Secrets are what we keep because we feel we need to because we feel that we are protecting someone or it could be because we were afraid of the repercussions if the secret got out. As kids, we were told not to lie, that lying is bad, but as an adult, we find that sometimes you need to lie a little in order to get a better outcome of things. As adults, we would lie and keep secrets to protect the ones we love and the ones we fear losing. How good are you at keeping secrets?
The week went by slowly, Kyra was nervous about going back home. Her mother not once told her to come home, her parents always gave her freedom and she was always informed if there was something wrong. She stayed with Isaiah for the week, usually, she would share a room with Liv however the only thing that had given her a sense of calmness was Isaiah. He wanted to help, but he did not know how to.
"Did your mom say what's wrong?" Isaiah asked as she packed her last suitcase. She shook her head, sighing, feeling uneasy.
"I can come back home with you if you want? I can go back to my family, at least you will have someone around you at all times" Isaiah offered. She stopped packing to stare at him, he was sweet enough to offer it even though it wasn't his problem. She smiled, zipping up her bag. She walked towards him, standing between his legs she bent down slightly to hug him. Instantly he wrapped his arms around her, feeling her warmth.
"Thank you, but it's a problem I need to deal with. You can go back next week like you initially planned" she assured him as she pulled away from the hug. Lately, they were a little more physically intimate than usual, she didn't know why but she decided not to say a word and enjoyed the bliss of his presence.
They were always around each other, but it was never this way before. Usually, he would always be with his ex Ava, or some girl that he hooked up with would be clinging on his arms for dear life, however, this was something new and she didn't know what changed within him but she welcomed it. For the past week, she has even been sleeping on his bed, they would fall asleep cuddling. No kisses, no sex, nothing inappropriate. She convinced herself that he did it out of pity, and he probably did.
Isaiah dropped Kyra at the airport, he waited with her as long as he could before she went into boarding. They spend their time talking and roaming around the airport looking for goodies to buy. He held her waist wherever she would go, she loved his touch and said nothing about it. Even after years of friendship, he still gave her goosebumps and butterflies in her stomach.
"Boarding for flight AXXX123 to Phoenix, Arizona. The gate is now open" the announcer announced through the intercom, voice echoing throughout the airport.
"My gate is open," Kyra commented. She felt uneasy, she had her reservations about going back. She was worried that once she was gone, and once he was back in Phoenix with her, things would revert back to the way it was. She wasn't ready for that.
Isaiah opened up his arms, welcoming her in. They hugged each other, Kyra took this opportunity to sniff his shirt. She knew she would miss his scent.
"Mi mancherai (I'll miss you)" he said, she couldn't understand so she pulled away looking at him with an eyebrow raised. Waiting for him to say it in English, however, he just chuckled and shook his head. They pulled away from each other, as Kyra started walking to the cut-off point, her tears started to swell up. She didn't know why but she felt like she lost him for good.
Isaiah passed her, her bags taking it she smiled sadly at him. Feeling a heavy burden on her heart, she wanted to tell him how she felt, she wanted him to tell her he felt the same. Nevertheless, she knew that he didn't and she knew that she could only fantasize about the 'airport scene', rather than live through one.
She hugged him one last time, she kissed his cheek and he returned the kiss by kissing her forehead, they bid goodbye. They knew they would see each other again, but this felt like it was a final goodbye. No words could describe the heaviness of the air and the pain in her heart, all she could do was look back as he walked away. Wondering when she might see him again, wondering if ever he would love her the way she loved him.
***
When Kyra landed at the airport, she looked around expecting to see her mother and father waiting for her at the gate. Disappointed as she only saw her favorite driver Freddie waiting for her with a bouquet of flowers. She hadn't realized she missed him, she missed their daily conversations. He was her second friend. First were her chef and nanny.
Kyra dropped her bags as she ran towards Freddie, instantly he opened up his arms to welcome his favorite passenger. She missed him, he was older, probably in his fifties with a bald spot but he was a good man. He took care of her more than her parents did, he would even give her life advice and stories of him growing up. She lived mainly through his stories.
"Freddie!" she squealed, hugging him tightly. He laughed as he hugged her back. They quickly caught up just a little before taking her back to her home. He told her that he was now a grandfather, his daughter was just a few years older than her and had given birth to a healthy baby boy just a few months ago. He beamed about his family, proud of their achievements. She told him about Isaiah and caught him up with her life just a little. He took a longer route back home, just to get a little more time to speak with Miss Kyra Morello.
Dropping her back home, she was nervous to see her mother. She hasn't seen her parents since two Christmas's ago. They were attending to some crisis in Dubai and weren't able to be back home for Christmas last year. She wasn't sure what would be waiting for her back home, so she opened her front door and she could smell the delicious odor coming from the kitchen.
Kyra smiled knowing that her chef Jasmine has prepared her favorite food. Dropping off her luggage at the front door, she walked deeper into her house.
The house was still the same, it was modern and had all the gadgets you could possibly find. Her parents preferred a more modern touch to the house, that was why they renovated their home to keep up with the current trend. Her house was mostly grey, different shades of grey, with no pictures on the wall other than one giant picture frame that had all the pictures stored up and played on the loop.
Kyra walked through the house, passing by the kitchen as she greeted Jasmine. She went looking for her parents, she wasn't going to lie, she missed them but she was nervous about the news that they were about to break. She wondered what trouble could her mother mean.
"Mama" she called, "Papa". She smiled at the sight of them, she missed them so much. Quickly she ran to hug her father, feeling his big body frame crushing hers as her mother watched. She was always a daddy's girl. Her father kissed her cheek before letting her go to her mother. She quickly hugged the mother as she sat beside her on the couch in her father's office.
"Ay dios mio" her mother commented as she latched on to her mother. Her mother smiled a sad smile, then she noticed her dad had the same smile. She knew something was wrong, it was unusual for them to have that look.
"Is everything okay mama?" she asked. The room was silent, no one answered her.
Kyra looked at her mother, she had bags under her eyes and her cheeks were puffy, hair out of place. It was unusual for her mother, Mrs. Morello was always prim and proper, she believed that a person's appearance speaks a great deal of their character. Kyra then noticed her father, his hair was greying and his eyes were red as if he was crying.
"Papa?" she called, trying to get an answer from either one. She could hear her heart beating, the silence was deafening. She wanted to scream. Turning her attention back to her mother, Mrs. Morello shook her head as she wiped an escaped tear.