“Yes,” Mae says, then turns the phone around. “Nana, this is Hugo.”
Hugo blinks at the screen, momentarily startled. Then he gives a little wave. “Hello!”
“Well, aren’t you handsome,” Nana says, getting so close to the screen that her nose disappears, and there’s nothing but a pair of watery blue eyes and a wrinkled forehead. “Mae told me as much, but I had to see for myself.”
“I did not—” Mae starts to say, then turns to Hugo. “I didn’t tell her anything.”
Hugo laughs. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard such lovely things about you from your granddaughter.”
“Listen, I’ve known Mae a long time, so I thought you could use a few tips,” Nana says. “First of all, she’s always got one eye behind that camera of hers, so sometimes you have to take it away so she doesn’t trip.”
“One time,” Mae says. “That happened one time.”
“And she’s afraid of heights, so don’t go joyriding on top of the train or anything.”
“Noted,” Hugo says, nodding very seriously.
“She hates spiders—”
“Covered that one already.”
“And talks alot.”
“You guys know I’m still here, right?” Mae says, her eyes traveling up to the board, where the track number for their train has just been posted. “Hey, we gotta go.”
“Last thing,” Nana says, shifting her gaze to Hugo. “She’s one of the best people I know. And she’s a real catch. So be good to her, okay?”
Mae closes her eyes for a second, mortified. “Thanks, Nana,” she says as she brings the phone up to her face again. “I love you, and I’ll call you when we get to Denver.”
Nana gives a little wave. “Happy travels!”
After hanging up, Mae turns to Hugo. “Well, that’s Nana. She’s—”
“Brilliant,” he says with a grin. “Let’s make sure I’m there when you call her from Denver, so I can hear the rest of her tips.”
This train is bigger than the last, with two floors and an observation car at one end. An attendant named Duncan—a short white man with bright red hair—leads them to their compartment, which is about the same as the last, two seats and a fold-down bunk at the top.
But this time, when he leaves them, there’s no awkward silence or uncertainty. This time, as soon as he’s gone, Hugo takes a step forward and puts a hand on her elbow, and Mae tips her head up to look at him, and they smile at each other like they’re the holders of some great secret.
“You still have sand in your hair,” she says, reaching up to brush it away, but before she can finish, he’s folded her into his arms, and they’re kissing again.
Mae has wanted to do this all morning. Sitting across from him at the diner, walking beside him along Michigan Avenue, lying next to him on the beach: it was underneath and around every other thought, a persistent drumbeat beneath every gesture, every word, every look.
She knows this can’t last—whatever it is; that a few days from now, they’ll be getting off at different stations, going in different directions. But she doesn’t care. Because for now, they have this: a happiness so big it doesn’t leave room for worries.
When Duncan returns, he has to clear his throat several times before they realize he’s standing in the hallway. They break apart so quickly that Hugo nearly falls back against his seat, and Duncan stares hard at his notepad, trying not to laugh.
“Sorry to interrupt, but will you two be joining us for dinner tonight?”
After they’ve made their reservations, Mae’s phone buzzes, and she grabs it before Hugo can see the long row of exclamation points that Priyanka has sent, followed by a second text that saysCall me.
“I’m gonna make a quick call,” she says to Hugo. “So I’ll just—”
“No, you stay here,” he says. “Meet me in the observation car when you’re done.”
On the way out, he leans to give her a kiss on the cheek, and then she waits until she hears his footsteps on the metal staircase to call. All Mae says when she picks up ishi,but this is enough to make Priyanka immediately start laughing.
“What?” Mae asks, grinning into the phone.
