The airport hummed with its usual mix of chaos and calm,rolling suitcases, flight announcements echoing through the wide halls, and the low murmur of goodbyes. Sophie stood beside Darren as they made their way towards the closest waiting chairs, her hands tucked into the pockets of her denim jacket, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest.
The big departure board flickered above them, the line for Boston Boarding Soon flashing like a quiet reminder that time was slipping faster than she wanted it to. Darren had stayed for a total of 3 weeks even though he was meant to stay for 2 weeks, he extended it because he wanted to spend more time with her.
Darren sat on the armrest of one of the waiting chairs as he laid his travelling bag close to him in the floor. He looked casual, grey hoodie, jeans, that easy half-smile that never quite stayed but there was a tension behind his eyes too, the kind that came from wanting to stay when you couldn't.
Sophie exhaled softly. "Do you really have to go?" she asked, breaking the silence.
He looked at her and smiled faintly, his voice warm but tired. "Yeah. I wish I didn't, but… I've got deadlines piling up and a boss who has allowed me extend my leave twice."
She crossed her arms, trying to sound playful but failing. "So basically, the universe hates girlfriends who like holding onto their boyfriends a little longer?"
He chuckled under his breath. "No. The universe just really loves giving us reasons to miss each other."
Sophie smiled despite herself. "Smooth talker."
"Guilty." He tilted his head slightly, studying her face. "You're pouting again."
"I'm not pouting."
"You are," he said, touching the corner of her lips lightly with his finger. "Right there."
She caught his hand and held it. "Well, can you blame me? You come here, make me laugh, make me fall even harder and then just… poof. Gone."
"I'm not gone," he said gently. "I'm just… delayed happiness. A temporary glitch in your daily schedule."
Sophie laughed softly, shaking her head. "You're such a dork."
"I learned from the best," he said with a grin, and she rolled her eyes before resting her head briefly on his shoulder.
The announcement crackled overhead: "Flight 241 to Boston now boarding. Passengers, please proceed to Gate 6."
Her stomach dropped.
Darren sighed and stood, picking up his bag. "Guess that's me."
Sophie's voice came out smaller than she intended. "You could just… stay, you know."
He smiled sadly. "If I stayed, I'd never go back."
"Isn't that kind of the point?" she whispered.
He reached for her hand again and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Christmas," he said softly. "I'll be back by Christmas. I promise."
Her lips trembled slightly. "You better. Cause I don't know what I'll be doing out here without you"
"Oh, Sophie Heather Wilkins, what could you have possibly done without me?" He teased.
"You didn't have to call my full name" She pouted.
He laughed, the sound easing some of the heaviness between them.
When the gate attendant called again for final boarding, Sophie blinked hard. Her throat tightened.
Darren stepped closer and pulled her into a hug, warm, solid, and strong enough to make time slow. His chin brushed her hair, and his hand traced small circles on her back. Neither of them said anything for a long moment.
Finally, he whispered against her ear, "Take care of yourself, okay? Be a good girl."
Her laugh cracked a little. "Good girl? You sound like you're leaving for war."
"Feels like it," he murmured, pulling back slightly to look at her. "You're trouble, Soph. The best kind. Makes it hard to leave."
"Then don't," she said softly, but he just smiled, that gentle, heartbreaking kind of smile, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I have to" he added.
Then he turned.
And started walking toward the gate.
Sophie stood there, her hands trembling slightly at her sides, her heart twisting in that familiar way goodbyes always did. She watched him hand over his boarding pass, watched the space between them stretch wider, watched his figure blur against the light coming through the windows.
She almost let him go.
Almost.
"Darren!" she blurted before she could stop herself.
He turned instantly, eyes wide, surprised and that was all it took. Sophie broke into a run, her hair flying behind her, the sound of her sneakers slapping the polished floor echoing across the terminal. A few people turned to look, but she didn't care.
When she reached him, she didn't speak. She just threw her arms around his neck and kissed him,fiercely, breathlessly, like she was pouring every unspoken word into that moment. His bag slipped off his shoulder to the floor as he caught her waist, kissing her back just as desperately.
When she finally pulled away, her breath came unevenly. She smiled through the tears that burned at the corner of her eyes.
"Go already," she said, her voice shaking with a mix of laughter and ache. "Before I chain you to myself."
He grinned, brushing a thumb over her cheek. "You really should've done that earlier."
I almost did while you were sleeping last night" she whispered.
That made him laugh but Sophie still looked at him with all seriousness meaning every bit of the words she said.
He started backing away, still facing her. "Don't make that face," he said. "Or I'll come running back."
"Promises, promises," she said softly, smiling through watery eyes.
He took one more step toward the gate, hesitated, then turned back suddenly closing the distance between them again. He kissed her quickly, gently this time, his lips just barely grazing hers. When he pulled back, he whispered against her mouth, "I love you. Don't cry, okay?"
Her breath caught. "Too late," she said quietly, laughing through her tears.
