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jacket.
    “Can you come in with me?”
    “I can for a second to help you haul this big thing in, but I don’t want my car to be gone when I get back.”
    They hurried into the passenger check-in area. Victoria left Cindy’s bag in the long line, and gave her a hug.   Cindy felt her last connection to the outer world slipping swiftly away.
    “Bye.”
    “Bye, Cindy.   Have a super trip, and do everything I would do, okay?”
    “Yeah, okay.”
    “That will pretty much leave you open for anything, you know that, right?”
    Cindy nodded, having trouble breathing as her stomach tied itself up in a knot.
    “You brought a novel to read, right?”
    “Yes; a few, actually.”
    “Just put your nose in your book and pretend you’re on a big bus headed someplace…..a really big bus that just happens to be thirty some thousand feet in the air, no big deal.”
    Victoria laughed and patted Cindy on the back, causing her stomach to gurgle and a wave of nausea to wash over her.
    “That’s not funny.   You have my parents’ number, just in case, right?”
      “Nothing is going to happen to you, Cindy. You will be just fine.   I know you’ll come back all glamorous with a new wardrobe and who knows what else.   It’s going to be the adventure of a lifetime, lucky dog.”
    “You didn’t answer my question.”
    “Yes, I have your parents’ number, your hotel number, the number of the agency who assured me they could find you and your soon-to-be new sweetheart at the snap of a finger should anything important happen…”
    Remembering her orange tabby cat, Cindy felt a new wave of anxiety grip the area around her temples and threaten to give her a splitting headache.
    “You forgot Max.”
    “No I didn’t. You interrupted me.   I have the keys to your apartment, directions for the proper care and feeding of Max, and the keys to your mailbox. which will be checked on a daily basis. Your mail will be collected and neatly stacked on your kitchen counter awaiting your return.   Anything else, Madame World Traveler?”
    Cindy shook her head and held her breath to keep from crying as she laughed at Victoria ’s dramatic account of her duties.
    “It’s going to be the time of your life, Cindy, I promise.   You did sign up for this, you know?”
    “Yeah, thanks to you.”
    “I know you plan to be indebted to me for life and that’s okay.   Groveling is always a good thing to me and I enjoy exotic gifts…perfume, clothing, and of course jewelry…”
    “Very funny.   Yes, I will find room in my bags to bring you a surprise or two back from the trip.”
    “The only surprise I want is another super hunk.   If you see any, give them my MySpace address, okay?”
    “Yeah, whatever.”
    Victoria turned around and Cindy noticed a uniformed officer approaching her car.
    “Uh oh…Gotta run.   You take care of yourself and have a super trip, okay sweetie?”
    Cindy reached out and clutched Victoria around the neck; her last connection with her familiar and mundane world was about to disappear.
    “Thanks for bringing me to the airport.”
    “No problem.   Oh look, the cop is standing next to my car and he’s a cutie!   Maybe I’ll get lucky after all.   Bye!”
    Cindy walked toward the ticket counter, turning once to take a last look at her friend who was busy flirting with the officer.  
    Cindy felt more tears welling up in her eyes and the lump in her throat threatening to choke her now as she watched Victoria ’s little car speed away. She made her way to the long line of passengers waiting to check bags.
    The line moved quicker than she expected and within a moment, Cindy was standing in front of the ticket agent.
    “Passport, ma’am?”
    “Yes.”
    “And you’ll have to put your luggage here.”
    Cindy realized she was holding on to her bags for dear life as if they were the only connection left to tether her to the familiar surroundings of home.
    “Yes, of course; sorry.”
    “Here’s your