August 20, 2013
JFK Airport was swarming with people rushing back and forth—some arriving, others sprinting through the hallways because they were about to miss their flight or had encountered an issue with security.
In one corner, however, a person stood out from the rest due to his immense height. He was standing in front of a group of people in what appeared to be a bittersweet farewell.
"Well, it's time," Aaron said, adjusting the backpack slung over his shoulder. He looked at the people before him—the most important people in his life at this precise moment—from whom he, unfortunately, had to say goodbye.
Melissa was about to say something until she brought her hands to her mouth, tears threatening to escape her eyes. But before the tears could even fall, Aaron took a few steps forward and wrapped his mother in a comforting embrace.
The moment she felt her son's arms around her, the tears didn't take long to stream down her face. She began to tremble, her face hidden against her son's body.
"Promise me you'll take care of yourself," Melissa said between sobs, not lifting her face from his chest, as she couldn't bear to look him in the eye at a moment like this.
"I will," Aaron whispered softly to his mother, squeezing her even tighter, deepening the hug.
After a moment, recomposing herself, Melissa stepped back while wiping away the tears that still clung to her face.
"Don't forget about your aunt," Paola said as she also stepped forward, wrapping her nephew in an effusive hug before Aaron could even react. He returned the embrace. "I don't think I need to say the same words as your mother, right?" she said in a teasing tone.
"Of course not, Aunt," Aaron said with a smile on his face. "Just don't do anything stupid," was the last thing she told him before pulling away.
"Goo-goo," came a babble from Mia, who was reaching out her tiny arms toward Aaron. Without waiting another second, he leaned in and lifted his little cousin from Hector's arms.
"I promise I'll come see you soon, little one," Aaron said in a high-pitched voice to Mia, who seemed to have sensed something; her face began to scrunch up, tears traced her cheeks, and then she began to sob.
"Waaahhh!" Mia's crying drew the attention of several people nearby while Aaron began to rock her slowly, calming her bit by bit.
"There, there, don't cry," Aaron said as he continued to rock Mia, whose little arms were firmly gripping Aaron's shirt, unwilling to let go.
"I promise that before you know it, I'll be back here with you," Aaron said in a soft voice to Mia. She seemed to have calmed down more but still had her gaze fixed on her cousin as Aaron delicately passed her back to Paola, who began to soothe her daughter.
"Aaron," Hector said seriously.
"Hector," Aaron responded, equally serious, as he extended his hand for a firm handshake. Hector didn't hesitate to respond, closing the grip between the two men.
"Promise me you'll take care of them," Aaron told him seriously. Hector nodded in response, much to Aaron's satisfaction.
Immediately after, and caught by surprise, Hector pulled Aaron in and wrapped him in a firm hug, patting him on the back. Aaron returned it warmly, not entirely used to Hector hugging him.
Click. The sound of a flash caught both men's attention. They turned their gaze toward Melissa, who, with a smile, had her phone pointed at the two of them.
"I couldn't resist," Melissa told them, her mobile camera still aimed at both, causing them to separate with throat-clears and signs of awkwardness in their posture.
"Ahem." After that, the two men stepped apart, and Aaron moved toward the last person, who had also been watching everything intently.
"Hey," Aaron said with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Hannah's waist. She placed her hands around her boyfriend's neck while they both shared a look that said more than a thousand words, knowing this would probably be the last time they would see each other for a while.
"Promise me we'll talk every day," Hannah told Aaron, never breaking eye contact.
"Always," Aaron replied as he leaned in to give Hannah a chaste kiss. She melted into the kiss, standing slightly on her tiptoes due to the height difference between them.
Neither of them wanted to pull away, which was why the kiss gradually intensified until it became a heated session between the two, who found themselves in their own world.
"Ahem!" A throat-clear broke the atmosphere, causing them to turn in the direction it came from.
Melissa, seeing that the two young people wouldn't separate if she didn't intervene, decided to clear her throat to remind them they were in a public place.
Looking more closely, Aaron saw that Paola had her hand over Mia's eyes, not wanting her to see a scene like that, while Hector looked away, letting them have their moment.
"If the lovebirds are finished, I think you should be heading in now, Aaron," Paola said with a smirk, looking at both of them.
"Attention all passengers bound for Lexington, Kentucky: boarding will begin shortly," came the announcement over the airport intercom, as if it were laughing at both of them.
"Well then, I guess this really is the final goodbye," Aaron said, separating from the group and entering the boarding area under the watchful eyes of his family and his girlfriend.
Once inside, Aaron raised his hand and began to wave, saying goodbye to the group, who returned the gesture until they lost sight of him as he turned a corner and his figure disappeared into the crowd of people coming and going through the airport.
After passing through security, Aaron took a seat in one of the chairs near his boarding gate while waiting for his flight to begin boarding.
