Thomas was not in his normal state. He was excited, of course, to take the plane for the first time, to discover a place as heavenly as Florida, and to be able to live his American dream, built long dates of teen movies that he had looked. But more than excitement, it was fear that won him over. The fear of being alone, the fear of the unknown, but also the fear of lack.

As he strolled through the airport corridors, dragging his towering suitcase as best he could in search of the check-in desk, each passing second plunged him a little more into blur that he hardly liked. Admittedly, he was aware of his luck, but he was also aware that this trip would not be a pleasure.

— Do you have your ticket?

His father was glued to his phone, also looking for the counter. Like his son, this trip made him nervous.

— Yes Dad, replied Thomas.

— Here’s the billboard.

Large white characters were lined up on the huge black panel. Many destinations, but only one interested Thomas and his family. As he carefully scanned the panel, from top to bottom, starting with the timetables, his mother exclaimed:

— Here it is ! 2:40 p.m., Orlando, flight DY7059, terminal 2D.

Normally, the family would not have reacted so hastily. But today was not a normal day. It was the day when the son was going to leave the house to stand on his own feet for months on another continent, it was the day when the parents absolutely wanted everything to go without a hitch, even if it meant stressing more than reason and arrive much earlier than expected. So, after knowing the place of their goodbye, they made a determined step towards the 2D terminal. The airport was very large. However, everything was well indicated. In fact, it was enough to look up.

* * *

Arriving at the 2D terminal, the family set out to find the check-in desk. Thomas was anxious to get rid of his heavy suitcase, but he would have liked to drag it a few more minutes. Separating for a moment meant the end of any possible backsliding. And to leave a few things on a carpet in the direction of the luggage trailer was also to leave people, habits, a life for much longer. Thomas was one of those people who are afraid of the unknown, those who do not think they have the courage to take the first step towards new experiences. He had to move forward and not look back, the opportunity before him was too good to pass up.

Thomas was brought out of his thoughts by his mother who exclaimed, with a relieved air:

— There he is, right in front of us.

Indeed, the counter was a few tens of meters away, facing them. As he approached, Thomas noticed the inscriptions in different languages ​​written above a person in an electric blue uniform. The registration was relatively short compared to the lengthy process Thomas had to take to obtain his student visa. He took his documents out of his backpack, which he handed to the agent, and put his suitcase on the treadmill as best he could. After seeing the validity of the documents and the proper observance of the regulatory weight of the suitcase, the counter agent pressed a button. The suitcase then disappeared, dragged along by the treadmill to the backstage of the airport. No more going back.

Thomas still had a little time to take advantage of his parents before leaving them for many months. The family decided to have lunch at one of the airport's many restaurants. She sat down at one of the last unoccupied tables, located not far from an information point. The din of the many steps, all kinds of discussions and squeaky casters did not deceive anyone, and Thomas closed his eyes, every sound brought him back to reality. Conversely, the meal was very silent, and it was not until dessert that languages ​​began to loosen.

— You will not forget to call us regularly? said his mother.

— And think of sending us photos from time to time, so that we travel a little with you from the house, added his father.

— Of course, you can count on me, replied Thomas.

The more the hour went on, the more Thomas felt his throat close. He had slept very little last night, too stressed to be able to close his eyes on his own. He had fallen into the arms of Morpheus, from tiredness, only 3 hours before his alarm clock sounded. Nervous, he had to bring himself up from his chair, grab the backpack on the table, and head for security.

Thomas’s parents could see from his livid face that he wasn’t quite on his plate. The trip was very stressful for them, but it was certainly nothing compared to what he must have experienced.

— Thomas, please give me a smile, asked his mother. You're going to have a great experience there.

— Yes, said his father. We know very well that it’s not easy for you to leave us, but think of all those movies that you’ve watched. If it's like that in real life, then you're going to have a good time.

— And then if you are homesick, you can always call us, added his mother. Even with jet lag, we will still be there to pick up.

A slight smile brightens Thomas' face. Admittedly, he was anxious about what seemed to him to be a jump into the void, but he remembered the many teen movies he had had the opportunity to see, the atmosphere that emanated from them, and the chance that was offered to him.

— Yes, you're right, it's going to be a great year, said Thomas with more enthusiasm than before.

— Nice to hear her son, exclaimed Thomas' father.

A slight clock ring was heard.

— Oh, already 1.30pm, I think it's time to say goodbye, said his mother.

— Yes, you'd better not hang out too long, added his father. There are already a lot of people to wait.

So Thomas hugged his parents tightly and kissed them.

— I love you, he said.

— So do we, said his parents together.

He turned around and took the direction of the queue that had formed before the security checks, his backpack on one shoulder. His parents stayed until Thomas disappeared from the crowd.

He only had ten minutes to wait in the queue before he could make his way to the stack of bins in front of the treadmill. He handed his papers to the security guard in front of him, crossed the gantry without incident and was able to quickly recover all his belongings deposited on the bin.

It wasn't until he left security that he realized that the goodbyes with his parents were short. It was certainly better this way. For the first time in his life, Thomas had moved forward without looking back.