One More Weekend (Sapphics in the City #5)

10. Jenna

10

JENNA

I could see that I was right just from the look on Sy’s face, she was almost guilty and it made my stomach turn.

“Ha! I knew it.” I rapped my fingers against each other, like an evil mastermind. “Nothing gets over my head, silly Sy.”

Rolling her eyes, Sy bumped into me as the ferry came into view. “Lucky guess. It’s a guided tour but we don’t have to stay with the guide.”

We filed into a short line of people standing outside of Castle Clinton, where a red brick wall towered over us with only port holes for old cannons breaking the defense. I hadn’t seen it since freshman year when a group of us headed downtown to explore outside of campus.

My eyes wandered to our fellow attendees. Most of them looked like tourists, wearing fanny packs and good walking sneakers. There were a few kids, excitedly bouncing at their parents’ feet.

“It’s quite a touristy first pick.” I leaned toward Sy and lowered my voice. Immediately, the smell of their earthy sweat hit my nose.

Shrugging, Sy nodded. “True but I know someone who works at Ellis and they offered me cheap tickets. Plus, it’s something you’ve never done and it’s what New York’s all about. Send me your poor, your huddled masses… and all that shit.”

“Aw yes, this is true. Metaphorically speaking, this is where most New Yorkers’ journeys began.” I winked, playing along.

“Yeah, see, now you’re catching on.” Sy laughed as she looked down at her phone, pulling up our tickets.

As fun as it was to pick on her, Sy was right. If I’d been an elementary school kid on the East Coast, this would have been one of our field trips. It would have inspired a sense of purpose and belonging, reminding us of our duty as citizens to protect the weakest among us, no matter what.

It was undeniably sweet that Sy wanted to show it to me. Plus I knew even “cheap” tickets were more than she should have spent.

Before I could chastise her for such an elaborate first – well I still wasn’t sure what to call it – date? The tour guide walked to the front of the line with a beaming smile. “Good morning, travelers! I’m Tyler and I’m going to be your guide today. We’re ready to board our ferry, so follow me please and have your vouchers out on your phones.”

It was hard to believe someone could be so thrilled to start their morning like this but the more I thought about it, the less confusing it was. There was a pleasant breeze off the water, the sun was shining and our group seemed excited.

Shaking it off, we followed Tyler toward the water where a steel railing herded us toward a small, white ferry at the end of the dock.

“Probably a bad time to ask but do you get seasick?” Sy leaned over and dramatically frowned.

Rolling my eyes, I nudged her shoulder which was nearly bare from the cuff of her t-shirt. “No, I grew up in SoCal so I’m good.”

With a shrug, Sy refreshed the tickets on her phone. “Ya never know.”

We scanned our tickets and walked onto the ferry, opting to head up to the top deck where there was a selection of seats and standing room. Sy set our bags on the chairs closest to the railing and took her position on the edge of the deck.

“Are you excited?” Sy smiled, trying to be as enthusiastic as 9 am would allow her to be. I knew she wasn’t a morning person so I couldn’t help but be flattered by her commitment to her promise.

Nodding, I sidled up next to her. “Definitely. I always wanted to go but I thought our college friends would think it was lame.”

Sy scoffed and pressed her bare arm into mine. “I wouldn’t have.”

That was becoming evidently clear. Here Sy was prepared to take care of me even if it left her in a bad spot after I’d lost my job, my girlfriend, and my joy for the city where we met. She would be left without a roommate and likely have to move out of our rent-stabilized unit because her name wasn’t on the lease.

I bit the inside of my cheek.

What did I do to deserve a friend like this?

With a jolt of an engine just below the water's surface, the boat lurched forward.

There was no point questioning it, Sy wasn’t of this planet and I just had to accept that she’d chosen me.

The boat headed out of the pier as our tour guide climbed the steps, now equipped with a headset. “Okay travelers, welcome to your Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour. Let’s set the scene…”

Sy looked down at the water as Tyler spoke, each wave being chopped under the boat’s hull. I couldn’t stop myself from watching her as Tyler began.

