Chapter Twenty-Three
“Wait up!”
“No,” Aspen yelled back, giggling.
“How are you so quick?” Mo whined, stopping to lean against a tree. Her back was burning under the weight of her pack, and she was now wishing she had asked to just hike out from the access road. “I need a break, dammit.”
“Our campsite isn’t far,” Aspen called from up ahead.
Mo looked up, unable to see any trace of the woman. She scanned the creek, watching as the water quickly flowed over the rocks and down around the bend. Her eyes flicked upward at the few redwoods ahead, and she smiled. She’d recognize those trees anywhere.
Aspen suddenly appeared around the corner, the wood structure tied to her pack peeking out over her head.
Mo couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, grinning from ear to ear with her hair pulled into two messy buns.
It melted away any annoyance her running ahead had brought up inside of her.
“Come on, slowpoke,” Aspen shouted, waving her hands erratically. “We’ve got things to do.”
Mo groaned in mock annoyance but pushed herself off the tree anyway, her hands going to the straps of her pack. She willed her legs forward, keeping her eyes on the rocky bank as she pushed. Once she arrived in front of Aspen, she looked down and shot her the best faux angry look she could muster.
“No grumpy girlfriends allowed,” Aspen warned playfully, putting up a singular finger of warning.
“That’s not a real rule—” Mo began, but Aspen placed the finger firmly over her lips.
“It is,” Aspen announced proudly. “Annie and I already talked. No grumpy girlfriends allowed on the phone.”
“Okay,” Mo groaned but couldn’t keep herself from grinning stupidly at her. She looked over Aspen’s shoulder, recognizing the bank that led to the trees. “Glad we didn’t have to swim this time.”
“Yeah, coming in July helps.” Aspen turned to look toward the trees. “Can you believe it’s been over a year?”
Mo sighed happily, reaching down to grab Aspen’s hand and squeeze it. “A whole year of torture.” Aspen poked her lightly in her ribs. “Ow!”
“You deserved that,” Aspen said before stepping forward, pulling their joined hands with her. “Come on, we are gonna put our stuff on that bank over there. We need to set up camp, but I am just too excited. I wanna go see Annie’s phone now.”
“Sounds good to me.” Mo’s heart swelled.
Aspen pulled her quickly to the sandy bank, Mo watching as she expertly removed her pack.
Attached to the rear was a prebuilt wooden cover for the phone, and Aspen took care to remove it from the bungees holding it on.
“Put your pack against the rock over there, then you can grab the tools from inside my pack. We can go install it now.”
Aspen’s excitement was contagious. Mo used it to get straight to work, pulling her compact day pack from her own bag. She then moved to Aspen’s bag, taking care to grab all the tools and supplies Aspen so diligently packed.
“Got it?” Aspen asked excitedly, the wooden structure now perched on her shoulders.
“I love how excited you are.” Mo smiled up at her, zipping the bag closed. “All right, I’m ready.”
“Awesome! Let’s go check on that phone,” Aspen squealed, trotting quickly up the bank and into the thick of the tree line.
Mo waited a few seconds to pull in a deep breath before whispering, “We’re coming, Annie.”
Then she followed Aspen, her knees happy to have only the weight of the tools.
It wasn’t much of a climb, and she kept her eyes on the terrain, not wanting to see the phone until she was all the way up at the maple.
The ground leveled out, and as she noticed the roots of the tree, a hand was softly laid on her shoulder.
“Hey,” Aspen whispered reverently, her hand slowly moving back and forth across her shoulder blades.
“Hey.” Mo glanced over at Aspen, giving her a quick grin. Then she turned her eyes to the tree and, more importantly, Annie’s phone. “We’re back.”
The phone was filthy. Moss, dirt, and grime clung to random nooks and crannies, allowing only a bit of the blaze orange to show through.
But for a phone hung in the woods for over a year, it didn’t look much worse for wear.
Mo slowly removed her backpack and grabbed the bottle of cleaner and microfiber towel out of the main pocket.
She sprayed a bit of cleaner onto the rag then began wiping away, taking extra care to clean every inch.
As she worked, Aspen started setting up the items she was going to use to mount the cover.
“She is going to love these new digs,” Aspen said, moving behind the tree to set up the ratchet straps she brought along for the cover. “I’m super excited to make this a place that everyone can enjoy.”
“Me too.” Mo sighed, working the edge of her rag into the thin edges of the receiver. “I kind of half expected the phone to be gone.”
