Weight

Something is off. I feel it with every fiber of my being. I know her like the back of my hand. We may be 2195 miles apart but I can still feel when she needs me, I can feel when something is wrong. So I pick up the phone, scroll down to our messages from two months ago and click her name.

Naomi

"I love you."

That was the last message she sent me. I know she keeps her notifications silenced. She hates the noise. I call her twice.

Maybe she's asleep. But my gut tells me she's not. so I text her.

"you up?"

I let 5 minutes go by, no response. I sit back in the chair nearest the window, watching the planes take off from LAX. The sky is pitch black, aside from all the lights from the planes. It's a beautiful view, something I know she'd love, and I wish she were here right now. I check my phone again to see if Naomi has called me or text back.

Nothing.

I take a deep breath in through my nose, out through my mouth.

My phone rings, but it's not Naomi. It's a number I don't recognize. I let the phone go to voicemail. The phone rings again, the same number. I pick up this time.

"Hello"

"Hi. Am I speaking to, uh Camden Pace?"

"This is he. May I ask who is calling?"

"yes, uh...this is Nurse Kelly calling from Grady Memorial Hospital. You were listed as Nao..."

I couldn't even let her get the name out fully. "Naomi's emergency contact. Naomi Fuller? My Namoi?"

"Yes. sir. Naomi Fuller."

My heart is in the pit of my stomach right now. We haven't talked in two months, and the hospital is calling me right now. It's like 6 am back home, 3 am here. I have so many questions but not a word leaves my mouth. It feels like forever before I catch my breath again. I'm aware that she made me her emergency contact, but I never thought it would actually be used. I zone out, thinking of all the possibilities of why the hospital could be calling me.

"Mr. Pace? Are you still there?"

Silence

"Mr. Pace? We have Naomi here. She's-"

I cut her off "Is she alive?"

"She's been in a bad wreck; she's on her way to emergency surgery, but we think it's urgent that you get here as soon as possible."

We never actually discussed what would happen in the event that the emergency contact be used, and now here we are. The only thing I can think about now is the last message she sent me: "I love you." I just want to tell her that I love her too. Not that I hadn't told her before, but that's why I was calling in the first place. To tell her that I love her and I miss her and I want to figure things out with her. For real this time. And now I may not be able to.

I clear the lump in my throat. "um, I'm all the way in LA. How am I supposed to get there in a timely manner?"

"Mr. Pace..."

"Camden, please call me Camden."

"Camden, please come as soon as you can. We will do everything in our power to keep her alive, but it's critical. I will stay with her until you arrive."

Silence

My throat burns, and tears begin to fall from my eyes, making the planes look like small blurred dots in the sky.

"Camden, are you still there?"

I clear my throat once more, but it doesn't help. I let out a raspy "Yeah, I'm here. I'll catch the next flight in."

"come find me when you arrive"

"yeah, sure." the only thing I hear now is the click from hanging up the phone. I throw the phone across the room out of anger.

I grab a small duffle, throw some clothes, my wallet, and the letter that Naomi wrote me. I've been waiting for the right time to open it. Maybe this is it.

I grab my phone from across the room, grab my keys, and exit the door. I flag down the first taxi I see. I'm not even paying attention to anything around me. Right now my mind is just on getting to Naomi, I can;t let her be alone. Not in this. I live about five minutes away from the airport, but the traffic is extra light this morning. The taxi drops me off in front of the airport. I'm in such a rush I don't even tip.

I run to the check-in desk and purchase the first red-eye available. The flight leaves in 30 minues, so I sprint to my gate and get there right on time. Within 5 minutes of my boarding the screen. We get ready for take-off just as I'm putting my carry-on away. I sit down and breathe deeply in preparation of for this 4 hour and 9 minute flight.