on_thecouch - 46.1 - Lost Without You
(picture prompt.)
"You can't do this," Noah frowned.
"You'll be fine, big brother." Jenny looked up at him with a reassuring smile.
"What if I'm not? What if...everything breaks again?"
Jenny sighed and set her bags down, then wrapped her arms around Noah tightly. "You'll be fine," she repeated.
He hugged her. "Just stay a little longer. Please. I can't do this without you."
Jenny pulled back and gave him a look. "You can. Stop thinking negatively about yourself, okay? That's what got you there. You don't need me telling you that you can do it. Just tell yourself."
Noah chewed his lip and looked to his feet. "I'll be alone again," he said softly.
"It's not a bad thing. It really isn't." She slung her napsack over her shoulder. "Think of it as...time to figure yourself out again."
"You'll call?"
"Of course. As soon as I get in. And you call if you need anything. Someone to talk to...anything."
"I will," he nodded.
"Just take it easy, Noah. Keep up the good progress."
He nodded again and looked back to her. "Thanks for everything, Jen. I...really don't know what I would have done without you." He looked away over her shoulder. "I.." his voice cracked just slightly and he cleared his throat. "I'm kinda scared what I might have done without you."
"Me too," she said softly.
They stood quietly before one another for a few more minutes, then he sighed and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I love you."
"Love you, too."
"Give Lexie and the kids kisses for me."
"Of course."
"And..you know...Mom."
Jenny giggled. "Right." She picked up her other bag and turned on her heel, heading towards the security gate.
The line wasn't too terribly long so Noah waited. He waited until he saw Jenny pass through the other side and walk out of sight, before turning and making his way out of the airport.
He got to his car and sat down, pulling on his seat belt and turning the engine on. His hands gripped the wheel. Tighter. Loose. Tighter. He took a breath and glanced at himself in the rear-view mirror.
"You'll be fine," he murmured to himself, partially believing it.
367
"You can't do this," Noah frowned.
"You'll be fine, big brother." Jenny looked up at him with a reassuring smile.
"What if I'm not? What if...everything breaks again?"
Jenny sighed and set her bags down, then wrapped her arms around Noah tightly. "You'll be fine," she repeated.
He hugged her. "Just stay a little longer. Please. I can't do this without you."
Jenny pulled back and gave him a look. "You can. Stop thinking negatively about yourself, okay? That's what got you there. You don't need me telling you that you can do it. Just tell yourself."
Noah chewed his lip and looked to his feet. "I'll be alone again," he said softly.
"It's not a bad thing. It really isn't." She slung her napsack over her shoulder. "Think of it as...time to figure yourself out again."
"You'll call?"
"Of course. As soon as I get in. And you call if you need anything. Someone to talk to...anything."
"I will," he nodded.
"Just take it easy, Noah. Keep up the good progress."
He nodded again and looked back to her. "Thanks for everything, Jen. I...really don't know what I would have done without you." He looked away over her shoulder. "I.." his voice cracked just slightly and he cleared his throat. "I'm kinda scared what I might have done without you."
"Me too," she said softly.
They stood quietly before one another for a few more minutes, then he sighed and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I love you."
"Love you, too."
"Give Lexie and the kids kisses for me."
"Of course."
"And..you know...Mom."
Jenny giggled. "Right." She picked up her other bag and turned on her heel, heading towards the security gate.
The line wasn't too terribly long so Noah waited. He waited until he saw Jenny pass through the other side and walk out of sight, before turning and making his way out of the airport.
He got to his car and sat down, pulling on his seat belt and turning the engine on. His hands gripped the wheel. Tighter. Loose. Tighter. He took a breath and glanced at himself in the rear-view mirror.
"You'll be fine," he murmured to himself, partially believing it.
367