James

“Is that everything?”

James took one last look around the room he had been living in for the last three years. “I think so.”

His roommate, Dan, handed him the last box of personal items. “Then get out of here already. You’re going to miss your flight!”

He smiled and turned to leave. “You’re right. I should hurry up. Thanks for helping me pack.”

“Thanks for not trashing the apartment and for always paying your rent, even if it was always late.”

James stepped outside and handed the last box to one of the movers. It was getting late, so there was no point in making them wait around any longer.

“Here. This is the last one.”

“If that’s it, then we’re going to hit the road. The freight ship leaves in three hours.”

“Sure. See you in two days.”

“Hey, James!” Dan shouted from the front door of the apartment building. “Don’t come back here until you’ve become a successful CEO of your own company!”

He waved back at him. “Who said I’m ever coming back?”

“Whatever man! Just let me know how your first day on the new job goes!”

James gave him two thumbs up in reply and walked over to the street curb to wait for the taxi he had called ahead for. It was crazy to think he would be moving back to Colorado after all this time away.

A taxi pulled up to the side of the road. “Are you James?”

He nodded and got into the car. The driver pulled off and headed towards the airport. James decided to give his mother a call, but for the second time today, there was no answer. She hadn’t even replied to his texts from earlier.

“Catching a red eye flight?” the driver asked.

“Yeah, it's a long way home, so I figured I might as well be asleep for most of it,” James replied.

“I hate to break it to you, sir, but you’re a tall guy. It must be hard to get comfortable enough to fall asleep."

He chuckled. “That's a good point. I guess you don't know my mom, so I can tell you the real reason I have to catch a cheap flight is because I'm trying to save as much money as I can right now. Unfortunately, pursuing a career as an architect out here didn't quite pan out the way I was hoping...even after three years.”

“I thought London was a great place for artsy kids like yourself.”

James let out a big sigh. “That's what I thought too. But as it turns out, a lot of other artsy kids had the same idea, so the competition was pretty stiff. I was a big fish in a small pond in my hometown, and for some reason I thought it would be the same here.”

“Well, there's no shame in going home,” the driver said.

“That's what I keep trying to tell myself.”

“Do you have a better opportunity waiting for you there?”

James shook his head. “Not exactly. I used my minor degree in business to land a job at a big corporation in exchange for a steady paycheck and decent benefits, rather than trying to find a job in my field. All I have to do is keep this new position and live in my hometown for the next two years, and I should be able to pay off my debts.”

The man up front shrugged. “Hey, it could be worse.”

He nodded. “I know, which is why I don’t want to complain too much.”

Suddenly, James felt his phone buzzing from his pocket. He immediately answered it.

“Hello?”

“Hi, sweetheart!” his mom replied in a cheery tone. “Sorry I missed your call.”

“Hi, Mom. I was just giving you a ring to let you know I’ll be boarding my flight soon.”

“That’s wonderful! Your father and I can’t wait to have you home again. In fact, we just finished cleaning out all the junk we’ve been storing in your old room.”

“Oh, is that why you didn’t answer the phone earlier?” he chuckled.

“Actually, no,” his mother replied with a sigh. “I got caught up talking to Briana this afternoon because May was in the hospital.”

James felt a sudden boost of adrenaline and stress. “Wait, what? What happened? Is she alright?”

“Yes, she’s fine, only suffered a very minor concussion.”

“How did she get a concussion?” he asked with worry.

“I guess she saved someone from being hit by a car at work and smacked her head on the pavement. Her mother was in tears for almost an hour.”

James felt himself relax a little. “Well, I’m glad May is okay. But, what on earth was she thinking?”

“Honestly, I'm not sure, but I guess this is just the new May. According to Briana, May has changed quite a lot over the last year. She quit her job and set up her own private practice, which she runs it out of the apartment she rents with Julie. But she’s always so busy with work and rarely comes home to visit. And now, things are bound to get even more hectic because I guess she just landed her first big job with a famous client.”

James really didn’t know what to say to that. If May was doing so well, why hadn’t she ever mentioned it online, or in one of their group chats? Even if she didn’t want to talk to him directly, it wouldn’t kill her to keep him in the loop when it came to big things, would it?

“Anyways, sweetheart, I have to go. Your father is getting hungry.”

“Why not tell him to cook?” James joked. “He’s still got two hands, right?”

“You know how helpless he is in the kitchen. I can’t let him ruin the steaks I just bought!”

“Fine, I’ll let you go,” he said. “Tell Dad I love him, and I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

“Okay, dear. Be safe. Love you!”

“Love you, Mom. Bye.”

James smiled to himself. Not only had May managed to open her own private consulting practice, but now she was jumping into traffic to save people? That didn’t sound anything like the girl who used to cry whenever it was her turn to present something for show and tell, or the woman who was too shy to ask for help finding something at the store.

The driver caught James smiling in his rearview mirror. “You get some good news?”

“I’m not really sure I’d call it good news,” he laughed.

“Well, here we are, sir. Have a safe flight home.”

“Thanks. Have a good night,” James said, handing the man his fee, along with a generous tip.

“Sir, this is too much. Weren’t you trying to save money?”

“Think of it as compensation for listening to my whole life story,” he replied with a smile.

The driver waved as James stepped out of the cab. Thankfully, he made it to the loading dock with ten minutes to spare. Boarding was also rather quick and painless, and before he knew it, he was in his seat, eating a complimentary bag of pretzels as the plane started down the runway.

Eventually, well after takeoff, James stopped fighting the urge to let his mind drift back to May. He wondered if the girl who used to live down the street would still smile at him if they met face-to-face and tell him all about the last three years. Or, would May prefer to avoid him after all this time apart?

James closed his eyes. He was coming home for a job opportunity, not to catch up with his ex. The two of them had gone their separate ways in life, so there was no point in dwelling on the past.