Five Feet Apart

Eight months later, Will sits in a busy airport with Jason, waiting for their flight. He watches Stella’s latest YouTube video, which features their love story. Stella discusses the significance of human touch, which was denied to her and Will due to their cystic fibrosis. Although Will admits, “I still find myself wishing I hadn’t left, reliving the moment of walking away, my legs like cement blocks, being pulled like a magnet back to her window” (270), he does not regret his choice. The notification from Stella’s app reminds him that it is time to take his pills. Jason asks Will if he’s ready to travel to their destination of Brazil. Will details his mother’s conditions for allowing him to travel around the world: He must have checkups in every city, “send her as many pictures as possible, and Skype her every Monday evening, no matter what” (271). As they prepare to board their plane, Will hears the sound of Stella’s laughter and initially believes he has forgotten to turn off the video on his phone. He searches for a sign of Stella and quickly sees that she has already found him.