Knowing there were a few minutes left before the call, Aaron took out his cell phone to connect the headphones he wore around his neck and began to look for a song he liked.
Finding a specific one, Aaron hit play while watching the passengers pass by. Everyone was caught up in their own business while he watched everything as if he were viewing a movie with the music as a soundtrack.
In a corner, there was a screen that seemed to be broadcasting the latest news in the world of sports.
"In other news, the young basketball prodigy Aaron Reed has signed his letter of intent with the University of Kentucky, putting himself under the command of Coach Calipari," the news anchor said. "What can you tell us about this decision from the 5-star recruit, Trent?" he said, yielding the floor to his colleague, who set down the glass of water he was drinking and began his explanation.
"Thanks, Chris. Well, it must be said that Aaron Reed's move isn't far-fetched at all. After all, under Calipari's leadership, the Wildcats are a consolidated powerhouse in the SEC and in the NCAA in general," Trent began. "However, we must also consider the team's young roster and that they have the number 3 recruit of this class, Texas power forward Julius Randle," Trent said in a serious tone.
"Do you think there will be friction between the two?" Chris asked curiously, awaiting his colleague's answer. "I think Calipari will need to know how to manage the egos of both players and how to make them coexist alongside the rest of the young players arriving at Kentucky," Trent said seriously, staring into the camera as he spoke those words.
"Do you think we could see this group of youngsters in the March Madness finals?" was the next question Chris asked his colleague.
"I think if Calipari manages to get everyone to coexist and create good chemistry, we would be seeing an incredible season," Trent concluded, looking to generate more hype around the Wildcats' season, which wouldn't begin until November.
"Now, let's move on to an even more interesting topic," Chris said, as the iconic NBA logo began to appear on the screen.
"In case you missed this season's playoffs, the Miami Heat—led by Bosh, James, and Wade—prevailed over Tim Duncan and Popovich's Spurs," Chris continued, as the screen began to show highlights of the seven games played by both teams in a heart-stopping final.
"It must be said that since Bosh and James arrived in Miami, they are achieving what they were supposed to win, obtaining their second straight ring after their victory against Kevin Durant's OKC," Trent said.
Both commentators continued talking about the Heat's dynasty and whether there would be any team that could face them next season, or if the Heat could win their third straight NBA championship, continuing the dynasty and the great momentum they were currently experiencing in South Beach.
"Now let's talk about player transfers and free agency," was the next segment several commentators began to discuss, while a player in a yellow jersey with a red cross over his photo appeared on the screen background.
"And what had been talked about since July has become a reality: Dwight Howard is leaving the Lakers for the Rockets," Trent told the screen, while Howard's image remained on display.
"After a disastrous season with the L.A. team, 'Superman' leaves the city of stars in search of returning to his best version in Houston," Chris continued, as images appeared on the screen of Howard arriving at George Bush Airport in Houston under the watchful eyes of paparazzi.
"Sources close to Howard tell us he didn't feel comfortable in Los Angeles, nor with Kobe's training volume, and there was friction between them in team practices," he continued. "In any case, we hope everything goes well in Houston and that he can return to the best version of himself that he was in Orlando," Trent added, hoping the Houston team would provide a surprise this season now that Superman was joining The Beard's team.
"And continuing with the transfers, in Boston, the 'Big Three' that won the 17th championship in history in 2008 has officially come to an end following the trade of Garnett and Pierce to the Nets," Chris said, as an iconic photo of the Big Three in 2008 appeared on the screen.
"The move was somewhat unexpected and a very risky gamble by the Brooklyn team, trading away several draft picks to get two players reaching the twilight of their careers, plus veteran Jason Terry, who had barely played one season with the Celtics.
"This season will be key to knowing if the Nets made a great deal or if they just destroyed the future of the franchise for several years by sacrificing multiple draft rounds," Chris finished, before the screen cut to commercials.
"Passengers bound for Lexington, Kentucky, please approach the boarding gate as we are beginning the boarding process," a flight attendant's voice was heard through the area's speakers.
Seeing the boarding begin, Aaron stopped checking his phone and took the headphones off his head, walking straight to the gate, ready to begin what would be a new chapter in his life and what would define his future.
"Ticket, please," said the flight attendant with a polite smile as Aaron handed over his ticket and she let him onto the plane.
As soon as he entered the cabin, Aaron began to realize he was going to hate flying the moment he had to duck down to move through the passenger cabin to reach the row where his seat was located.
Seeing the reduced space he had and that he would be sitting next to two other people at his sides, Aaron was thankful that the flight was less than three hours, as he couldn't imagine being boxed into that tiny seat for several hours.
"I can't wait to get to Kentucky," Aaron thought as he sat down with great effort and buckled his seatbelt, while the two people at his sides took their seats. Then the plane began to move and take off.
Thus, the chapter of high school closed for Aaron, and a new chapter in his life began.
Authors thought's
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