“Jungeun!”
We both turn to see Dean’s dad barreling toward us. It’s clear where Dean got his height from when his dad stops in front of us, hulking over Umma with a big, toothy smile peeking through his beard. He looks pretty similar to how he did on TV, but nothing like his son. Where did Dean get his sad, orphan-mouse features from?
Without hesitation, his dad pulls Umma into a side hug. She laughs, a bit surprised, but hugs him back.
“Vince. I can’t believe it’s you.”
“I know it. Look at us, back here twenty years later, our kids following in our footsteps. Speaking of.” He turns to me and sticks his hand out, eyes crinkling with warmth. “You must be Seyoon. It’s good to meet a friend of Dean’s.”
Dean finally catches up, a hesitant smile flitting on his face as he watches us interact. “Yep. Seyoon’s become a good friend.” There’s a funny pitch to his voice.
That makes Umma perk up. She reaches for Dean and shakes his hand, too, smiling so warmly that he squints as if blinded. “Dean, then. It’s wonderful to meet you.”
Our mini family reunion catches Garrett’s attention, if him trying to slink away unnoticed is anything to go by. Vince steps over and plucks Garrett by the collar of his shirt.
“Don’t think you can run away without saying hello,” Vince says, patting him on the back hard enough that he stumbles forward.
Umma smiles pleasantly, but there’s a glint of something more in her eyes. “You weren’t trying to avoid us, were you?”
I prepare for a tense reunion. Dean does the same, watching closely. Umma can’t hold an ounce of resentment in her bones, obviously, but Garrett’s petty and dramatic to his core. Just look at his blazer.
Garrett feigns surprise, a noticeable sheen of sweat starting to cover his face. “What? No! I didn’t even see you guys there. Didn’t even notice you, that is. Notice that itwasyou,” he babbles, a hint of red on his cheekbones. “Vince, you’re looking good. Jungeun, you’re more beautiful than ever. Not that you weren’t beautiful back then, ’cause believe me, you were. I mean—how are you?”
My jaw falls. Garrett Sleazeball Moxley is melting into a flustered puddle of goo. Because of mymother.
“Are you seriously flirting with my mom?” I say, not hiding the disgust in my voice.
Garrett gives me a look like he would strangle me if Umma weren’t right there.
Vince leans back and laughs, holding his belly. “You haven’t changed at all, Garrett, even after all this time. Hey, what happenedto keeping in touch? I sent you a few messages over the years. Too busy to make time for your old camp friends?”
Dean’s eyebrows raise, as if surprised by this information.
“Or,” Umma interrupts, “did the guilt of betraying us keep you from picking up the phone?”
Garrett shrinks into his blazer as if it could protect him from withering under her scrutiny. “Jungeun… Vince, I—”
Umma waves her hand. “It’s alright. That was years ago. I’m not angry.”
“Yeah. Water under the bridge,” Vince says. There’s a wrinkle between his eyebrows, but then he looks at Dean, and it smooths out. “Besides, you’re giving our kids the opportunity to finish what we started. That’s what counts. Thanks for making sure Dean hasn’t fallen into a creek or frozen to death in the woods. He’s not really the outdoorsy type. I was a little worried he’d—”
“Okay, yes, thanks, Dad,” Dean mutters, embarrassed.
A sharp look flits across Umma’s expression. She reaches out and holds one of Garrett’s hands. He looks down at her, his eyes wide. With her other arm, she wraps it around my shoulders and pulls me into her side.
“That’s right,” she says. “Thank you for giving our kids a fairchance.”
I’d pick up on what she means even if she weren’t squeezing Garrett’s hand so hard that his knuckles turn white. He didn’t give Umma or Dean’s dad a fair chance when he told them to go the wrong way in the final challenge.
Garrett looks briefly at me and Dean, his face creasing with remorse I didn’t think he was capable of feeling. He drops his head and squeezes Umma’s hand back.
Then Garrett steps away and awkwardly clears his throat. “I better wrangle everyone up before Blake yells at me for slowing down the production schedule again. We’ll be heading down to set soon.” Garrett turns to leave, thinks about something, then turns back around. The tiniest smile ticks up on his face. It’s more genuine without his veneers spilling out. “It really is good to see both of you again.”
Vince’s smile takes up his whole face. Umma, to my horror,blushes.“You too.”
He walks away then, stealing a megaphone from one of the crew members and yelling into it. “Wrap up the sentiments, campers—it’s time for the fourth challenge! Don’t worry, you don’t have to say goodbye to your families yet; they’re coming with us. Chop, chop!”
We all head down the path to the parking lot. It’s not until we’re settled in the back of the bus together that I bring up our conversation from earlier. “You were going to tell me something.”
