Epilogue
The phone rings, and I start pacing the floor. I have so many things to tell Clara, and I don’t know how she is going to take it all. Coop watches me from his seat at the table, his foot propped up on a chair, as I move back and forth across the small room, and I place the phone on speaker so he can hear the conversation.
“Molly? Is that you? This isn’t your number, but I am just going to assume it is you because of the area code it is coming from. Oh my gosh, Molls, you had all of us so worried. The NOAA was about to send someone out there after you when we heard about the plane crash. But then we saw the rescue on the news and decided to wait to hear from you. But I have literally bitten off all of my fingernails, waiting for you to call. Are you okay? Holy crap, Molly. I can’t believe you were in a plane crash.” Her voice breaks, and the phone goes quiet as I wait to see if she is done talking. When she doesn’t continue speaking, I clear my throat, readying myself for the possible crap storm ahead. But I forge on.
“I’m fine. Coop had to have stitches, and the plane needs some repairs, but other than that we are okay. Also, I am getting married, and I want you to fly out here for the wedding to be my maid of honor.” The silence hangs thick between us, so I continue on. Might as well drop the whole bomb on her at once. “We are getting married next Tuesday on Coop’s boat. Also, I’m sorry for being a hypocrite and for being such a jerk about Dusty. Be with the person you want to be with. I am happy for you.” I wait for a minute to see if she says anything, but she doesn’t. I can hear her breathing, so I know she is there, but for once in her life, the girl is lost for words.
“Clara, you okay, girl?” She makes a little humming sound with her mouth before attempting to speak.
“Did… um… er… ho… how? Did you say… that you… are getting married? But… to who, and why? Are you pregnant? Oh. My. Gosh. You’re preggo, aren’t you?” I look over at Coop, and his cheeks are red, but I am sure mine are redder, and we both start laughing.
“Why are you laughing, Molly, and who is that in the background? Is that the mystery man you are marrying? Who are you, dude, and why are you pressuring my Molly into marrying you? Answer me, you piece of …,” I take the phone off speaker as Clara continues to swear into the phone, and Coop’s face is no longer smiling, but looks worried.
“Chill, Clara. Let me explain before you bite off everyone’s heads like a praying mantis.” I hear her take a deep breath of calm before I speak again.
“Okay. First things first. I’m marrying Coop. I can’t explain everything, and I can’t make you understand until you are here, but I love him, and we are getting married, and it’s happening on Tuesday. So if you can be here to support me, I would love it. Second, no, I am not pregnant.” I whisper the words, and I can hear Coop’s laugh from across the room. I was trying to make it so he couldn’t hear me, but I failed.
“She isn’t pregnant yet, but that could change here in the next week or two,” Coop yells from across the room, and I run across the room and cover his mouth so that nothing else inappropriate can escape.
“I’m trying to get her to like you, Coop, not the other way around.” I kiss him on the lips and walk as far away from him as I can.
“He sounds like a funny one, Molls,” Clara”s voice comes over the phone. “Let me talk to him for a sec.”
I make my way back over to Coop and hand him the phone, punching the speakerphone button so I can hear what she has to say.
“Nuh uh, Molls, I want to talk to your fiance without your ears present.” So I punch the button and cross my arms, taking a seat across from him at the table.
“Uh huh,” Coop says, followed by a “Yup.” He is quiet, only little “mhmm’s” here and there, while I hear her voice come through the phone, her words muffled and unclear.
“So, let me get this straight before I hand the phone back to Molls. If I hurt your best friend in any way, you will poke my eyeballs out with toothpicks and eat them in an alcoholic beverage, kind of like a martini?” He nods his head and smiles at me. “Awesome. Just wanted to make sure I heard you right. Also, if I don’t make our future children call you Auntie Clarebear, you will cause physical harm to me, resulting in me not being able to have any more of these said children? Correct?” He nods his head again and gives me an even wider smile than before. “And last but not least, if I don’t let you and Molly pick out a wedding dress and a bridesmaid dress fit for a princess, you will drown me in the ocean and lure the sharks in to feed on my corpse?” He shakes his head again, and his smile falters a bit this time. “Sweet. Sounds perfect. Here’s Molly.” He hands the phone to me and wipes the sweat from his palm down the side of his shorts as he mouths the words, “She is terrifying,” to me.
“You did not say those things to him, Clara.” I whisper into the phone, and she is full-out laughing at me.
“I did, and I will. He better be worth it, girl, because if he isn’t, they are going to have to lock me in a maximum-security prison to keep me from maiming the man. Oh, crap. Mr. Walthers just walked into the office, and he wants to speak with you. Good luck, Molls, oh, and we are getting a ton of data from those turtles you tagged.” She hands the phone over to Mr. Walthers, and I can feel my armpits sweating as he addresses me.
“Miss Thatcher, it is good to hear that you are well. The NOAA wants me to send their apologies for your accident and their well wishes to the pilot who was injured. Furthermore, they like what they have seen so far from your team. You might not be aware, but that turtle you released, the one they call Gertrude, made it to Emerald Isle. We don”t know if she laid eggs, but the tracking device’s show that she was on the island for a few hours and then left.” I gasp into the phone, and my eyes fill with tears. Coop is beside me as fast as he can hobble, and I put the phone on speaker so he can hear what Mr. Walthers is saying.
“The other turtles you tagged are following in her footsteps back to the feeding grounds nearby. This is the most data we have seen in a long time, Miss Thatcher, and we are impressed with your work. Especially in the midst of such a troubling experience, you showed the resilience to soldier on and do your job. We need more people like you out in the field, Miss Thatcher, and we are prepared to offer you another position here at the NOAA. Can you fly back next Thursday so that we can discuss this further?” I don’t know what to do. What do I do? Coop’s hand slides on top of mine, and he squeezes it, nodding his head in agreement, giving me the assurance I need to make this decision.
“I will be there, Mr. Walthers. But, can I bring my husband with me so that we can make this decision together?” I wait for a response, and just when I am about to ask if he is still there, I hear him clear his throat. “Husband? I wasn’t aware that you were married, Miss Thatcher, or… Mrs… What is your last name then?” I try not to laugh as Mr. Walthers fumbles his words.
“No, it is still Miss Thatcher, but I am getting married Tuesday. To Cooper Heyes: the float plane pilot.”
“I see. Well, isn’t that an interesting turn of events? Congratulations, Miss Thatcher. I will see you and your husband next Thursday then.” Before I even have the chance to say goodbye, the phone goes quiet and the call has ended, leaving my head spinning. I push up from the table and start pacing the room again, throwing my hands up in frustration.
“I don’t even want to worry about any of this right now, Coop. I just want to focus on us. Can we just focus on us? Whatever is going to happen is going to happen, and we can deal with it on Thursday, but right now, I just want to spend time with you.” I sit down next to him again, and he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“Well, let’s plan our wedding then, Sunshine.” We pull a piece of paper out from the nearby desk and start planning our small wedding together. Afterwards, I prepare myself for the phone call to my dad and his girlfriend. I don’t think he will give me as difficult a time as Clara did, especially since he ran off with his girlfriend, but you never know.