Samuel pulled out of her mouth slowly and looked at her with awe as she coughed slightly, still with a smile on her face. “Too much?” he asked, just a hint of concern in his tone of voice.
Zoey shook her head, attempting to regain her breath. “Not nearly enough!”
— 3 —
Putting things into boxes felt strange so shortly after returning home again, but college was calling, and it was time to pack. Zoey had almost gathered her entire wardrobe, and made sure all her favourite knick-knacks were collected away and ready to be moved, much to Samuel’s dismay. “Where are we going to fit all these things?” he lamented as she piled up some shoes in a box incorrectly labelled with ‘essentials’. “You should really leave most of this behind, or at least sell some of this stuff.”
She pursed her lips, looking a little sad. “I know. I just wanted to take all my favourites..” She paused, and sighed deeply. “Turns out I have a lot of favourites.”
“I thought I was your favourite?” Samuel teased, earning himself an elbow to the side for his efforts.
“Don’t even joke about that!” She looked upon him with determination in her eyes – then she relaxed, and added: “I would leave every last thing I owned behind if that’s what you’d need me to do. I want our new flat to feel like a home for the both of us, and nothing feels more like home to me than you do. I only ever care about pleasing you.”
Samuel smiled fondly. He ruffled her hair before embracing her in a tight hug. “We are going to have such fun together, my beautiful sister,” he murmured softly into her ear, peppering her face with tiny kisses. Then he let go, but continued talking as they began filling boxes again, Samuel assisting Zoey as he was already done with his own belongings. At least all the things he could pack ahead of time, until just moments before leaving. “We’ll try to make it all fit somehow.”
“You have never had issues fitting stuff into small spaces before,” she countered with a grin and a cheeky wink. “Anyways, it’s almost one o’clock. You should go get ready for your job interview!”
After sending a lot of applications, a small business selling board games both locally and over their internet storefront had reached out to Samuel for an online interview. The store was located not far from the flat they would be living in near Zoey’s campus, and it was a full-time position. Pay wasn’t spectacular, but it was good enough for two young people without much frivolous spending, and both siblings were surprisingly good with money. “I’m a little nervous,” Samuel admitted.
“Want me to pretend to interview you?” Zoey chirped happily. She grabbed a book and pretended it was a note that she was reading from, and said in a mock voice: “It says here that you’ve got no experience in retail, but apparently you’re ‘husband material’. Can you elaborate on that?” She smiled wide at her brother – then let out a squeak as he slapped her ass.
“Very funny. Wish me luck,” he said as he headed for the door.
“Nuh-Uh,” Zoey vehemently protested, “I’m not going to jinx it!”
— 4 —
Time passed by quickly, and soon it was time for Zoey and Samuel to say their farewells. Their parents never truly came around to the idea of their only children dating one another, but even they could not deny that there was an immense amount of love between the siblings, nor that since they were allowed to be together it was the happiest they’d ever seen the two. The week leading up to the departure date had been mostly peaceful. There were only mild complaints and the occasional disapproving huff from their mother, and they lessened with each day that they had been back for.
And now, as Zoey was preparing to hug her parents farewell, she felt strangely saddened. Despite all they had been through. Despite the many arguments and the shouting matches that had taken place between her and her mother. Despite everything that they had said – insults hurled in anger or not – she still cared about them. And she would miss them. She’d visit, of course – but likely not until Thanksgiving, months away. And talking over the phone just wasn’t the same.
“You’re sure you don’t want us to make the drive over with you?” their father asked for the tenth time at least. “It’s not too late to change your mind.” but Samuel only smiled.
“Dad, we’ll be okay. You fidgeted like this when I went to college a few years ago as well, remember? And everything was fine! Even if we run into some sort of trouble, we’re both adults. I’ll handle it – trust me, dad. And we’ll call you when we get there, I promise.” The U-Haul was already packed full of their belongings, and rented One-Way, so they could leave it at their destination. It was rented for a fee that felt like robbery to Zoey, but it was their best option, and thankfully their parents had paid for it in the end. That meant they wouldn’t have to live off of cheap ramen until Samuel got his first pay-check. He had aced the interview, embracing his charismatic side with confidence and determination, which apparently impressed the owner of the store and convinced them to hire him on the spot. Or perhaps they just didn’t have many applicants.
