3. Millie
CHAPTER 3
Millie
It’s not often my prayers are answered but today we seem to have stumbled across success. Bright light streams in through the bus window, alerting me to the fact that I’ve somehow managed to make it through the night without the screams of the luggage bins stealing my sanity.
Pawing at my eyes, I rub sleep away and begin to take in the views as we pick up speed along the highway. I pinch myself, nails clawing into my skin as I try to wake up from whatever dream I’ve been dropped into. I expect the scenery in front of me to blend back into the greys and browns of downtown Rowenbridge. I wait for it all to fall away, but it doesn’t.
This place might actually be real. I’ve never seen anything so vivid, so full of life. It’s like I’m watching it unfold in high definition.
Jagged granite mountains rise up in every direction, hints of snow still dusting their towering peaks. The valley floor is a mosaic of fir trees, aspens, and marshland grasses, with thick rivers and tributaries snaking through in romantic curves. I pull myself closer to the window, my nose squashed against the glass as I try to capture this moment for my memories.
I think I might be in heaven.
I was eager to make it through this journey as soon as possible, but now it’s all moving too fast. I want to capture every second of it, slow it down and replay it over and over again. I pull my phone from my pocket, ignoring the 4% battery life remaining, and begin recording another video.
Nervous excitement pools in my stomach as the scenery continues to move past my window frame by frame.
This is going to be my life.
I feel soft warmth pooling in the corner of my eyes. I can’t look away, as if I’m somehow tethered to the untouched beauty of the landscape revealing itself before me with each mile.
A quiet gasp escapes me as the forest gives way to a series of small lakes, reflecting the rising sun in muted tones of pink and orange. The engine kicks down a gear as the bus slows slightly, pulling my attention towards the road signs populating the grassy verge to the right.
Braggan Valley, 10km.
My heart thunders in my chest as the coach veers off the highway and makes tracks towards my new home.
We weave through a stretch of alpine forest, gaining slight elevation before arriving in the centre of Braggan Valley. The main street extends before us as we drive towards the far end of town, single-story shop fronts lining either side of the narrow road. There’s coffee shops, and bookstores, and specialty confectioners, each boasting log framing and complimentary signage in muted tones. It feels like I’ve been transported into the midst of a Hallmark movie set.
“This is you, Millie.” Gus shuts off the engine and hops down the steps, cranking open the luggage compartment to confirm that my suitcases have already been on an adventure of their own.
“Thanks, Gus.” My voice shakes as my nerves make their way back to me.
“Bill usually picks up just outside the visitor centre.” He guides me towards an empty bench. “He shouldn’t be too long.”
“Right… yes,” I nod, following him as he drags my cases across the sidewalk. “I’ll just… wait here.”
“Don’t look so terrified. You’ll be alright, kiddo.” He leaves me with his signature warm smile as he heads back to the coach.
I laugh. I’m not sure I can still class myself as a kiddo at twenty-seven. That being said, I don’t feel that different from a lost seven-year-old right now. I’m alone in a new place, and I really have no idea what I’m doing. If somebody were to show up right now and ask if I needed a hand to hold as I cross this road into the next season of my life, I’d probably say yes.
I don’t know if anyone ever really feels like they’ve mastered this whole adulting thing, but I sure as hell do not.