“Quiet. Not really herself, but good.” He looks down at the floor. I can tell that he wants to tell me something, but is hesitating.
I’m tempted to push him for his bag. To get going, but I hold back.
“She’s leaving,” he tells me.
“What? Where to?” I practically snarl, taking a step toward him.
“She’s going on vacation. She’s going back to the Mainland to stay with her parents for a couple of weeks.”
“Oh.” I heave a sigh of relief, even though it’s stupid. I guess I don’t like the thought of her leaving.
“She’s taking those little dogs of hers.”
“She’s taking Peanut and Butter?” I don’t like it.
“She sure is, and you know what?” he asks.
“What?”
“I don’t think she’ll come back. I think if she goes, she’ll stay there,” Falkor tells me.
“What makes you think that?” I ask. “She likes it here.” Even as I say it, I know he’s right. She never planned to stay here. She never had a reason to.
“I just do,” he finally says. “Call it a gut feeling. I don’t want her to leave. I’ll miss her.”
“She might come and visit,” I say.
He shrugs as if to say that he doesn’t think she will.
“Why don’t you just tell her how you feel about her?” he asks.
I start to deny that I feel anything for her.
Falkor shakes his head. “Don’t even go there. I’m too old and too wise. You can’t fool me.”
“Maybe because she hates me,” I settle on.
He laughs. “She doesn’t hate you, my boy. She couldn’t, even if she tried. You need to go to her. Go today. In fact, don’t worry about giving me a ride to my house. I’ll take a cab. Go and see Wren. Tell her how you feel. Beg her to stay. Whatever you do, do not let her leave.”
He touches the side of my arm.
“I don’t know… I…” I huff out a breath.
“I know it’s hard, son. It might be the hardest, most courageous thing you’ve ever done, and I happen to know how brave you are and the challenges you’ve faced. But I also know that it will be the best thing you ever do, regardless of how things turn out. It’ll mean putting yourself out there for rejection, which is hard…but you’re tough. You can do it. You can handle it. I know you can. The worst she can do is turn you down.”
“Shewillturn me down,” I tell him.
He waves a hand. “Don’t do that. Don’t be defeatist. It isn’t in your nature, son. I know you. Go and try. The worst that can happen is you fail. It’ll hurt…sure, but at least you’ll know for sure. At least you will have tried. Done everything in your power to win her. Otherwise, you’ll have to live with the ‘what ifs’ for the rest of your life. You don’t want that.”
I start to say something, but he puts up a hand. “Let me finish. Make sure you go with your heart on your sleeve. If you’re very honest with her and put it all out there, you’ll be in with a chance. It needs to be all of it. Bare your soul, and I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”
My dragon stirs.
It feels so good to feel him that my eyes prick. I feel such a rush of emotion that I almost can’t breathe for a few seconds.
“Do you really think so?” I finally ask.
“I know so.” He nods.
