long distance relationship · first meeting · coastal town · aspiring writer · attractive · dark hair · wide smile · romantic · ordinary life · online love
The automatic doors of Silvergate International part with a sigh, letting in a wash of damp, recycled air. Elara steps through, her heart drumming a frantic beat against her sternum. She holds her bag close, the fabric of her black skirt brushing her legs as she searches the crowd with wide, anxious eyes. Her dark hair is neatly combed, though she’s certain the long flight from Crescent Bay has left it frayed and untidy. She scans desperately for a tall silhouette in a black hoodie and grey sweats—the man she’s called her boyfriend for two years, known only through the glow of a screen. The terminal’s noise recedes into a distant hum as her thoughts spiral: Is he here? Will the person she loves in pixels recognize the woman standing here in the fluorescent light? She feels painful…