He smiled, one last time, then turned and walked toward the gate. She stood there, watching as his figure disappeared down the ramp,his grey hoodie fading into the line of passengers, swallowed by distance and departure.
For a moment, Sophie stayed frozen wiping her eyes and staring at the empty space where he'd been. Then she exhaled, a shaky, soft sound that turned into a smile.
"Christmas," she murmured to herself. "He'll be back for Christmas."
She turned slowly, brushing at her cheeks, and began walking back through the terminal. The buzz of the airport carried on around her, families reuniting, travelers hurrying, children laughing and somewhere in all that noise, Sophie felt something both heavy and light at once.
Love hurt, having to watch someone you genuinely feel something beautiful for work away just like that and do nothing about it.
The kind of hurt reminded her she was still capable of feeling everything.
And that sometimes, the hardest goodbyes were just temporary pauses in a beautiful story.
....
The soft hum of Sophie's car filled the silence as she drove. Her heart still felt heavy like something warm had been pulled right out of her chest. The image of Darren walking away, replayed in her mind like an old movie reel. The sound of his voice when he said "Don't cry, okay?" still lingered, making her throat tighten all over again.
Her phone buzzed on the passenger seat, snapping her back to the present. Without even glancing at the screen, she knew who it was. The cheerful ringtone she'd set for Amy was unmistakable. Amy had this sixth sense,she always called right when Sophie was spiraling into her own thoughts.
"Hey, lovebird," Amy's voice came through, bright and teasing. "You back on the road?"
Sophie let out a small laugh, trying to sound composed. "Yeah… I just left the airport."
"Oh, Soph," Amy said softly, her voice carrying that gentle warmth that could melt anyone. "I'm sorry. But hey, you'll see him again soon, yeah? Christmas isn't that far away."
"Yeah," Sophie murmured, staring at the passing cars. "He said he'll come back for the holidays. I just...." she sighed, smiling faintly to herself, "I just miss him already. Pathetic, right?"
"Not pathetic," Amy said firmly. "You're in love."
Sophie groaned. "Ugh, you make it sound so dramatic."
"It's not, you're just feeling all the right thing!" Amy said.
"Uh oh," came another voice, Jace's, in the background. "Didn't know Sophie Wilkins had a soft, teary side."
"Oh, shut up, Jace!" Sophie shot back immediately, trying not to smile. "I wasn't crying."
Amy snorted, covering the phone. "You totally were."
"I was not!" Sophie insisted, even though her sniffle earlier had probably given her away.
Jace's teasing voice chimed in again. "Sure, and the water marks on your cheeks right now are just sweat, right?"
Sophie gasped. "Jace!" How did he know that?
Amy was laughing uncontrollably now, and even Sophie couldn't keep the smile off her face. "I swear, you two are the worst," she said through a laugh.
"Oh, come on," Amy said, still chuckling. "We're just saying it's okay, Soph. It's okay to feel what you're feeling. You love him. You are missing him.That's… human."
Jace added in his usual calm tone, "And it's also okay to let him go for a while. Doesn't mean you're losing him. Sometimes space just makes things clearer."
Sophie smiled softly, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "You two are annoyingly wise sometimes, you know that?"
"Annoyingly wise," Amy repeated with a smirk. "I'll take it."
There was a brief pause, the kind that felt very warm. Then Jace said, "Tell you what.....why don't you come over? We'll make you something good. Pasta, maybe? Or that spicy stir-fry Amy nearly burned the kitchen with last time."
"I did not burn it," Amy said defensively. "It was called artistic charring."
"Oh, please," Jace muttered.
Sophie giggled. "You guys are chaos."
Amy gasped in mock offense. "Excuse you, we are organized chaos. Anyway, we'll cook. You just bring yourself. We'll even open up some wine."
"Hmm," Sophie pretended to think. "Tempting. Will there be dessert?"
Amy grinned. "Only if you promise not to ugly-cry into the cake."
"I don't ugly cry!" Sophie exclaimed.
"Oh, she totally does," Amy whispered loudly in the background.
"AMY!!" Sophie yells over the phone.
Amy was laughing so hard at this point she could barely breathe. "Okay, okay, we'll stop. But seriously, come over, Soph. Let's hang out. We'll feed you, annoy you, and make sure you don't wallow in heartbreak."
Sophie sighed, smiling now, a real smile. "You two are such menaces."
"But you love us," Amy said softly.
"Unfortunately, yeah," Sophie replied, warmth threading her voice. "Fine, I'll come over. But only if there's dessert and that mushroom pasta."
"Deal," Amy said. "See you soon, mushy heart."
"Bye, crybaby!" Jace added before Amy swatted him.
The call ended with laughter still echoing through Sophie's car speakers. She lowered the phone and glanced at the sky,a streak of orange and gold now spreading across the horizon.
She turned the radio on, rolled the window halfway down, and smiled to herself as the wind tousled her hair.
Home wasn't just a place anymore, sometimes, it was a pair of friends willing to make pasta, open wine, and remind you that love, even when far away, could still feel close.