was he at the right gate ? nate glanced at the slip of paper in his hand, then at the sign in front of him. he was at the right gate. folding up the paper and shoving it into his pocket with a huff, he next reached for the loose sunflower seeds he had stowed in the same place and popped several into his mouth. the chewing is supposed to calm him and although nate isn’t sure if it ever has, the familiar taste in his mouth and weight in his palm are still comforting. his gaze scanned the crowded airport corridor as a line of people filed in through the precarious - looking tunnel connected to the enormous plane parked outside. nate started tapping his foot and chewing a little faster. his anticipation and his dread grew as the crowd around the tunnel began to thin. travelers were now trickling into the building instead of spilling in. nate glanced at the sign in front of him again and frowned, dumping the loose sunflower seeds into his pocket and reaching for the slip of paper again. he spotted her before his fingers closed around it. nate beamed. he wanted so desperately to rush forward and scoop her up in his arms, but desirae’s lukewarm farewell from a week earlier was still fresh in his mind and as a result he didn’t move. / @desiraes
