Chapter 27
Two weeks later
Tristan and Charlie were waiting for them outside in the parking lot, as promised.
“Thanks for coming to see us off,” Arthur said. “We would have come to you, but…I wouldn’t have a clue where to park this thing in the city.”
“This is how it’s gonna be now, huh?” Tristan teased. “We come to you, wherever you are, on your terms. What do we get in return for being the fun uncle and aunt that always show up?”
“An extra person that loves you?”
“Yeah, damn it, that’s pretty cool.”
They both turned in unison and began ogling the Airstream. For Wren’s part, as soon as she locked eyes with Charlie, it was all over. The sobs came, and they came hard, for both of them.
Wren practically lateraled Liam to Arthur and ran to her friend, devouring her in a hug.
“Fuck you for crying,” Charlie said.
“Fuck you for leaving,” Wren said. “You give me two weeks’ notice before you leave me forever, like we’re working at IHOP or something?”
A small laugh.
“Couldn’t you at least stay until we get back?”
“I wish I could,” Charlie said.
“Is Tristan making you do this?” Wren whispered. “Just give me a signal and I’ll get rid of him.”
“He’s not making me do anything, I promise.”
“It’s just that we made a deal,” Wren said. “First one to leave Baltimore…”
“…gets a tattoo of the other’s face.”
“Don’t tell me you’re backing out,” Wren said.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.”
The two finally pulled away and locked eyes again. Charlie took a deep breath, as if preparing to make a confession of undying love.
“Wren, you’ve always been—”
“Buh-buh-buh. Do not. Don’t even think about it. There will be no eulogies today, OK? You’re moving, not dying.”
“Are you sure? It’s a killer speech.” Charlie wagged a little piece of paper in the air—the speech, evidently. It was a meaty piece of paper, folded over many times. Wren was tempted. Enticed, for sure. But no. Not today.
“Tell me at Christmas. You’re still visiting, right?”
Charlie nodded.
“And you should start looking at flights for my birthday, and Valentine’s Day, obviously.”
“And President’s Day,” Charlie said.
“Oh, yeah, we can’t spend President’s Day apart.”
“And National Ice Cream Day. And it’s probably best if we spend all of Women’s History Month together, just to be safe.”
“I think that covers all of our bases.”
“For Q1.”
Wren smiled. “Right.”
It was time to go, so she walked to the truck, where Arthur and Tristan were just finishing up the most ridiculously stiff man-hug she’d ever seen in her life, saying things like See ya, bud and Later, man. Would it kill men to show a little real emotion?
Arthur opened her door and Wren slid inside, but as he began to close it, Wren stuck her foot out to block it open.
“Charlie, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had and the most wonderful human I’ve ever met and I hope you and Tristan have the most adventurous fantastic thrilling first year of marriage of all time OK BYEEEEE!”
“No fair!” Charlie squealed as Wren closed the door, then held up her speech again and mimed tearing it up.
Arthur climbed in and closed his door, started the engine, and shifted the truck into drive.
“Are you OK?” he asked Wren.
“How can I not be?” she said, but her shaky voice betrayed her. “Now, hurry up, I want to see the Pacific Ocean before it boils over.”
They’d mapped most of it out in excruciating detail.
Arthur figured they could get there and back in just about two weeks if they minimized their stops, which he knew full well they had no intention of doing.
He had created an intricate itinerary that would keep them on schedule, for the sake of baby Liam’s routine, and Wren was going to inevitably wreck it with unplanned detours to see wacky roadside novelties.
And they wouldn’t have it any other way.
It would be the adventure of a lifetime, or the start of it, anyway.
“Any final thoughts before we go?” Arthur said.
Before Wren could answer, Liam chimed in from the back seat with a wet, shockingly loud fart. Ferdie, curled up on a blanket next to the car seat, lifted his head a smidge and sniffed the air in approval.
“What he said,” Wren said.