“But it seemed like you were—”
“Not even a little bit,” says Mae. “We’re both just along for the ride.”
Roy shakes his head. “Well. So then howdidyou meet?”
“Honestly, Roy,” Hugo says, sitting back with a smile, “it’s a bit of a long story.”
“And kind of a weird one,” Mae adds.
“Right?” says Hugo, shifting in the booth to face her. “I swear I’ve never done anything like this before.”
“What? Spend a week on a train with a total stranger?” Mae laughs. “Me neither. Do you think that makes us equally crazy or equally awesome?”
“I’d prefer awesome,” he says. “Though popular opinion back home was leaning toward crazy.”
“I didn’t even tell my parents. Well, I told them about the trip. But they think I’m with my soon-to-be roommate. If they knew it was some random guy, they’d kill me.” She stops to think about this. “Actually, no. They’d probably killyou.”
“Good to know,” he says. “Hey, totally unrelated, but…how big is your dad?”
Mae laughs. “I have two of them.”
“Even better,” he says with a grin. “They can kill me twice.”
“Did you tell your parents?”
“They’re under the impression I’m traveling alone. But I did tell my siblings. Just in case you were planning on murdering me.”
“And I told my grandmother. Just in case you turned out to be a serial killer. Which we’ve already established you’re not.”
Hugo laughs and then glances over at Ida and Roy, whom they’ve more or less forgotten. The older couple are staring back across the table, their mouths open and their faces a picture of confusion.
“Well,” Hugo says, and when he turns back to Mae, his eyes are dancing. “Now Ida and Roy know too. Which makes it all feel rather official, doesn’t it?”
Mae nods and lifts a forkful of apple pie. “Cheers.”
“To what?” Hugo asks, lifting his own.
“To being awesome.”
“And promising not to kill each other.”
“To really long train rides.”
“And partners in crime who are not actually criminals.”
“To being young,” Ida chimes in, “and adventurous.”
“And to apple pie,” Roy says, raising his fork too.
Hugo laughs as he and Mae clink forks. “I’ll toast to that.”
As they’re leaving, Maedoubles back and bends to say something to Ida. Hugo watches curiously from the doorway as the old woman’s face splits into a grin. When Mae joins him again, she’s smiling too.
“What was that about?”
“I asked if I could interview her.”
He laughs, surprised. “What for?”
