Goodbyes

The airport was quieter than Kai expected. 

Though they had been ushered into a private area, courtesy of the mayor (he treated Kai like his own son now), it was still filled with people Kai loved. 

 Kai stood with his suitcase beside him, his family and friends gathered around him in a loose semicircle. He glanced at them all, trying to carve their faces into memory.

Grandma Bingbing was the first to break the silence. She had been stoic the entire car ride, but now, she was sobbing openly, clutching her handkerchief to her face. Seeing her like this made Kai's chest ache.

"Grandma," he said softly, stepping closer to her. "Don't cry. I'll be back to visit, I promise."

She shook her head, her voice breaking. "I know, I know. But you're my baby boy! How can I not cry? I thought you were going to be a good-for-nothing, causing trouble all around the city, but you became such a good man."