Chapter 28
It takes less than twenty-four hours for my mom and her staff to approve my plan, which included receiving an apology letter from Kyle five hours ago that was shared with the press.
Dad and I are currently in the White House kitchen, pulling out cookie dough.
Mom smells like coffee and doughnuts when I hug her, a sign that she’s been extra nice to her staff when she’s had last-minute requests.
Giving people sweets as an incentive is still something she does even as president.
“Mom, thank you, thank you, salamat po.” I happy dance in my slippers.
“Mahal kita, anak,” Mom says as she pulls me close. I sigh, feeling her love oozing from every pore.
“Let’s give the Calabreses a call?” she says, motioning me to follow her. It’s a little after five p.m. The plan is a no-go if Ruby doesn’t agree. The sooner they agree the better, but my chest tightens, and I know what I must do. “Actually, Mom and Dad, there’s something I want to do in person.”
I give my father a pleading look. “Daddy, remember when you missed my fifth birthday? I never called in a favor after that.”
“Sweetie, you know I was in space.” But he looks pained, and I know he still feels guilty.
I got him.
Dad lands his personal aircraft in the Mystic Hollow regional airport one and a half hours later. The agents on our plane disembark, including Shaw and Nessa, who meet with a local team that has our cars ready.
If he weren’t so harried looking, I’d think Shaw was happy to be back. I breathe in the fresh air and admire the summer sky—still streaked with orange fading to purple.
My father disembarks from his plane, stretching and looking happy that he was able to flex his pilot muscles tonight. I wrap him in a big hug. “Daddy, do you mind if I…”
He smiles. “Go on, honey. Finish your mission.” I peck him on the cheek and I’m off. Nessa has the SUV door open. My stomach fills with anxiety and excitement as we pull in front of the inn. I’m happy to see the windows, framed by their now-familiar shutters, lit with a warm and inviting glow.
Ruby flies out the front door. “Abby,” she gushes. “You all didn’t have to do this.” Then, lowering her voice, she adds, “Your mother called us.” And I know what a big deal it is when the president—my mom—makes that call.
“We wanted to,” I insist, squeezing her hand.
“I’m so sorry for everything. The photos. The invasion of your privacy.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. The past few weeks have been the best in my life. It wasn’t your fault,” I say, glancing around. “And it wasn’t Gabriel’s.”
Ruby steps back with a knowing smile. “Gabe’s not here. He said something about cosmic photographs before he left. If you know where to find him, then I think you should be the one to break the news,” she says with a wink.
I’m glad it’s evening, hoping it covers my flushed face. If Gabe is photographing the cosmos, then I know exactly where he is.
The Milky Way must be visible tonight. The memory rushes back to me of Gabriel describing the astronomical event he wanted to capture on film—he called it a portrait framed by the cosmos. The business card for Signor Ferro burns in my pocket. I can’t wait to give it to him.
Shaw and Nessa don’t look thrilled when I tell them where we’re going. “It’s an open field in the middle of nowhere,” I say.
“Exactly,” Shaw grumbles. “My allergies are already protesting.”
Nessa grins. “Stop it,” she chides. “We wish you and Gabe good luck.”
“We may even reconsider his code name,” Shaw adds.
I laugh. “Actually, I think Rascal is growing on him.”
The drive up the hill is dark, windy, and a bit nerve-racking, not just because of the treetops blocking the night sky but also because of the anticipation of apologizing to Gabe.
What if he doesn’t accept my apology? What if he’s realized being friends with me is too hard?
I’ve spoken in front of national TV cameras, stood on debate stages, yet somehow telling Gabe how I feel is the scariest thing I’ve ever done.
Finally, we reach the gravelly parking lot where—just as I pictured it—Gabe’s green truck is parked.
The field nearby is away from as much light pollution and people as possible.
A place he’d never taken anyone before—until meeting me.
Gabe made changes I never appreciated. How could I have not noticed this before?
I have the wrong kind of shoes on as I jog through the trees.
My wedge sandals wobble with every step, but even Clumsy-rella Abby isn’t stopping now.
I push through the branches and suddenly there it is: the meadow.
I stop in my tracks. Soft, tall grass and a gentle, warm breeze brush against my bare legs.
If the meadow was a golden haven at sunset, at night it’s a starlit dreamscape.
The sky is so bright and alive, I feel like I could reach up and touch the brilliant, milky-white band stretching across it and walk its trails of stars like a path into the universe.
I’m so distracted it takes me a minute to realize Gabe is nowhere in sight.
But this is where he said he’d take his astrophotography photos, isn’t it? My chest feels hollow as doubt creeps in. We were taking practice photos at the honeymoon suite, but I could’ve sworn he said he would come here for the shower. Did I get the wrong location?
I scan the meadow and see some rocks I hadn’t noticed before sticking up where the hill begins to slope down. I squint and my heart races. A camera bag is sitting atop the rock. My legs are moving before my mind even registers. A camera bag. He’s here. He’s here! I’m racing toward the rock.
“Gabriel, where are—” I screech as I trip over a rock. My arms fly wildly, trying to regain balance.
One moment I’m flying—then I’m not. I gasp, realizing I’ve landed somewhere warm, solid, and familiar. His comforting scent of mint gum and smoky wood wraps around me.
I lift my head from Gabriel’s chest and peer up at his amused eyes. “Hi,” I whisper.
“Hi back.” His brows furrow. “Are you okay?”
“I am, but my shoe isn’t.” I lift my foot where the strap on my sandal has broken.
He chuckles. “So, we broke in those hiking boots because…?”
I wiggle in his arms. “True, but where’s the fun in that? Besides, I already checked ‘nature-y’ off my list.” I take a deep breath. “But I’m not here to talk about my to-do list or my shoes.”
He helps me to my feet. The amusement in his eyes quickly melts into confusion.
“Why are you here?”
My body trembles, feeling more nervous now than when I give a nationally televised interview. “I wanted to apologize for assuming you were the one to post the photos.”
His gaze sharpens. “It was Kyle. He wanted to relive his big journalism scoop.”
My head bows. “I know. He sent my mother an apology letter. But I shouldn’t have…I jumped to conclusions without even talking with you.”
He sighs. “Abby, I’ve known you for only a few weeks and I’ve seen the pressure you live under. I understand why you thought the way you did. You didn’t have to come here to tell me this. A text or DM would’ve been fine.”
I scoff. “You want me to just slide into your DMs to apologize?”
He shoves his hands into his pockets. “We both knew this was temporary. Your future is mapped out. Your summer is all set. You’re making progress on that list of yours…you don’t need me for Operation Bucket List.” He falters. “Not that you need me.”
My eyes narrow. “Of course I don’t need you to rescue my list, but I really, really wanted your help.” I put a hand on his arm. “We made a deal. I gave you permission to use those photos for your portfolio. You promised to help me finish what I started.”
He arches a brow. “We’ve completed almost everything on your list. I thought we did pretty good.”
I place a hand on his cheek. “There’s one more we can add now.” Before he can say anything, I tiptoe up to kiss him and melt into that magical, safe, and fiery place.
Finally, he pulls away. “Are you saying this kiss isn’t practice?” he asks.
I stare deeply into his eyes. “This is definitely not practice…if that’s okay with you?”
Gabriel’s hands circle around my waist and he pulls me close.
When we finally come up for air, his hands reach mine. He guides my left hand to his shoulder, then gently takes my right hand, extending our arms into a dance position. “How about we complete another bucket list item?” he asks.
And we dance under the stars.