AFTER THE RAIN (Bonus edition)

31. A bad Hollywood rom-com

"What?" Marcus was doing a lot of shouting today.

"I'm sorry, somehow you're just not booked on this flight. We have a Miss..." The flight attendant looked up at Stormy, slightly confused, "Stormy-Rain booked on this flight, but you are booked for the next flight out, which leaves in two hours' time. I'm sorry."

Marcus turned to Stormy and noticed that she'd gone a pale shade of white. He reached over to her and stroked her cheek gently. Wow, he could get used to touching her like this, whenever he wanted to.

"It's not the end of the world, I'm sure Lilly and Damien can push the wedding by an hour or so. He's not going to start without his best man, and even if they do, I'll be there for the reception. And you'll get there on time and be there for Lilly," he said soothingly.

But Stormy shook her head. "I don't want to leave without you."

"I'll be right behind you," Marcus tried to reassure her. He hated seeing her frightened.

"I don't think I can fly on my own."

"I disagree," Marcus countered. "I think you're the strongest woman I've ever met, and you can do anything,"

"You think so?" Stormy said, perking up a little. Her reaction instantly made Marcus sad; he wondered just how many people in her life believed in her and bolstered her. Her friends did, but he knew her family hadn't. He would make sure he did it at every opportunity possible – he would make her see what an amazing, strong woman she was.

"I know so," he told her firmly.

Their goodbye was probably the most dramatic that the airport, the entire United Arab Emirates, and everyone living in it, had ever seen. It was like a scene from a bad Hollywood rom-com. They clung onto each other and then separated for a few seconds, only to run back into each other's arms, kissing feverishly. Again and again they tried to separate themselves.

"I love you."

"No, I love you."

"Goodbye. I love you."

"I love you, too..."

Run back for another kiss...

"Okay, this time I'm really going."

"Okay... I love you."

"Me too. So much."

"Bye."

"Bye."

"Love you..."

Run back for another kiss...

And so it went on like this, until someone actually stepped in and intervened.

"The gates are closing, do you think we can get this over with?" the guy from boarding gate desk said with a smile, and Stormy and Marcus were finally separated. The airline guy practically marched Stormy onto the flight, with her neck craned back as she shouted to Marcus.

"Love yooooou!"

"Love yooooou!"

"See you sooooon!"

It was quite something to see.

***

Stormy had never felt so relaxed on a flight before. Marcus's words had done more for her than she thought they would. His belief in her made her believe in herself. As she sat there alone, gazing absently out of the small airplane window at the endless expanse of sky, she started to wonder about the things she hadn't quite finished – like school. She would say it was for financial reasons, but that wasn't entirely true. The more time she'd spent away from her studies, the less and less she believed she could actually complete them – and do well. It's that typical procrastination trap, she mused: put something off for long enough, and you eventually can't do it at all.