But what if she could find a way to live her life and also have Jack as part of it? “I want to try,” she said, determined.
“You’ll be leaving your home,” Jack said. “We have no idea what might happen over there, whereverthereis to you. What if it’s nothing? What if it’s a void? What if we can’t find each other?”
She reached for his hand. “What if we can?”
Arnie shook his head. “No. I don’t like this at all. Stella, you’re asking me—no,bothof us—to let you try something that might harm you, that might take you away from us. Permanently. You can’t expect us to be okay with this.”
“What about Ariel and Percy?” Jack added. “Don’t you think they want you to stay?”
Ariel would want Stella to follow her heart, but that didn’t mean she’d be excited for Stella to jump into a book and disappear forever. Percy, even though he was so focused on what he thought was best for her life, would be upset too. There was a slim-to-none chance that he would support her taking this risk.
“You have a life here, and I don’t want to take that from you,” Jack continued. “There are so many opportunities still waiting for you.” He smoothed his hand down her hair. “I can’t even imagine what’s waiting around the corner for you here, the amazing things you’ll do and the people who will be drawn to you. Think aboutall the people you can help find the perfect story. What about the stories you’ll write? We’ll find them on the library shelves, and they’ll change people’s lives.”
Stella pressed her hands against her heart. Electricity zinged through her still, causing her fingers and toes to tingle. “I have a feeling about this, an overpowering sense that everything will be okay. I promise.”
Arnie removed his glasses and cleaned the lenses. “You’ll be the death of me. I’ve been trying to keep you safe since you were a little girl, and this goes against my good judgment, but let me get changed and put my shoes on. You’re not going to do this without me.”
“Hurry,” Stella urged. “I don’t know how much time we have left. Jack, come with me. Arnie, we’ll meet you in the archives.” She grabbed Jack’s hand, and they hurried across the lawn, sending up bright green words from the grass with every step. Stella glanced over her shoulder and watched the words soar into the air like hundreds of launched rockets. A few were grander and more vibrant as they raced skyward.
Rush. Start over. Your choice.
Chapter 24
Down in the archives, Stella pulled on a pair of white gloves and removed the first four volumes detailing the history of Blue Sky Valley off the shelf. She carefully placed them on the closest table. The leather-bound books looked as though they’d survived a few million sunsets. Brittle yellowed pages barely held on their spines with fragile, flaking glue and dangling threads. Arnie had been talking about enclosing them in glass cases for years, but so far, nothing had been done to create safer housing. She laid the gloves across the top of a book.
Behind where the books had been sat a wooden box about the size of a quart of milk. Stella gently removed the box from its hiding place. A triquetrum, an ancient Celtic symbol, was engraved on the lid. Stella traced her fingers over the grooved, curving lines. She placed the box on the table and unlatched it.
A clear glass bottle with a cork stopper was nestled in a space carved to its exact size. Just as Arnie had described it, the cobalt-blue liquid inside the bottle sparkled and shifted like a living entity.A fading label affixed to the front of the bottle readanáil na beatha. The beauty of its glow mesmerized her.
Jack went to the kitchenette to grab a can of Pepsi at Stella’s request. She thought she might want something to chase the magical liquid once she drank it. Movement in the shadows pulled her attention away from the bottle, and Crusoe and Darcy stepped into the dim light.
“I spent a lot of time alone on that island,” Crusoe said. “I daydreamed that someone would rescue me and relieve my despair. My misery created a hole, and I wallowed. I thought of never facing the world again. Then I understood that I couldn’t depend on someone else for my happiness, not on humanity or even on a single person. Humans will disappoint you, Stella. They can’t help it. We’re all flawed. But you have the power to live on your own terms. Live the lifeyouwant becauseyouchose it, not because someone else influenced it.”
How could a castaway like Robinson Crusoe speak such profound words? “I’m living my life on my own terms,” she said.
“Are you?” Crusoe asked. “Are you making the best decision for you?”
Stella knew what he was hinting at, so she said, “I’m kinda busy here, and I don’t see how that is—”
“Relevant?” Crusoe interrupted. “Excuse my presumption, but I believe you were desperate for an escape, just waiting for someone to pull you out of your misery.” He pointed to the gleaming bottle.
Darcy nodded and stepped closer to the bottle. “Wouldn’t you agree that you’ve been finding your way back to yourself? And yet here you are, looking for an easy fix.”
“Easy?” Stella asked. Irritation combined with her nervousness. “Nothing about any of this has beeneasy.”
“I agree,” Darcy said. “But are you not considering upending your life for yet another man?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Stella argued, even as her stomach lurched in response.
“I admire the lengths you are willing to go to for love,” Darcy said.
“Then you understand,” Stella said.
Darcy nodded. “I understand you could lose everything. Not only your life here but also Jack. Have you considered your own words, that you belong here, that your life is meant to be livedhere?”
“It is difficult to let people go,” Crusoe said. “But there are times when we must so we can move on to greatness.”
Stella stared at him and then at Darcy before returning her gaze to the magical liquid. “I don’t want to let Jack go,” she whispered.
