Chapter Thirty-Two – Mabel
It’s been a full month since that scary night in the woods. Honestly, so much has changed since then. I moved back home. I started going on hikes with Penny on the weekends. Whenever my dad doesn’t need his car, I visit Tristan at Dr. Wolf’s house.
I still see Dr. Wolf once a week, but it’s not as urgently needed as it was in the past. Every so often I have nightmares or get a flashback, but I don’t feel like I’m drowning anymore. Now that I stared down death and refused to run, I feel stronger, like I can handle it.
Penny is bent over beside me, reorganizing the display with the pastries we have left for the day, when she asks, “We still on for tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” I say. “Nine, right?”
She straightens and shoots me a toothy grin. “Right. Your, uh, dad gonna be home?”
Her question makes me roll my eyes, and she laughs. She takes any and every opportunity to pick me up at my house now. Once she even invited herself over for dinner. She and her boyfriend broke up when she found out he’d been DM-ing girls behind her back. Her crush on my dad is ridiculous.
Besides, after the sudden way we lost Mom, I don’t think he’ll be ready to date for a long time.
All I say to her is, “Maybe, maybe not.”
Penny hums as she closes the display door. She knows my mom died less than a year ago, and that she and my dad were married since they were young. Penny is shooting for the stars with her crush, and she knows it—but she doesn’t seem to care too much.
I check the clock. Ten minutes till I’m out of there. Funny thing is, those last ten minutes always seem to stretch on forever.
It’s as if Penny bringing up my dad so many times made him into Beetlejuice, because the man himself comes strolling into The Drip just two minutes before my shift is over. It’s an off time, so there’s no line; he’s able to stroll right up to the register and say, “How you doing, girls?”
I open my mouth to answer him, but Penny dashes to stand in front of him and gives him her best smile. “Great. How are you today, Mr. Altier?”
My dad chuckles. “Good. I’m just here to pick up Mabel.”
“Sure you don’t want anything to go? Maybe something chocolatey to save for some desert after dinner?” Penny layers it on quite thick, and it takes everything in me to not roll my eyes at her.
“Maybe next time.”
I can tell Penny isn’t going to let up, so I decide to clock out a minute early. I go into the backroom, take off my apron, and fold it up in my locker. I clock out, and then I’m pushing out into The Drip to see Penny grinning like a fool at my dad, who, I find out once I get a little closer, is busy talking about how he hasn’t hiked once since we moved here.
“That’s a shame,” Penny says. “Why don’t you come with Mabel and me tomorrow? We can do an easy trail—”
I grab my dad by the arm and start lugging him away. “Nah, I think he’s busy.” I wave at Penny, and she shoots me a pout before she grins.
I only let go of my dad once we’re outside. We head to his car, which he parked right in front of The Drip, and as we get in, my dad says, “That girl is something else. She’s always got something to say.” As he sticks the key into the ignition, he adds, “I’m glad you found a friend here.”
I debate on telling him about Penny’s crush, but I figure it’d just make things too weird. Besides, if my dad hasn’t noticed it so far, he probably won’t ever realize it. It isn’t like Penny doesn’t make it obvious; anyone with eyes and ears could tell. My dad’s just oblivious.
A good thing, because with how crazy everything has been in this town, I don’t doubt that, somehow, my new best friend could become my new mom.
Yeah, no thanks to that.
Once we’re on the road, Dad tosses me a glance. “You sure you don’t want to eat a little something before you visit Tristan?” My dad has accepted the fact that I’m dating Tristan, though every now and then he still makes a comment about Tristan’s age.
“No,” I say.
“There is something I want to show you before you go.”
“What?”
My dad gives me a goofy grin. “I think you’re going to like it. That’s the only hint I’m giving.” He pretends to zip his lips and throw away the key like the weirdo he is.
During the drive home, my mind is spinning with possibilities. I don’t know what kind of surprise he could have for me, let alone a surprise I’d like. I’m generally not a huge fan of surprises in general—and the reason should be obvious.
Did he get a dog? Mom was the reason we never got any pets growing up; she was deathly allergic. He’s made a few comments since I moved back home with him about wanting to get a puppy.
But it’s not a puppy, I find out when we pull into the driveway and I see the shiny new car sitting in front of the garage. My mouth falls, and I whip my head in my dad’s direction. “What did you do?”
