“I’m good, I think. I found some cute boys at the entrance, and they offered to bring the rest of my stuff in.”
As Liesel finishes off her sentence, three guys drag boxes, a trunk, another two suitcases, and a surfboard. I turn to look at Mom for answers, but she shrugs her shoulders in confusion just like me.
“Thanks, guys, I’ll catch you later tonight.”
Liesel closes the door, sitting down on the trunk, letting out a long-winded breath. We wait quietly for her to catch her bearings until she raises her hand to her chest. “I’m sorry, I know I have a lot of stuff.”
“It’s fine, but um… why the surfboard?”
“How much time do you have? Let’s just say that I left a boyfriend behind. He’s from Australia, and well, this,” she points to the surfboard, “… belonged to him.”
“Okay, makes sense.” I nod. “But wouldn’t it have been easier to leave it at home?”
“My parents are moving to Hong Kong. So, it was either dump it or take it. I didn’t have the heart to dump it just yet. What if Flynn is the love of my life? Maybe we’ll get back together, and I’ll regret my decision to discard what was supposed to be a romantic gift? I could mess with the universe.”
That was a lot to take in, and beside me, I could see Mom is trying to keep a straight face.
“Well, listen, girls, I probably should let you both get settled.”
My eyes fall upon my hands with an empty stare, a heavy weight on my chest soon following. This moment was bound to happen. I have to say goodbye at some point.
Liesel excuses herself to her room, leaving Mom and me to say goodbye.
“I… I um…” I stammer, unable to clear my throat. “I’ll miss you, Mom.”
Grabbing both my hands, Mom squeezes them tight, her vision clouded. This is one of those moments you watch in movies but never realize the depth of emotions that play a part in such a goodbye. Leaving my sisters and even my dad has been hard. Closing the door to my bedroom, the same room which holds so many memories, is extremely difficult. Yet, above all, saying goodbye to a woman who brought me into this world and made sacrifice after sacrifice to give me the best life possible is by far the hardest of all goodbyes.
“I’m only a phone call away, okay? It doesn’t matter what time, whenever you need me, I’m there for you.”
I nod my head, finally blinking and letting my tears fall freely. I throw my arms around her, squeezing her tight just like I did when I was a little girl, begging our embrace to numb the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“I’ll be okay, Mom.”
“Of course, you will be,” she assures me with a smile, quick to hide her sniffle. “You have the Edwards’ blood in you. Strong, born a warrior.”
We hug one more time before Mom says her final goodbye, leaving the room. I take in a deep breath, the feeling of being homesick a hard slap in the face. In a matter of moments, loneliness consumes me. It’s unrelenting in its pursuit, feeding off my weakened emotions and questioning my need to study so far away from home.
The walls surrounding me are bare, this room holding no memories for me to fondly reminisce in my time of need.
Just as I’m about to run outside to find Mom and tell her I can’t do this, Liesel comes out of her room with a sympathetic smile.
“You know what will make you feel better? If you come to a party with me tonight.”
I chuckle softly, the distraction somewhat welcoming. “A party already? I’m not sure, I should probably unpack. Classes start in a few days, and I want to make sure I’m organized.”
“There’s plenty of time for that. C’mon, it’ll be fun plus a good chance to meet some new people.”
I pull my slumped shoulders back, improving my posture while releasing a breath. I’m an adult now. Leaving my family was bound to happen. If I am to make this work, I
need to make the right decisions, not ones leading to my comfort zone.
A college party isn’t such a bad idea and definitely is the distraction I need from my misery.
I nod in agreement.
“Yay! Okay, I need to find exactly where I packed my makeup. Be dressed in an hour.”
With not too much time to spare, I head to my room and close the door behind me. I figure it will be a chilled party, opting to wear my jeans and a tank tonight. Throwing myself on my bed, I grab my phone and video call Austin.