“Sure we can’t convince you to stay?” Amy asks as Henri-Two scrambles in her arms, reaching out for my hand.
“You have your hands full with this one,” I say. “You don’t need a bunch of orphans in your way, too.”
“Andrew.” Her voice is warning me that what I said is ridiculous and completely not true.
“I know, I’m ninety percent joking.” I don’t know what’s wrong with Henri-Prime, but judging by what she’s told me so far, she doesn’tthink she has much time left. I’d rather she spend as much of it with her daughters and granddaughters as she can.
Taylor, Jamar, the Kid, and I will try to find our way back up to Jamie’s cabin. It’s a terrifying thought, waiting up there and hoping he’ll show. And the longer we wait, the more likely it will be that he’s dead. But I’m trying this new thing where I let myself hope for the best-case scenario—that he realized what a dummy he was and turned back around.
Of course, I was hoping he’d make it here by now, but it’s been four days. Four days of us eating Henri and Kristy’s food stores.
We can’t stay here any longer. We have no clue if Jamie and Niki would even come here or go straight to the cabin. Or something even worse. We could wait and wait and... I can’t think like that, though. I have to hope they’ll come to the cabin eventually.
I hug Amy goodbye and pretend to eat the side of Henri-Two’s face, which sets off a round of giggles just like it always does. Then move on to Kristy and Ellie before stopping in front of Henri.
“You could just move next door.” She hikes a thumb over her shoulder to the rancher next to her. “Help bring the property values back up.”
“That’s gentrification, Henri, and you’re better than that.”
Her laughter turns to coughs again, and I wait until she’s settled before hugging her.
“Take care of yourself,” she says. “And them, too.”
“I will.”
She gives me a long kiss on the cheek and cups my face in her warm, thin hands. “Thank you for bringing my girls back to me.”
I can’t even get a “you’re welcome” out because my throat is tight, so I just nod. They all walk us to the street, and as Henri unlocks the gate, I take the time to remind Cara where she can find us.
“Whenever you’re ready.”
She nods.
“Who’s that?” I look to see the Kid pointing down the street.
My heart leaps and I follow his finger to the horizon.
But it’s not a person and my shoulders slump. Three large brown beasts and a little baby beast trot behind a parked car and into a yard.
“Bison,” says Henri. “More Smithsonian animals, but I’m hoping they become a big old herd.” Then she lowers her voice so only the adults can hear. “Lots of meat on those suckers.”
“He’ll be here soon,” Cara whispers to me. She sounds so sure. “And I’ll send him after you.”
We finish our goodbyes, the Kid takes my good hand, and we head off in the direction of the bison—giving them a nice, wide berth. I don’t need any more zoo animal encounters, thank you very much.
Do you know how many “burgs” there are in Pennsylvania? I mean, obviously there’s Pittsburgh and Harrisburg—though one has anhand the other doesn’t. But there’s also Dillsburg, Mechanicsburg, Elysburg, and Bloomsburg. All of which we pass by in the two-week trip from Virginia to central-ish Pennsylvania. Like, did the person putting in I-81 have to name these places and just think “something-burg!”?
But now I’m at the part where things get a little hazy.
I was hoping that I’d recognize some landmarks along the way,a car or a highway that looked familiar. Unfortunately, everything looks different than it did the last time we came through. Maybe it’s the seasonal difference, but I assume by the time spring rolls around, this place will look even more different from the last time I saw it. Than it does now, even. That’s the reality these days—with every season that passes without humans to maintain things, once-familiar places will look newer and stranger.
“Maybe we should find a place to stop,” I say.
The sun is still in the sky, so it’s probably midafternoon. But I don’t want to be stuck out in the open at night.
Taylor stops and looks at me. “How much farther is it?”
“Uh, I’m not really sure. I’d have to look at the map to estimate.” Man, I wish Cara were here.