He pulls our current ride up and parks it beside the new gray Jeep. We both get out, and he gestures to the new car, saying, “Meet Patricia. Isn’t she a beaut?”
I’m too shocked at seeing something pretty and new to roll my eyes at my dad’s lameness. “She’s nice, yeah. Uh, Patricia?”
“Maurice? I’m not sure on the name yet. I’ve been driving past her ever since we moved here, and I thought, why am I waiting? I have plenty for a down payment, even without trading this old girl in.” He slaps the door of our old SUV, and then he tosses me the key, which I manage to catch, somehow.
Throwing me the key… he’s not giving me his old car, is he?
“Dad…” I start.
He shrugs. “I figure this way you don’t have to coordinate your schedule with Penny all the time. You can, uh, start driving yourself to work and to see Tristan at Dr. Wolf’s house whenever you want.”
I go in for a hug, which he clumsily accepts—you can totally tell we’re both a bit awkward. We’re not used to showing each other physical affection; we just were never like that before. But now, we really are all we have left, and we’re both trying to be better.
“Thank you, Dad,” I whisper as he awkwardly pats me on the back.
“You’re welcome, kiddo. Just promise me you’ll drive safe, okay? These roads can get kind of scary at night, and with the snow—”
“I got it, Dad. I’ll be safe.” My fingers curl around the old-fashioned key, and I pull away from my dad so I can look at the car that’s now mine. Never thought I’d be excited about getting an old, slightly-rusty car, but hey, it’s wheels. And he’s right: with it, I won’t have to rely so much on Penny driving my ass everywhere, and I can visit Tristan whenever I want, not just when my dad is home.
My dad stares at me for a few seconds. “You want to go to Tristan right now, don’t you? You don’t even want to change out of your work clothes.” Just the way he says it, I can tell he knows he’s right.
I flash him my biggest smile. “Yes.”
“All right, all right, all right. Go. Have fun—but not too much fun. Don’t make me a grandpa yet—”
“Dad,” I interrupt him with an embarrassed whine.
He once again acts like he’s zipping his mouth shut—and then he immediately unzips it and says, “Just text me when you get there safe and when you’re leaving, okay? Love you, kiddo.”
“I love you too, Dad.” I give him one final grin before getting in the car and turning it back on. I have to adjust the seat to my stature; I like to sit a bit closer to the pedals and steering wheel than most people.
Not going to lie, this is actually exciting. I have a car now. Really blows my mind. And as silly as it may be, I can’t wait to tell Tristan. I know he’ll be thrilled that I’ll be able to visit him more often; moving back home with my dad was hard on him. He liked having me close constantly, and as untrue as it is, I think a part of him is still nervous that I’ll find someone better and leave him.
But that could never happen. It’s so cheesy it’s dripping with it, but I really do think we’re soulmates, that we were made for each other. No one else could understand me like he does, and vice versa with him and another girl.
Tristan is my life, my love, my future. No matter what happens, he’ll always be there for me, and I’ll always be there for him. He is my everything.
I make it to Dr. Wolf’s house, and as I pull up to the giant front door, Tristan steps outside, his expression lightening as it always does when I appear. He goes from sour and dour to at peace in less than a second. It really is like I have magic powers.
I step out of the car and race up the steps to meet Tristan, whom I practically body slam. “Guess what?” I get the words out before his lips come crashing down on mine in a hungry kiss that makes my toes curl in the best of ways.
Tristan hums into the kiss. “What?” he whispers the word against my mouth.
“My dad gave me his old car,” I whisper back. “So now I can visit you whenever I want.”
That makes him pull his lips off mine and glance at the car. “Really? Wow, that was nice of him.”
“I know.” I hardly sound like myself, so damn excited.
Tristan pulls me into the house.
This is the routine, and it will be the routine for a while. I’m going to visit him as often as I can until the snow comes and makes the roads undrivable—and when that happens, I plan on calling the house and talking to Tristan during every free moment. Cell service is still spotty here, so my dad got a house phone installed so I can do just that.
With Tristan’s hand in mine, I am happy. I’m content. I’m right where I want to be. I can picture a future now, something I never could do before. Tristan and I will go the distance. He’s my forever.
Who knew my life had to end before it could truly begin?