“Two weeks,” Ray said, more to himself than to me. “Two weeks until we find out if twenty-five years together is worth something after all.”
The weight of his words hung in the air between us, both a challenge and a promise. The race hadn’t even begun, but already I felt out of breath, like we were standing at the edge of a cliff with no safety harness.
And yet, despite everything, a small part of me was exhilarated by the thought of what lay ahead. Whether we crashed and burned or found our way back to each other, at least we wouldn’t be stuck in this limbo anymore.
The starting line was waiting.
Chapter 11
Such a Good Team
The day before we were scheduled to depart, we got an email from the production team. A car would be dispatched to pick us up at our home at four o’clock the next day. We would be driven to a hotel “in Miami” where we would meet the production crew and the other teams. We’d go over the rules and sign more forms. The next morning we would be transported to the starting point.
We were both as nervous as long-tailed cats in a room full of doors. Ray couldn’t sit still. For the third time in an hour, he went through his backpack, checking the contents against a handwritten list. “Passport, wallet, sunscreen, insect repellent, compression socks...”
“You’ve been through that list a dozen times already,” I said, though I was guilty of the same obsessive checking. My own backpack sat by the door, packed and repacked to optimize weight distribution.
“I just want to make sure we’re prepared,” Ray replied, not looking up as he rearranged his clothing for maximum space efficiency.
I paced from the living room to the kitchen, my mind racing with all the unknowns ahead. Would the other teams beyounger, fitter? Would our first challenge play to our strengths or expose our weaknesses? What if one of us got hurt, or worse, let the other down?
“Do you think we should have trained more?” I asked.
“We trained as much as we could,” Ray said. He abandoned his backpack and came to stand beside me, his hand finding the small of my back. “You’ve watched every season of this show. You know the challenges are designed to be unexpected.”
“That’s what worries me,” I admitted. “We’re not exactly spring chickens anymore.”
Ray laughed. “Maybe not, but we’ve got something the younger teams don’t have.”
“What’s that? Arthritis?”
“Experience,” he corrected, squeezing my shoulder. “Twenty-five years of solving problems together. That counts for something.”
I wanted to believe him, but the doubts kept circling.
“Hey,” Ray said, reading my face. “One challenge at a time, remember? That’s what Dr. Lieber told us.”
Early that evening, Ray and I were in separate rooms packing our final items when we heard the front door chime as it opened.
I zipped my toiletry bag closed and ran for the stairs. “What the hell? Are they early?”
I was surprised to see Leo in the hallway, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a determined look on his face.
“Surprise,” he said, stepping past me into the foyer. “I thought you might need some moral support before the big adventure.”
“Leo! What about your classes?”
“It’s Thursday night. I don’t have Friday classes this semester, remember?” He set his bag down. “I can drive back Sunday. Where’s Dad?”
“Upstairs packing.” I hesitated. “We weren’t expecting you.”
“That’s kind of the point of a surprise.” He studied my face. “You don’t seem happy to see me.”
“Of course I am.” I pulled him into a quick hug. “Just... stressed about tomorrow.”
“All the more reason I should be here.” He headed toward the kitchen with the confidence of someone who still considered this home. “Have you guys eaten? I’m starving.”
Ray appeared at the top of the stairs. “Leo? Is that you?”
