𝐝𝐞𝐣𝐚 𝐯𝐮, peter parker

xxxv. off to a flying start

chapter thirty-five
off to a flying start

     GETTING TO THE airport in time was going great. 

     Nina wanted to blame her younger brother for making them late, but in reality, it was Ned. Just as they were about to go, he was still asleep, and while Nina was too nice to kick him awake, MJ had no fear, and full on shoved his sleeping bag off the window seat and with a smack! He hit Nina's floor. They had to wait for him to get ready when they were already falling behind on time. In addition with the traffic, jaywalkers, and everything else one would find on the road to the airport, in was a miracle that they actually got there before the plane took off. 

     But, in the end, they managed to make it even before roll call began. (Ned spent the next twenty minutes or so stating to Michelle that he━in fact━was not going to make them late while they waited for Peter to show up). Nina said goodbye to her father, who drove them all out here. 

      Hugging him, she didn't mean to hold on so tight, but she couldn't help it━not after what Ned had accidentally said last night. Had they moved on? Had they forgotten and replaced her? It was stupid, and silly, and not the truth, but Nina's thoughts were plagued with the possibility. 

      "Hey," her father chuckled at her attack hug, rubbing her back, "someone's gonna miss me, eh, honey?"

      "Of course, I'm gonna miss you," she mumbled into his jacket before squeezing tighter. 

      Her father pursed his lips and she felt him press them against her hair. He brushed some of it away from her face. "I know," he told her gently. "It's hard to let you go after five years, even for a school trip."

      Nina's stomach churned at the mention of the Blip. Her parents rarely ever talked about it━she believed they didn't want to talk about it around her: about how they divorced, and then got back together, and had Ian. It seemed like a rollercoaster Nina didn't personally want to hear, either. Every child believed their parents were soulmates, ands he always thought her parents were the embodiment of it. And maybe they were, for after all that happened, they found each other again. But did it also mean it could happen again? 

      "Do you love Mom, Dad?" asked Nina in a quiet voice her friends couldn't hear. 

      Her father pulled away at the strange question. He cupped her cheeks, incredulous, "Of course, I love your mom," he told her. 

      Nina just wanted to hear it. She really wanted to hear it. She shuffled her feet awkwardly, "Do ... do you still love me?"

      Her father looked hurt, and she looked away, ashamed she'd ask the question. But he seemed to understand. He brushed more hair off her face. She stood to his nose, now. She remembered when she used to think her father was the tallest man in the world. (Then again, she was six at the time). "Honey," said her father softly, "I love you, and you mother loves you. We love you so much. And it was a miracle━a miracle you returned to us. I don't want you to think that we don't, ever, honey ..." he kissed her forehead and Nina nodded. "Now," he smiled at her, nudging her cheek, and she managed one, too, "enjoy your trip. Stay in your group. Don't stray away too far and remember to call us when you wake up and before you're about to go to bed, all right? I don't care if it wakes me up."

      "I will," said Nina, "I promise."

      She hugged her father again, and she felt as if he didn't want to let her go.