*~~Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Seven~~*

{~~Avery Sterling~~}

The flight wasn’t bad at all, a smooth ride that gave me plenty of time to think and prepare for the days ahead. I spent most of the flight reading, trying to immerse myself in a book to keep my mind from wandering too far into worry. Every now and then, I’d glance out the window, watching the clouds shift and the landscape beneath me change from small dots of houses to vast stretches of wilderness. It was strange, being so far from home, but I knew this trip was important.

As the flight neared its end, I pulled out my phone to text Agatha. She was supposed to pick me up, and I didn’t want to leave her waiting.

Landed. See you soon, I typed quickly, sending it before I put my phone on airplane mode one last time before landing.

The plane touched down smoothly, and once we reached the gate, I grabbed my carry-on and made my way through the airport. The anticipation of seeing Agatha again, an old college friend I hadn’t seen in years, was starting to bubble up. We’