After I leave Phantom’s, I run home, duffel bag slung over my shoulder. Gaston eyes me, suspicious. “Don’t tell him I left until tomorrow.”
He hugs me tight. “You come back whenever you want. You hear me?”
Tears spill. “Thank you, Gaston.”
Al rushes in, squeezing me hard. “I won’t say goodbye. I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Sebastian smiles. “If you ever make it back, my offer to take you out still stands.”
The goodbyes weigh heavy as I step out the door, leaving behind some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.
My cab ride to the airport costs eighty dollars. I regret declining Gaston’s offer for a ride, especially when the airline desk agent tells me it’s nine hundred twenty‑four dollars to change my ticket. I pay with the last of my savings, board the plane, biting back sobs
