Fighting for More

She pulled into the long-term parking lot and hopped out of her jeep. She was humming to herself and had a huge grin on her face.

She pushed her long braid off her shoulder as she pulled her bag out of the back and locked the car. She rolled the small bag to the pickup station and waited.

She knew the silk dress she packed would be horribly wrinkled, but she couldn’t risk anyone seeing her carry a garment bag out. She would just have it steamed at the hotel.

She glanced up as she was snapped out of her daydream at the sound of the shuttle coming. She smiled at the driver and walked up the steps and found a seat at the front.

She told him her airline as they moved to the next pickup station. She sat back and thought about the next few days.

She was getting married to the man she deeply and truly loved.

She got out of the shuttle ten minutes later and went to the waiting area they had decided on. They were going to check in together. She glanced at the clock on the wall and discovered that she was early.

She sat and played on her phone for a bit then looked up to discover that fifteen minutes had passed. Jake was not known for his punctuality, so she wasn’t surprised he wasn’t there yet.

More time passed and she started to get a little worried. After forty-five minutes, she had gone numb. She just sat there, determined not to cry right there in the airport.

She double-checked her phone. No texts or missed calls. She wasn’t going to call or text him either. She wasn’t going to be that girl.

The clock on the wall went right on, moving to and right past the departure time for their flight. She stood up, trying to hold her head high, and walked back to the shuttle pickup point to take her back to her vehicle.

She climbed back in, paid the parking attendant, got on the highway, and drove back home. She didn’t realize that somewhere during that time the tears had started falling silently down her face.

She pulled up to the dark house, grateful that everyone was asleep. She got out, leaving all her things in the SUV, and climbed the stairs to her room.

At the last second, she bypassed her room and went straight to her mother’s room. She walked in, closed the door, and climbed in bed next to her mother’s sleeping form.

Sally heard her daughter come in and felt her get in bed with her.

She was surprised as she had overheard Sammy talking with Jake a few weeks ago about eloping tonight.

As sad as she was to not see her only daughter get married, she thought it was terribly romantic. She was a sucker for a good romance.

She turned to look at her daughter. She saw the tears on her face and sat up quickly, switching the little lamp on that sat on the nightstand.

“Samantha, honey, what is wrong?” she said, putting her hand on her arm.

Sammy started sobbing as she felt the pressure and love of her mother’s hand.

“He’s gone…” she whispered.

Sally’s heart broke for her daughter as she finally understood what she was saying. She pulled her to her chest. They sat like that until Sammy fell asleep in her mother’s arms.

***A FEW WEEKS LATER***

Sammy couldn’t believe this was happening. She called her mom into her room. Sally and Sammy had always been close but were even closer since that night several weeks ago. She started crying as her mom closed the door.

Sammy didn’t say anything; she simply handed her mother the pregnancy test.

Sally sat on the bed next to her daughter and wrapped her arms around her again. “Well, then we have some plans to make, Samantha…” She kissed her forehead.