Chapter 62
— Chapter 62 —
Aubrey and I run through the woods carrying her quickly packed bags like we’re escaping an asylum. The DJ is blasting Dancing Queen and the music follows us all the way to the empty cul-de-sac. When we get close to the car, I toss Aubrey the keys.
“Really?” she says.
“Yours now. Happy birthday, silly goose.”
“Thanks, silly goose,” she says. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
“Anytime,” I tell her.
Shray is already in the back seat waiting for us.
“Don’t be mad,” he says when we get in the car, dome light illuminating his victorious smile. Next to him on the seat is an entire sheet cake.
We drive through town, past the Elephant Hotel and Old Bet lit up on her pedestal.
Shray and I shout, “Sorry, Bet!” and blow kisses to our dear old friend.
Aubrey rolls down the window and yells, “I’m sorry for what happened to you!” And her cheeks are wet with tears, but her voice is defiant and strong.
“Hey, Aubrey?” I ask, breathless, still full of adrenaline. “You want to hike the Appalachian Trail?”
Shray and I stay up with Aubrey watching Anne of Green Gables , eating more cake than human bodies should hold. When the sugar high starts to wear off and she falls asleep on the couch, Shray curls up next to her, pulls my comforter over them.
I’m still wired, so I go down to the basement to work on the dogwood chair. I’m carving a tree frog perched on the branch when I hear Aubrey’s toe-first footsteps on the stairs.
She’s still in her green dress. It’s wrinkled now. Her curls have broken free of their hair spray cast, and there’s a halo of flyaways around her head.
She drops a wad of folded checks on the table. “At least we have some money for the hike now,” she says, grinning. “I grabbed the gift box. Some of those people really wanted to impress my parents.”