Chapter sixty-one:
Jenna followed Luke through the airport towards his terminal. He was returning to Tulsa to work for the summer, and Jenna and Becky were going to be with Christy, Isaac, Taylor and Zac as the album was finished and the tour began.
Jenna drew in a deep breath and hugged her sweater around herself. Despite the temperature outside, and warm temperature inside, she still felt a chill.
”Well, this is it. Gate 38B.” Luke stopped and hoisted his backpack up onto both shoulders.

Jenna nodded solemnly. She was afraid to look up at him incase she cried again.

Luke sighed heavily. “Jen, love, don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

Finally, she looked directly into his eyes. “Can it get any harder than it is?”

She had a point and Luke wasn’t about to argue.

The announcement of his flight number was announced over the loudspeaker.

Luke held up his ticket awkwardly. “That’s me.”

“Okay.” Jenna replied, but didn’t make a move.

“Are you going to kiss me goodbye?” He asked with a forced smile.  “I can’t leave without a kiss…”

“If I don’t kiss you, will you stay?”
He drew in a deep breath again and exhaled slowly. “Come on, Jen. This isn’t easy for me either, you know?”

She paused then nodded. “I know. I just wish we had more time.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.

Luke held her tightly. “Don’t worry Jen. I know this sucks now, but one day we’ll get to be together forever, okay?”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

She sniffled loudly.

He slowly released her and held her at arms length, as a handful of tears escaped her eyes.

“Do you have Kleenex?”

She nodded, and removed a handful of tissue from the pocket of her long knit sweater. He noticed her hands shaking and took the tissue from her and gently dried her eyes.

“It will get better. I’ll call you every night, I promise. I’ll write letters and emails…”

Jenna nodded. “Will you call tonight?”

“As soon as I get home.”

The last call for his flight was announced.

Luke shrugged. “That’s me. I’ve got to go.”

“Don’t… stay.” She tugged hopelessly at his hand.

He smiled. “I want to. But you know I can’t…” He bent and kissed her lips. “I’ll call tonight. I promise I will.” He kissed her forehead once again and took off in a jog towards his gate.

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Zac was sitting by himself on the plane.
They had been given two pairs of seats, both facing each other in the first class section of the plane, and Zac hadn’t protested. He turned the page in his battered copy of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and looked up at the girls.
Becky and Jenna were sitting together across from him, sharing a complimentary blanket. Becky’s head was rested on Jen’s shoulder and Jen’s head was rested against Becky’s. They looked insanely cute, and he was tempted to take a photo, but knew they would probably kill him if he did.
Both Becky and Jenna had refused dinner on the plane. Becky claimed that if she ate on a plane she would be ill within minutes, and a clearly despondent Jen professed that she simply wouldn’t be able to eat anything. Zac however had been starving, and ate while the girls dozed opposite to him.

Zac knew that if Jen was that torn up about leaving Luke, Luke was probably equally if not more of a mess and intended to give him a call later. He also understood what they were going through, as his time away from Becky had been abysmal beyond words.

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Taylor carried several plastic bags filled with candles into the studio.
Isaac had asked him to set everything up, and he wanted to get it done before Zac, Becky and Jenna arrived that afternoon. 

He put the bags down on a table and looked around with his hands on his hips.

The studio was small and dark and had the faint aroma of cigarette smoke, stale beer, and new instruments.

At last, Taylor removed a string of Christmas lights from one of the bags and removed them from the box. He tested them in a nearby outlet, and surprisingly they all worked.

He immediately found a place for them, twisted around a pole which stood in the middle of the small room where the mixing boards were.

He removed candles of all different shapes and colors by the arm full and positioned them on every single flat surface in the studio, even in the recording booth.
At last, he stood again in the middle of the room, with his hands on his hips, surveying the room when his watch beeped on his wrist.
The plane would be arriving from Canada at any minute, and he had to get home to meet his brother and the girls.

He grabbed his keys and wallet before rushing out the door.
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