The Journey: Conclusion

(For the integrity of the piece I must ask that you please read part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here, and part 4 here before concluding the story below. Thank you for reading!) 

Easton pulled up to the parking garage and found a space. He walked across the concrete, a bag slung over his shoulder, his hands in his pockets.  With his right hand, he fiddled with a small, diamond ring, running his finger along the inscription that said, 'Forever, wherever.'  He walked into the airport and headed for the check-in. He couldn't wait to see the look on Lexie's face when she saw him...

****

            Lexie sighed with relief, both hands trembling on the steering wheel as she sat horizontally on a vertical road. She had braked just in time, missing the deer by a centimeter.  Tears of fear streamed down her face as she said a silent prayer of thanksgiving for the moment that could have taken her life.  Reason kicked in, and Lexie moved her foot from the brake to the gas, moving the car from the middle of the road to the sidebar. As soon as she put the car in park, she reached over to the passenger seat for her purse, where she dug for her cell phone with shaking hands.  She pushed speed dial number two and pushed her tear stained face against the receiver.

            “Easton?” she said, as her boyfriend answered the phone.

            “Lex, what's wrong? Are you crying?”

            “No, I'm..” she stammered for the words, “I'm, well, I was on my way to the, uh- the airport. Please don't get mad,” she took a breath to steady herself. “I'm going to London, and I thought I was going to go by myself, but I-” she struggled again for the words as new tears slipped from her eyes down her cheeks. “Could you come get me? A deer jumped out and-”

            “A deer?! Are you okay? Where are you; are you hurt?” Easton interrupted, struck suddenly with fear as he sat in the airport terminal.

            “No, I mean yes, a deer... but I'm fine. I'm okay; I missed it. But I don't want to go now-” she pushed the words out as if they were knives stuck in her throat. Her heart still wanted her to go, but she knew now that she couldn't leave Easton behind.

            “Lexie, you have to go,” Easton said.

            Lexie wasn't sure that she'd heard him right. He wants me to go...without him? But why? Has he given up this easily?

            “But, Easton-”

            “Let me finish,” Easton spoke over her again. “I can't come get you, and I don't want you to go home.”

            What is he saying? Doesn’t he understand? I want to be with him… Lexie's eyes filled with tears again and she struggled to keep them in.  She had finally realized how important Easton was in her life, and he was turning her away.

            “If you go home, I won't be there. You have to keep driving, you have to do this for you...” Easton took a breath to collect his thoughts; he could hear Lexie crying on the other line.

            “But, Easton, I want- I want to be with you,” Lexie sobbed.  She had cried more today than she had in years, but she couldn’t seem to stop the tears that broke free like water from a damn.

            “You will be,” he said, laughing a bit at how wrongly his plan to surprise her had gone.  If only it hadn’t started snowing…“You have to come to the airport. You're going to be late, and they won't let me leave now that I've checked in.”

            Lexie gasped, the air through her lungs feeling like a tingle going through her whole body.  Did he just say- no, he didn't, surely I heard him wrong.

            “But—wait, how did you know?” she asked, piecing the puzzle together as she swiped at the tears on her face.  A car drove by slowly, wondering whether or not they should stop. She waved the driver along, as if to say 'I'm fine,' and suddenly, she knew she was.

****

            Lexie stepped onto the escalator, her carry-on in hand. As she walked toward the terminal, she caught Easton's eye and started to walk faster and faster until she broke out into a full on run.  Easton stood up and walked toward her. When she was close enough, she dropped her bag and jumped into his arms.  He kissed her cheek as tears started to fall.

            “Look at me,” Lexie said with a giggle. “I'm a mess.”

            “No,” Easton smiled, leaning back as he held her to look her in the eye, “you're beautiful.” He couldn’t wait a moment longer, so he lowered himself to one knee, keeping hold of Lexie's hand. “I don't want to let you go, Lex. I want to be with you now, and I want to travel with you in the future... as your husband.” He pulled the ring out of his pocket. It was beautiful, one simple diamond held between a spiral of white gold.

            Lexie looked down at the ring and smiled at Easton. She read the inscription as she studied the ring, then nodded, too emotional to respond as tears started to fall once again from her already puffy eyes. Easton stood and slipped the tiny band onto her finger.

            “Yes,” Lexie composed herself. “Yes, yes, yes... I'm so sorry, Easton,” she remembered once again how she had gotten so angry at him just a week before. “I didn't want to go without you, I just-”

            “I know,” Easton pulled her in to a hug to comfort her. “I know.”

            Forever, wherever… Amen.