“Actually, I didn’t,” Aspen replied wistfully. “I just felt like it was still here, you know?”
“Yeah.” Mo laughed, moving to clean around the hanger and dials. “You think the cover will hold?”
“On my honor as a Girl Scout.”
“I don’t remember…were you a Girl Scout?” Mo asked, finishing the final touches.
“Hell no.” Aspen pulled the ratchet straps tight against the tree. “But I tested this on a big-leaf maple near the cabin with great results. It will help the nails stay strong and keep us from having to screw into the tree itself.”
“I trust you,” Mo said with pride, backing away to admire her handiwork. “Phone is clean.”
“Awesome. The straps are installed. I’ll get the cover situated on them, then install the nails.” Aspen came around the tree, moving to stand in front of Mo. “I want you to turn around for this part, please.”
Mo rolled her eyes but did as she was told, receiving a quick kiss as payment. “You drive a hard bargain, Aspen.”
“I aim to please. Just give me a few moments, it shouldn’t take that long.”
Mo took in a deep breath, crossing her arms as she looked out over the creek.
She didn’t believe she would ever get tired of the tall, tall trees.
Their thick green expanse was a beautiful contrast to the lazy blue of the California sky.
Redwood Creek’s winding banks, clear water, and bountiful stones worn from years of tumbling down.
It was euphoric. Especially with Aspen by her side.
“I got the business license, by the way,” Aspen suddenly said, her voice nonchalant but curious. “We can start getting the permits. Maybe lead some snowshoe hikes come winter?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, and if that goes well, we can book some good-sized backpacking trips next summer.”
Mo smiled warmly, resisting the urge to turn around. “It’s cruel to tell me our business is almost up and running and I can’t even kiss you congratulations.”
“That’s why I did it. So you wouldn’t embarrass me.”
“In front of who? The squirrels?” Mo said with mock indignation.
“Annie, duh!”
“Oh, well. I doubt she cares. She’s probably just as excited.”
“Just a few final touches left.” Aspen moved on, the sound of a hammer hitting nails confirming her words. “And then it’ll be ready for you to make your call.”
“Our call,” Mo corrected.
Aspen didn’t reply, but Mo swore she could hear a tiny gasp of approval. A few more moments of hammering passed before she finally felt Aspen’s hands on both of her shoulders.
“You ready?”
Mo nodded and turned just as Aspen squeezed.
The wooden cover looked like it jumped right out of a fairy tale, almost majestic in its details.
The bright orange tin roof contrasted beautifully with the redwood used to make the awning and side boards.
That’s when Mo noticed something different.
A tiny matching redwood sign she didn’t recognize was now hung below the phone, its orange, painted lettering barely recognizable from where she stood.
Mo stepped forward, squinting to read it in its entirety.
Annie’s Telephone of the Wind
For anyone and everyone who has lost someone they’ve loved, but not lost their love for the someone they lost.
“Oh my God,” Mo uttered, tears welling in her eyes. She turned slowly to meet the gaze of an already crying Aspen. “You didn’t have to…”
“I did,” Aspen assured, stepping closer to Mo. “Annie’s telephone of the wind.”
“It’s so nice,” Mo mumbled, overwhelmed. She turned to the phone, taking in its newfound beauty. “No, it’s perfect. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Mo slid her hand into her pocket, slowly fingering the small, cold object she found inside.
After a few moments, she removed it, using her other hand to absentmindedly play with the strand of paracord she had added to it.
After a few moments, she reached forward and set the fire starter right on top of the phone, watching as the paracord dangled off the side.
“Annie’s treasure?” Aspen asked, sniffling.
“Yeah.” Mo looked over at Aspen. “I think it’ll make a great first gift from Annie. I think she’d want to give it, you know, to a traveler who may need it.”
“Totally.” Aspen reached to squeeze Mo’s hand. “I love you.”
Mo, surprised, turned fully to meet Aspen’s eyes. “Did my ears deceive me or—”
“I love you,” Aspen repeated, her eyes solidifying this precious moment as a warm smile crept out from the corners of her mouth.
“I love you, too,” Mo returned, her heart swelling. “Are you ready to talk to her?”
“Yeah.”
Mo reached for the receiver and began dialing the numbers, Aspen’s hand warm on the crook of her elbow. After she finished, she put the receiver between her and Aspen before speaking.
“Ring, ring.” Mo laughed. “Annie?”