to the appeal.”

“So you like stinky things?” I joke.

He shrugs. “It’s nostalgic, I guess. I’ve had a lot of good memories here.”

“With Hailey?” I ask hesitantly.