My eyes follow her as she walks away and I can hear my heart shatter inside my chest.

Her steps aren’t faltering. She isn’t hesitating. I should be doing the same. My brothers flight should be landing any minute now.

But I can’t look away, can’t move, can barely breathe.

Eventually I find the will to move my muscles, the announcement over the loudspeaker that my brother’s plane had landed spurring me to action.

Though I am moving, its mechanical. I’m just going through the motions while I find Jimmy and bring him to the car. I’m on autopilot as we leave the airport and get onto the highway.

Jimmy’s voice is what finally snaps me out of it.

“Alright dude, what’s going on?”

I spare a glance at him. He’s looking at me with a mix of concern and curiosity.

I sigh deeply.

“I met my soulmate the airport.”

Jimmy barks out a laugh. “Oh my god!” The words come out more similar to laughter than actual speech.

He laughs a bit more but I can tell he sobers up when we looks at me.

“You being serious?” I nod. “Ok… alright, what’s happened.”

I spend a moment struggling for words. And then it all just comes pouring out.

“I saw her and I just felt my heart… I don’t know how to describe it. It was like just the sight of her healed all the remaining cracks from when it had previously been broken. And then she met my eyes and she smiled at me and my heart sung like it had found its calling. I approached her and introduced myself. She said her name was Hana. We just… clicked. J swear to god Jimmy, conversation has never been so easy.”

I take a pause to catch my breath, inhaling deeply as I blink back the wetness I can feel rising to my eyes.

“Wow.” I take a moment to look at how Jimmy has reacted. “Sounds like you really like this girl, E. Did you get her number?”

I take a sharp breath at that.

“No. She… she’s taking a flight to Japan tonight. A job offer. She’s planning on staying there at least a few years. And I know myself too well. I wouldn’t be able to handle long distance. So we talked until she had to go get on her flight and then we said goodbye.”

It was silent for a minute. Then Jimmy said, “Shit man. I’m so sorry Ethan.”

I closed my eyes for a brief moment to recenter myself.

“Yeah. Me too.”

We spend the rest of the car ride in silence.