Jinx did not like goodbyes. She wasn’t good
at it. Letting go of who and what she loved often felt like her heart was being
ripped out of her chest. And her lungs were being clenched in iron fist.
Her parents had already left. One died and
the other was hidden away in the recesses of her mind. She had no uncles,
aunts, siblings, or doting grandparents.
She only had Livia and Nicole. The pair were
the closest she had to sisters. They each held a good bit of her heart.
Today one of them was going to leave her to
live in some mountain in the middle of nowhere. As if she couldn’t get her nature
fix by visiting upstate?
“I can’t believe you are doing this.”
“It is the opportunity of a lifetime. A
grant to study the Grey wolf population in the Balkans.”
“There are wolves here. Have you tried the
Bronx zoo?”
Nicole rolled her eyes and adjusted the
strap of her carry on. They were standing just outside of the airport security
line. She was wearing a pair of dusted grey jeans and a dark green sweater.
“I will be back sooner then you think.”
“Then why am I living with a new roommate?”
Livia slipped an arm through Jinx’s and
frowned. “Because I am the world’s greatest and you hate living alone.”
It was true. She hated coming home to empty
rooms and ringing silence. She craved companionship and avoided romantic
entanglements. Having a roommate meant there was always someone to come home
to.
“You don’t cook.”
“Neither does Nicole.” Livia protested as
Nicole smiled at the two of them.
“She does laundry.”
“I’ll learn.”
“Great so all of my whites will turn pink or
grey in the near future”
Livia scoffed and Jinx stuffed her hands
into the pocket of her cardigan. Nicole wasn’t going to change her mind. This
grant was her dream. The Holy Grail and she was going to grip it with both
hands.
With a heavy sigh she heaved her shoulders
in acceptance. “Don’t talk to strangers.”
“Everyone will be a stranger.”
“Then just don’t talk.”
Nicole wrinkled her nose. “Yes Mom.”
“Don’t just eat junk food. Sneak in some vegetables
every once in a while.”
This was a day she always knew was coming.
Everyone has to leave eventually. This time it was only for a little while. In
the future it would be forever.
Nicole reached our and took their hands. “Don’t
fight to often. Don’t delete my national geographic documentaries and take
sometime to enjoy more then the club scene. And your office.”
Jinx wasn’t going to cry. That wasn’t her
style. Instead she pulled Nicole into a hug.
“You are going to miss having Starbucks on
tap.”
“Probably.”
Livia stepped forward and hugged her. “Talk
to all the handsome men.”
Nicole’s eyes sparkled as she stepped back.
“All the handsome strangers I can find.”
She pulled out her phone and flashed it to
the guard before making her way to the metal detectors.
Jinx could not shake the feeling of unease
in her gut. As if this moment was the beginning of a much bigger event and her
future was in for a big shake up. Her instincts never failed her.
Something was coming and it was unlikely to
be something she’d welcome with open arms. She hated change of any sort.
Especially of the major life changing events variety.
Jinx did not like goodbyes. She wasn’t good at it. Letting go of who and what she loved often felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. And her lungs were being clenched in iron fist.