Tim pulled up behind the cars that were triple parked. He stopped the wipers, put the car in park, and tapped the hazard lights to indicate to airport police that he would not be there long. He composed himself with a deep breath and looked over his shoulder to the back seat. With a big smile plastered on his face, he said, “Are you ready, Kate?” Kate took out her right headphone and then her left, gave a faint smile, and nodded.
Tim reached for his door handle and pulled, and I followed suit. A cold mist sprayed my face as I stepped out of the car, avoiding a puddle that was a few degrees away from freezing. I met Tim at the trunk as he was raising the door. He squeezed my shoulder before leaning in and reaching for the larger of the two suitcases. He set it on the ground beside me.
The suitcase was a generic dark gray one, indistinguishable from most suitcases you’d see at the airport. Out of fear that Kate would not be able to easily identify her bag in the sea of luggage, Maggie and I had decided to decorate it with strips of duct tape. Each strip had a message like ‘U Rock”, ‘U Da Best’ and my favorite ‘Tomate. It had said tomato, but Tim had changed it to its Spanish translation. One of Kate’s many nicknames was Kayta Tomata. It was an homage to her red hair and ruddy cheeks, which became more prominent when she played sports or danced.
Tim grabbed the smaller suitcase on wheels as Kate sidled up beside me. Tim set the suitcase down, lowering the trunk door. He turned and faced Kate, put a hand on each shoulder, and looked her in the eye. With an abundance of enthusiasm, he said, “You are going to rock Spain.” Kate smiled up at him with glassy eyes. He pulled her in close, hugged her tight and long, and kissed her on top of the head. “Now get out of here,” he said.
Kate and I each wheeled a suitcase towards the curb, as I lifted the heavy bag over the edge I startled at the loud voice that screamed, “Yeah Kate, Whooo, Go Spain!!”. I looked over my shoulder to see Tim’s hand waving frantically out the window as he continued to holler and beep as he drove away. Kate and I gave a familiar head shake to each other, acknowledging her dad’s silly and frequent antics, something Kate had inherited.
We entered through an automatic door, and took a second to take in our surroundings. Couples, families, and people who appeared to be traveling alone were bustling by, some with a purpose, some unsure where to go. We fell into the latter category, but we followed a crowd heading for kiosks, thinking this may be where we needed to start. An assertive woman with a loud voice and official uniform instructed travelers to use the kiosks to print off baggage tickets and then to get into the long line to check their suitcases. We decided Kate would print off the ticket while I got us a place in line.
The line resembled something you would see in Disney World. Ropes created rows that twisted and turned, giving the illusion that you were not far from your destination, while in reality you probably had a long wait ahead of you. I looked around. The airport was dimly lit and the walls a muted gray, the ambiance mirroring the rainy weather outside. I imagined the muted lighting was meant to calm nervous travelers. I listened to conversations around me. There seemed to be many like me and Kate. Young adults, college students, with a parent or two. Dad’s staying quiet and mom’s giving some last-minute advice. Some students showed excitement and confidence, while others looked unsure and uneasy.
I was about halfway through the winding line when Kate wheeled her carry-on over to me. She fastened the luggage tag to the large suitcase that she had planned to check, the one I had kept with me in line. She leaned her shoulder into me and sighed. I wrapped my arm around her and gave her frequent hugs as we neared the front of the line. We talked a little about the excursions she might take and the sights she hoped to see while living in Barcelona. We eavesdropped a bit to a daughter arguing with her mom and raised uneasy eyebrows to each other. But mostly, we just leaned on each other and stayed as close as we could, with the little time we had left.
It was Kate’s turn to put her luggage on the counter. The woman gave us a warm smile, and checked Kate in. She directed us to the TSA security line, another Disney-like line that Kate would have to stand in alone. Kate and I walked over slowly. The tears were forming in her eyes, and starting to drizzle down her sweet cheeks. It was not my first time saying goodbye to Kate, but it would be the longest I would go without seeing her. My voice was tight, trying to find the right words to form. “Kate,” I said, looking her in the eye. “I am so proud of you, and could not love you more.”
Kate nodded and whispered, “I love you too.”
“You were meant for this, you will have the time of your life.” I pulled her in and hugged her as tight as I could. We hugged for a minute, then I released her. The line was long, and she needed to make her flight. I grabbed her face and kissed each tear-stained cheek, as my own tears started to fall and released her again. She turned, and I watched her walk off, my heart ached. As I tried to compose myself, a man with a sympathetic expression caught my eye. With a thick Spanish accent, he said, “It will be ok.” I smiled, because I knew he was right.
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