March 16, 2018

The boys were exhausted after the San Francisco show; happy, content, but exhausted.

They packed up the venue, loaded the tour bus, and were on the road headed to Los Angelos by one in the morning.

They tried to stay awake for awhile to talk about the turnout of the night, but ended up falling asleep in their seats, causing each to head to bed respectively. Everyone but Jonah.

He sat sideways in one of the long seats at the front of the bus, looking out the window to his left at the streets and lights passing by.

Then, just like that, he thought of her.

It had been several days since she crossed his mind due to tour and constant moving, but he was suddenly remembering her short brown hair, grey eyes, book in hand, quick comments, half-smile.

He got caught up in the memory of standing next to her in that coffee shop where they met and almost sighed aloud when he faced the truth: he was never going to see her again.

He wondered, dazed by fatigue and silence as he stared out the window, if he would always think of her, if in the unknown days, weeks, months, and maybe even years ahead he would think of her, the stranger who he simply wanted to know.

He didn't have an answer, and spent a long time not having an answer by the window.

Eventually, he stood up and moved to the back of the bus to sleep.

***

Eliska watched her dad expectantly, knowing he would probably advise her not to go through with her plan, but hoping with a small part of her that it would be the other way around.

He glanced at her, face glowing with hotel lamplight, and smiled gently.

She waited with bated breath... and he nodded.

"Yes?" she whispered.

He nodded his head again.