“Don’t eat junk food every day,” their mother cautioned – looking pointedly at Zoey. She hesitated for a second, emotions welling up, then said: “And be safe.”
Zoey was genuinely surprised as her mother’s tears began to flow freely. She hugged the older woman tightly, and felt her own eyes become watery, too. A cathartic moment, and they held on for some time – but eventually, Zoey pulled back from the hug and looked up into her mother’s eyes. There and then, she felt nothing but love towards Gabrielle, despite everything. And she knew how difficult it had been for the woman to come around enough to accept her and Samuel’s relationship enough to even be on proper speaking terms, yet here they were. “Mom?” she spoke quietly. “I will be coming home with Samuel during breaks.”
There was a long pause, before her mother sniffed and wiped away her tears. Then she nodded. “You better.”
After having hugged her father as well – the two of them not exchanging many words besides a “Drive safe” and then the “I love you” – they found themselves on the road, with Samuel behind the wheel of the van, and Zoey staring out the passenger window in silence. The Little Tree air freshener hung loosely from the rear-view mirror, though it didn’t seem to have much scent to it anymore. Old and dried up, just like the town they were about to leave behind.
“You don’t mind if we make a quick stop before we leave, do you?” he suddenly asked, causing her to turn around and look at him with curiosity in her eyes. But she could tell from the serious expression on his face and the forced resolve in his eyes were they would be heading without needing to ask, and a few minutes later they pulled up to Quentin’s driveway. The man greeted them outside wearing what Zoey could only describe as funeral attire. All black, formal, and long-sleeved. Vastly different from how Samuel’s best friend usually dressed.
“We’re not dying, just leaving town,” Samuel chuckled, but Quentin already had tears in his eyes and didn’t join in. He took a step forward and hugged his best friend, and within seconds, he made room for Zoey to join the three-way embrace.
The mourning man sniffed loudly – and let go of both of them at the same time, taking a couple of steps backwards to gain some distance again. “I know, it’s stupid. But I feel like if I don’t say my peace now, I won’t get another chance for many months.” His voice trembled. “… I will miss you two very much. I always knew you’d be together in the end, and seeing your happiness has been an honour for me. To have been a part of your journey, no matter how big or small, has been a privilege.” He wiped at his eyes once more. “I want you to know that you’re welcome to come visit whenever you want. But most importantly, take care of each other! The world can be cruel. It can fail to recognize love even when it’s as strong as yours. But hold on tightly to one another, and you’ll make it through anything. I truly believe that.”
“Thank you. I’ll miss you too,” Zoey murmured softly. She was surprised – but touched – by the man’s emotional outburst.
He let out a choked sound, and nodded. Quentin and Samuel shared a firm handshake and a look that said a thousand words without the need for any further explanations. After a moment of silence, Quentin sighed. “You’ve got a long drive ahead of you, so I won’t keep you. Besides, I’ve got to get back inside, otherwise we’re all going to cry our eyes out before long.. Good luck with your new adventure together! And don’t forget to call every once in a while.”
It took until they had made it to the freeway before Samuel’s emotions bubbled up, and Zoey’s stoic older brother’s cheeks were invaded by silently falling tears. He stared off into space, though keeping his eyes on the road, so Zoey sat quietly for a while, just watching her brother in his seat as he tried to compose himself. There was something beautiful about seeing him cry like that, and she reached out and placed her hand atop of his, squeezing lightly. It took several minutes before he spoke again. “Sorry about that,” he said simply, traces of his sadness making his voice crack ever so slightly.
“There’s nothing to be sorry for,” Zoey told him gently, squeezing harder and not letting go – nor did he seem inclined to remove her hand from his either. They sat there for several miles without saying much more. Leaving their old life – and everyone they knew – behind. Starting something new. And with every bit of distance they put between their old home and themselves, it felt as if they were heading towards a better future. A fresh start.
— 5 —
Their new landlord – Veronica – rubbed Zoey the wrong way instantly. She looked like a cougar who thought she could seduce young men by throwing herself at them, and she looked at Samuel with a hunger in her eyes as she handed the keys over. “If you need anything at all, remember I’m just down the hall,” she said in a sultry manner.
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