Bogota, Colombia — June.

A stern-looking man in a starched army-green uniform regarded Nadia from behind his chrome and glass desk. His peaked cap sent shadows across an acne-scarred face. As he assessed her, his eyes narrowed, the thick, waxy paper of her passport flicking under his fingers.

Nadia gulped and glanced beyond him. A man and woman stood similarly attired, guns holstered at their side. They looked badass. Once again, she asked herself why she was entering a country that had just ended a fifty-year-old civil war, one that required visible firearms in its airport. She didn't even speak the language — except for when it came to ordering a beer — and hadn't seen the man she was to meet for six months.

A sigh escaped her. Khai hadn't contacted her much lately. Even though she knew he'd been off the beaten track, the thought released a floodgate of worries. Would he be waiting for her? If not, what then?

The reasonable part of her mind said she would catch a cab. The emotional part remembered the travel warnings: dodgy taxis lingering around airports, on the lookout for unsuspecting tourists; long treks through the jungle; chopped-off fingers. She wiggled her own. Nothing worth stealing there.

Get a hold of yourself, Nadia. You can wait. And, if he doesn't come, there will be a help desk.

The sound of a stamp clunking brought her attention to the man. His hard eyes locked on her own. Nadia swallowed. Then the man's eyes melted, and the big mouth broke into a warm smile, flashing in a perfect white crescent.

"Bienvenido a Colombia!" he said in a melodic voice.

Nadia beamed, her mood returning to light-hearted anticipation as he handed over her passport. "Gracias!"

He gave her a wink and tilted his head toward the exit.

Nadia's old Converses squeaked on the white, shiny tiles as she followed the directions to the baggage carousel, snaking her way through the complex. She bounced as she waited, gritting her teeth while person after person elbowed past to get their bags. Hers was one of the last to appear.

As she stood poised to grab it, a businessman, distracted by his phone conversation, dropped the wheel of his roller bag on her foot.

"Ow! Fucken —"

"Disculpe!"

Her backpack careened past. Nadia forgot the man and hopped after it, grabbing hold moments before it disappeared. Grunting, she swung it up. Why'd I pack so many bloody clothes? She adjusted it to a comfortable position on her hips, tightening the strap around her waist and clipping her daypack on the front.

She dissolved into the stream of passengers making their way to the arrivals lounge. The terminal smelled of rubber and freshly cleaned surfaces. Luggage and trolley wheels whirred and snippets of Spanish dialogue hung in the air, dripping with the sultry Colombian accent. To her delight, she occasionally caught its drift. Everything had an ambience of adventure and new beginnings. Like a sponge, she soaked up every last drop.

Arrows guided the flow through an entryway, along a corridor, straight through customs and then she was there, in a huge, bright room. Barrier posts separated the incomers from a welcoming crowd. On the other side, friends and families embraced, chauffeurs held up signs, and beyond glass walls, cars deposited and collected their passengers.

Nadia stood on tiptoes as she scanned the figures and faces, her heart in her throat and her stomach fluttering. There he was. A stocky figure in cargo pants and hooded jumper, leaning against a pole with arms crossed over his chest. His wide mouth opened in a cheesy smile like he was laughing at some secret joke. From across the room, her grey eyes gazed into his dark-chocolate ones, and her heart started to pound. His brown hair had grown and was tucked behind his ears. A sunburnt nose poked out above a new beard, still short, but covering enough of his face to appear, well, strange.

Khai made his way toward her, shoulders back and hands in pockets. Her gaze shadowed his as she trailed the barrier line to its completion. Then he stopped, waiting for her to come to him.

Her teeth ground, though she managed to rein in the urge to stamp her foot. He wasn't supposed to pass the railing. She knew that. But after all this time, why couldn't he? It wasn't like he would be arrested or anything. Would he? Nah — no way. An image of him picking her up and twirling her around, like in a scene from a Hollywood romance, blinked out of existence.

She pushed aside her disappointment, pasted a smile on her face, and moved.

His arms stretched out to her. "Come here, babe."

Swallowing her pride, she ran into them. The hug was awkward. Her daypack sat between them like a rude chaperone, and her backpack, rather than his hands, caressed her back. Frustrated, she stepped backwards and shook them off.

Khai looked down at her with a knowing expression, then opened his arms to her again. This time she pressed right into him. His body felt different: leaner and hardened. His smell had changed too. At home, his natural scent had mixed with his favourite deodorant and laundry detergent. Except for a slight tang of body odour, the elements were off kilter.

"Hey, babe," said Khai. His voice was affectionate and sweet.

Nadia peered up at him and let out a small yawn. "Hey." She didn't know what else to say. The situation was too surreal.

"How are you?"

Nadia shrugged. "Happy ... tired ... happy." She chuckled. "I don't really know what to say ... this is so —"

"Weird?"

She nodded as he stroked her hair. One of his fingers became tangled in a wavy tendril, and she winced when he yanked it out.

"Ow! Um, yeah."

His eyes narrowed a fraction. "I hope you're glad to be here."

The hint of disappointment in his tone sent a small jab to her chest. He must know she was ecstatic to be with him. Just in case, she held his eyes and cupped his face with her hands.

"I'm so happy to be here."

His face softened, and his mouth quirked into a satisfied grin.

"It just feels like a dream," she said, smiling shyly. "Plus, I'm so bloody jet lagged!"

Khai squeezed the top of her arms and lifted her, so she stood on the balls of her feet, and kissed her forehead.

"That's alright, babe." He let out a sigh. "I remember what it was like when I first got to Mexico." He pushed away from her and held out his hand. "Come on, let's get outta here."

Nadia hesitated a moment to shoulder her bags. Done, she took his hand and let him tug her along. The weight and her shorter frame made it difficult to keep up with him, but she zipped her lips, determined to be an easy-going girlfriend from the get-go.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bienvenido a Colombia! — Welcome to Colombia!

Gracias! — Thank you!

Disculpe! — Sorry!

Photo by John Tyson on Unsplash.