43. Ellie
FORTY-THREE
ELLIE
We’re stopping?
Oh, good!
“Ellie, you have to stay in the back.”
But we’re stopping.
What is this place?
“We need gas.”
Is Forever Dad here?
Paw, paw, paw.
Forever Mom, my window doesn’t work.
“I’ll crack it for you. But I don’t trust you not to jump out of it right now.”
Ellie Belly’s a good girl, Forever Mom.
Sniff, sniff, sniff.
No Forever Dad.
Wait.
I have his big shirt sock.
Sniff, sniff, sniff.
Here it is.
Hop.
“Ellie, that’s not the back—what is that?”
Here, Forever Mom.
Use it to Find Forever Dad.
“Did you . . . steal Luke’s Star Wars T-shirt?”
Don’t cry, Forever Mom.
We can use the big sock to find Forever Dad.
It smells just like him.
“I’m sorry, Ellie Belly.”
Oof!
Tight hug.
Breathe through it, Ellie Belly.
Forever Mom is sad.
She needs a tight hug.
The tightest hug.
“I didn’t want to leave either.”
Leave?
Squirm, squirm.
No.
No leave.
We need to go back.
No leave.
Whine, bark, whine, bark.
“Ellie, please. You’re breaking my heart.”
We need to go back!
Turn around, Forever Mom.
Whine, bark, whine, bark.
We have to go back.
Why aren’t we going back?
Whine, bark, whine, bark.
We forgot Forever Dad.