He started by explaining the purpose of an immigration inspection and processing station and the United States’s close alliance with France following the assistance France provided during the American Revolution. It felt like a refresh of fifth grade, providing context for the story we were about to see unfold.

Once we’d set the historical context, Tyler’s voice shifted to something more personal. “Travelers, I want you to look out to the sea past this bay. An endless expanse, you’d have only seen miles of water for months. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, you may have had a single suitcase to live out of on a massive freighter.”

My chest got heavy at the thought as my eyes searched for an end to the horizon. But looking West, it seemed like it may never end.

“After months of sea sickness and minimal food, you hear a call from the crow’s nest. ‘Land hoy!’ You run from the lower decks up to the main with a crowd of fellow travelers.” Tyler paused as he held his arm out for us to follow his gesturing. “And there on the horizon, the sea line is broken by the mystery of this towering woman of liberty.”

I did as I was told, letting my gaze move from west to east. My jaw dropped when I saw her. The statue towered over the bay, her torch raised high into the air as she beckoned the boats forward.

“Wow.” The words slipped past my lips.

Resting on me, Sy’s eyes beamed at me.

I rolled mine at her. “Oh come on, it’s pretty amazing.”

“I know, it’s almost like I planned this.” Winking, Sy leaned against the rail as she looked over to the copper statue, centuries oxidized by the salt water and rain.

To our side, Tyler continued his speech but Sy turned her attention back to me. “So, what’s next?”

Raising an eyebrow, I laughed. “That’s a little broad.”

“For you, if you’re not in New York, what does the next step look like?” Sy leaned back against the railing, her lean forearms tensing.

My eyes flicked back to Lady Liberty. All of my answers were unglamorous, something unremarkable. The reality was, if she went back west I’d work at my parents’ firm and live at home for a while.

Sy narrowed her eyes at me. “Be honest, there’s no shame. Trust me, I’m a twenty-something barista-bartender with no real prospects except a degree that’s collecting dust.”

“You have prospects, you just don’t write anymore.” I slapped her arm lightly. “Honestly, I don’t know. College has so much direction, it’s so obvious what you do. Four years of school, internships, then a real job, and then you ride that train until you die.”

“What a joy.” Sy chuckled as she looked at the bay and the waves lapping against the Statue of Liberty.

Shrugging, my shoulders dropped. “Yeah, but now my guide rails are gone and I have no fucking clue. Like I’m going to keep applying for shit but who knows if anything will come through.”

Hell, a part of me didn't want anything to. Hearing myself describe it felt like a shot in the chest. What was I even working toward?

Sy wrapped her long arm around me, squeezing me into her torso. “I know. But I’ve got you and I’ll help however I can. I’m a master budgeter at this point.”

“That’s true.” I let my head roll onto her shoulder, taking comfort in her familiarity as her musk mixed with the coffee on her breath. “But like… even Clay dumped me?”

“Clay’s an asshole.” Sy’s jaw tensed as she tried to hold back what she really wanted to say.

Nodding, I turned to face the Statue, which was slowly drifting behind the boat as we headed to Ellis Island. “Well, yeah. But what if no one wants to be with me? What if I'm unloveable?”

Faster than I expected, Sy gripped my shoulders and faced me head-on, disbelief on her face. “Jenna Chambers, take that back right now. You are the most loveable human I’ve ever seen.”

“Human?” I eyed her suspiciously.

“Well, I mean do you want to compete with every puppy, kitten, and animal on the planet?” With a wink, Sy got serious again. “I hear the concern. But Jen, you are genuinely too good of a person for this earth. These people don’t deserve you. Fuck, I’m not even sure I deserve to live in the same timeline as you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Cut it out.”

Recentering, Sy shook her head. “But I’m being serious. This is their loss, both SDO and Clay. What’s right for you is still waiting for you, I promise.”

I had no idea how she could be so certain, how she could know that. But goddamn it was hard not to believe her.

Before I could muster the courage to say anything else, Sy reached down and grabbed my hand. “We’re about to dock, let’s go downstairs.”

I couldn’t be sure what the rest of the day had in store for us, but I was willing to follow Sy anywhere she led me.