The Girl in the Locket

Chapter Eleven

Present Day

Hands clasped tight Amber stood in front of the airport flight announcements, glancing over the hundred or so flights and searching for hers. She found it and glanced across. It was leaving on time. Her heart was heavy, but her eyes were now dry from her earlier tears. She had never felt so unsure of anything in her entire life. She only knew one thing for certain,
if this woman was Sydney, she would find her.

She sat down among other passengers awaiting calls for their flights. Anxiously her eyes darted over the flight board in case she missed the call to the gate. Each time they called out another flight the board rearranged and she jumped. She sat between an older lady and a young guy with his friends. She sat slowly, placing her backpack on the spare seat next to her, between her and the college guys. She was saving the place for Marie. The bleached blonde guy beside her whispered to his friends whilst sneaking looks Amber's way. He finally leaned over the empty seat. "Hey are you that chick from TV? The lesbian right?"

Amber turned hesitantly. "No, wrong chick" She wasn't in the mood for a chat.

"Oh okay" he replied, sinking back into his seat.

Amber's thoughts returned incessantly to Sydney. How on earth had she been alive, and Amber had not found her. She felt a huge pit of guilt rise in her stomach. She clutched her leather cut off jacket at her waist and fought the tears. Had she looked hard enough to find her? Had she missed her somewhere? When Amber had been with all of these girls instead, she could, no she should, have been looking for her. Amber's eyes darted to the doors leading from check in. Marie strode in with her little wheel along bag being pulled behind her. She was wearing huge sunglasses the same colour as her dark hair. Marie was Mexican, she was fiery and fierce, but with Amber she had been reduced to a girl in love. She would do anything to keep her to herself. All she had ever wanted was Amber to settle down and stop the hunting around with different girls on different nights. She wanted to know more about Ambers dark past, but Amber wouldn't let her talk about Sydney, not until this morning. For a whole year Marie had been fighting a ghost for the heart of her girlfriend, and now that her ghost had been resurrected, her mood was low and the fire in her belly for a fight was lit.

Amber stood to greet her, and moved aside her backpack so that she could take the seat beside her "You been here long?" Marie whispered to a closed off Amber.

Amber didn't respond.

Marie reached across and brushed Amber's hair aside. Amber pushed her away and turned to look at her. Marie slipped off her shades and was surprised by the darkness in Amber's eyes. Usually Amber's eyes were so outstandingly bright but today there wasn't even a glint, they were dead.

Amber opened her mouth suddenly "I don't think you should come. It's not right. How can I take someone I've been sleeping with to find my wife? It's not right its messed up Marie"

Marie pleaded with her. "Amber it's not like she just left for a trip to Paris. It's five fucking years later. Where has she been? I'll tell you where...in a fucking new life without you"

Amber pushed a tear away from her eyes, and Marie looked down to her hands, ashamed of her words. She didn't want to hurt her but she just didn't want Sydney to hurt her either.

Marie took her hands in hers. "Listen, I'm sorry. I'm coming as your friend remember? I'm not going to touch you. I just want to be here for you"

Amber placed her hand on top of Marie's. "I know"   

Amber struggled free of her leather jacket and dropped it onto her lap by her bag. Marie leaned into her arm looking closely down to her arm sleeve.

"You never told me that this was Sydney" Marie commented, as her fingers ran over the girl on Ambers arm. The green eyes and the smile had given her away. She had never seen a picture of Sydney until today. She was taken aback by her beauty. Marie never felt threatened, she was fierce, but she had to admit it, she was worried.

Amber reached into her bag for their flight tickets and checked them over nervously to make sure all was ready. As soon as she saw them and the words FL to PAR she had a flood of memories of herself and Sydney in Paris. The ride there! Oh god the sex in the limo and the worried expression Sydney had walking through the airport worried that the driver had heard her. Amber laughed for the first time that morning.

Marie looked at her confused yet amused and contented that she had a smile on her face.

Amber animatedly retold the story of her and Sydney on their first trip to Paris whilst Marie sat and tried to act like she cared. Inside she was dying at the way Amber was curling her hair around her fingers and smiling with a light in her eyes that not even Marie had seen, not in the eighteen months she had known Amber. Marie stared at Amber's eyes as they turned from hazel to a golden buttery flame. She was coming back to life.

"FLIGHT 18 TO PARIS YOU ARE NOW BOARDING!"

They stood and gathered their bags and walked towards the gate. Marie with hope in her heart, and Amber with a fire in her eyes, lit only for one person. Sydney.