Chapter Seven #2
“Here they are,” Jace says, as if he’s found lost puppies.
A small cluster of people, nothing like the throngs making their way to the cruise ships, look up at us and give our clothes
a once-over—black leggings and a wrinkle-free chamois button-down for me, khaki joggers, white T-shirt, and a cashmere pashmina
for Lily—comfortable yet stylish for traveling. Then in unison their eyes land on Lily’s suitcase. Again with the luggage.
It takes me a hot second, but I realize my mistake as soon as I take in the rest of our group.
Two women—both slight with short gray hair—one curly, one with a crew cut—are wearing cargo shorts that stop above their muscular calves.
Their hiking boots are beat up and dusty, as if they’ve got a million miles on them already.
A man and a pouting teenage boy in multipocket pants with zippers at the knees.
The man is wearing a fleece pullover that says jackson hole outfitters on the chest. The boy’s sporty sunglasses hang from his neck on a Day-Glo neoprene cord. Standing off from the group is a
handsome guy who looks both unapproachable and familiar, dressed head to toe in clothes with Patagonia logos on it—I recognize
a deep-purple quilted jacket I coveted until I saw the price tag. Everyone in our group has a large backpack, on their back
or leaning against their leg on the ground. No suitcases. All this can only mean one thing. These people know what they’re
getting into, have been here before, and are prepared, and it’s becoming very clear that Lily and I are in over our heads.
“Introduce yourselves everyone,” Jace says as he throws his cardboard sign in the back of the van. “I suck at names. But I’ll
cotton on eventually.”
Most of us throw hesitant glances at one another. The teen boy steps back a few inches. Only my sister and Patagonia Man open
their mouths with identical smiles on their faces.
“I’m Lily” “I’m Dane” they say in unison and laugh.
Dane sweeps an open arm toward my sister as if he’s addressing Her Majesty. “Ladies first,” he says theatrically. Oh boy.
Lily smiles in the way she does when she’s about to recommend 800-thread-count sheets. “I’m Lily, and this is my older sister
Big—er, I mean, Bridget. We’re Jersey girls. I’m a small-business owner, and Big, I mean, Bridget is a . . .”
She’s at a loss for words when it comes to describing the unsexy thing I’ve been doing for the last twenty-two years. “I’m
a retired SAHM.” I laugh.
“Stay-at-home mom!” says the woman with the gray curls. “Hardest job in the world. If anyone needs a trip away, it’s you, my dear.”
“I like you already, um . . .”
“Luna.” She slips her arm around her traveling companion’s waist and pulls her closer. “I’m Luna Song-Diaz. And this is my
wife, Mimi Song-Diaz. We’re from outside of Boston.” The woman in her grasp offers a small smile but no words. “This trip
to Alaska has been on our bucket list.” She pauses and looks at her wife before she says, “And, dammit, now’s the time to
do it.”
“My turn. I’m Dane Danson. I’m sure you are all thinking you recognize me from somewhere. And you do. But please, for the
purposes of this trip, I’m just Dane. A normal person, just like you all.”
Dane smiles like he’s waiting for us to put two and two together. If anyone does, they keep it to themselves. I certainly
can’t place him. Dane is handsome like a million other guys are handsome to the point where they all blend into one another.
Only Lily murmurs, “Intriguing.”
“Oh, and I’m from LA. That’s probably giving too much of a hint.” No one bites. “Ha,” Dane says, wagging a finger at us. “It’ll
hit you.”
The man in the fleece clears his throat. “Ian McDaniel. This here is my son, Xavier. Kansas City. Go, Chiefs. I’m an insurance
adjuster. Zave is a sophomore at Rockhurst High. They also have a great football program. Not that he cares about that, do
you, Zave? I’ve been to Alaska before, up around Fairbanks a few times, guy trips. But this is Zave’s first time. First father/son
adventure. Right, buddy?” He clasps his son’s shoulder as if he thinks the boy will run away. Zave looks like he’s drawn the
short straw—stuck for a week with this crew of strangers. Or that could be just me projecting.
Introductions done, Jace starts herding us along. “All right, let’s go, yeah. Heap your rucksacks in the back.”
Lily and I look from the suitcase to each other. It’s not going to be so easy to heap.
“Here, let me help you with that,” says Ian McDaniel. “Get the ladies’ bag, will ya, Zave?”
Xavier slumps dramatically and rolls the case off the curb, wrestling it into the van. I might be seeing a glimpse into why
he seems not so enthusiastic about this trip, so I make a show of gratitude.
“What I polite young man,” I say. “So gallant.”
Lily rolls her eyes at me and my old-timey warbling. Maybe she and Xavier can sit in the wayback and complain about the grown-ups.
The back doors of the van scream for some WD-40 as Jace slams them and checks his cell phone. “Load up! There’s sammies in
the Yeti if you’re peckish. Plenty of time to acquaint yourselves. It’s five hours to Chitina.”
“What’s a Yeti?” I ask Luna as she is about to step up into the van ahead of me. She chuckles like I’m telling a joke.
“It’s the cooler,” says Mimi, speaking for the first time. Her voice is soft and easy. She doesn’t act like it’s a dumb question.
We don’t have Yetis in New Jersey. Well, not in my New Jersey. “Yeti is the brand,” she says. Luna, who has popped up into
the vehicle, turns and offers her wife a hand.
“Go ahead of me,” I say to my younger sister, hoping she’ll help as well. She doesn’t. “Five hours,” I groan as I sink into
the seat next to her. “I should have gotten a coffee. I’m going to have such a caffeine headache soon.”
“Can you not start with the attitude? We’re on vacation! You can have that latte when we get to the next airport,” carefree
Lily promises me. “Try not to go into a withdrawal rage before then and kill anyone.”
“I don’t have an attitude, I have a headache,” I hiss.
I turn to our travel partners, Mimi and Luna, who are not even trying to pretend they aren’t listening in on our bickering.
“She’s kidding, she’s kidding. There’s only one person getting killed on this trip,” I say, hitching my thumb toward my sister. Two can play at this game. For now.
“You two are a hoot,” says Luna. “This is going to be fun.”