"Ray! Where are you?"
"I'm… um… in front of Terminal Six."
"Oh! I see you. Stay there!"
Before I could say anything else, she hung up. A few seconds later, a car stopped right in front of me. The door opened quickly and Amy rushed out.
"Ray!"
She pulled me into a tight hug, and for a moment I just held onto her. Four years is a long time.
"Welcome," she said softly, pulling back to look at me. "You've changed so much."
"You too," I laughed.
My brother came around to grab my suitcase. "Alright, enough emotional reunion. Give me the bag."
"Wow. No 'I missed you'? Nothing?" I teased, handing it over.
"I'll say it at home," he said, already putting my bag in the trunk.
I smiled to myself. Being back with them felt easy. Familiar. Like no time had passed at all.
"Do you want to sit in the front?" Amy asked.
I glanced at the two of them. I knew about their relationship, the secret one no one else in the family knew about. Sitting in the front felt like I'd be stepping into their space.
"No, it's okay. I'll sit in the back."
As we drove off, Amy turned slightly in her seat. "We have to pick up his friend first. Then we'll go home. And if you're not too tired, maybe we can go to the beach later for dinner?"
I was exhausted. My head felt heavy from the long flight. But beach dinner on my first day?
"I'm not tired," I said quickly, then laughed. "Okay, maybe a little. But I'll survive."
She smiled. "That's my girl."
A few minutes later, we stopped at another terminal.
"I'll call him," my brother said. "Where are you, Chane?"
"I see your car," a calm voice replied.
I wasn't paying much attention at first. I was looking out the window, watching people pass by with their luggage. Then I heard the trunk open. A faint scent drifted into the car, clean, subtle, unfamiliar.
The trunk closed.
The back door opened.
Cool air brushed against my face as someone got in beside me.
I turned my head without thinking.
He was… normal.
Not in a bad way. Just real. Tall, dark hair slightly messy from the wind, dressed simply but neatly. He didn't look like someone out of a movie. He looked like someone you'd see every day, but somehow still notice.
For a second, we just looked at each other.
"How are you, man?" he said, leaning forward to shake my brother's hand. His voice was calm. Easy.
"Good," my brother replied. "Nice to see you."
"Hi, Amy," he added warmly.
Then my brother gestured toward me. "This is my sister, Ray. She just got here."
He turned back to me, giving me a small, polite smile.
"Nice to meet you, Ray."
He held out his hand.
It was such a normal moment. So simple. But suddenly I felt aware of everything, my hair, my tired face, the fact that I'd been on a plane for hours.
I placed my hand in his. "Nice to meet you too."
His handshake was warm. Not too firm. Not awkward.
"I'm Chane," he said.
Our eyes met again, just briefly. His eyes were dark brown. Calm. Curious, maybe.
"But he's my brother's friend, four year older then me." I reminded myself.
"Brother Chane," I said automatically.
There was a tiny pause.
Then he smiled, not teasing, not mocking. Just amused.
"You can just call me Chane," he said gently.
My face felt warm.
"I don't mind being promoted to 'brother' on the first day." he added.
I couldn't help it, I smiled.
But I found myself very aware of the small space between us in the back seat.
It was strange.
I had just arrived.
It was my first hour here.
And somehow, something already felt different.
This was going to be a very, very interesting new chapter of my life.