Trail. I feel a deep connection with the history of this area, and although I’ve traveled extensively throughout South America, nowhere I’ve visited fills me with the same sense of tranquility as I find here. I look forward to every summer, to hiking to Machu Picchu, to renewing my spirit and filling my soul with peace.”
He took a sip of his tea. “On a personal note, I am twenty-eight years old and not married, a fact my mother reminds me of every day.” Everyone chuckled. “I keep hoping to meet the woman of my heart, but she has so far eluded me. Maybe someday she will hike the Inca Trail, and we will find each other, but since you all are couples or-” he smiled at Dan “-single gentlemen, this is not the hike.” His gaze circled the group. “Who’s next?”
“I’ll jump in,” said Bill. “Eileen and I hail from Atlanta where we’re both high-school teachers. We have twin sons who just graduated from college, one of whom earned a degree in accounting and the other who plans to follow in our footsteps and teach.” He glanced at his wife, and took her hand. “We love the outdoors and discovering new places and have looked forward to this trip for a long time.”
“We’d actually planned to visit Machu Picchu two summers ago,” Eileen added, “but had to postpone our plans when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a scary time and definitely gave both of us an appreciation for what’s really important.” She laid her hand over Bill’s and smiled at the group. “I’m happy to report that I’m now cancer-free and very happy to be here-literally and figuratively.”
The entire group gave her a whooping round of applause, and with a laugh, she stood and bowed.
Since Shawn sat next to Eileen, he volunteered to go next. “I grew up in Pennsylvania, the oldest of six kids-all girls except me-in a house that had
“Okay, everyone say ‘awww,’” Paolo said in a teasing voice, and everyone chimed in.
“I graduated with Shawn,” Ashley said, “but unlike him, I wasn’t much of a camper until he came along. I grew up in Idaho, near Sun Valley, so I’m a skier. Not being a college student any longer is…weird. On the one hand, I feel very grown-up and look forward to starting my career, but on the other hand, I’m scared to death because now I’m in the real world.” She made air quotes around the last two words. “It’s sort of like walking on a high wire without a safety net beneath you. I came on this trip with Shawn because I love going places with him. We’ve been together three years, and he’s taught me how great sleeping under the stars, communing with nature can be. I’d rather be in a tent with him than in a fancy hotel with someone else.”
Everyone clapped and again said, “awww,” to which Ashley smiled and buried her face in Shawn’s collar.
“I guess I’m next,” Brett said. He wasn’t sure if it was sharing this campfire under the stars, or the day of hiking, or the meal, or all three, but he felt an undeniable bond of camaraderie with this group of strangers. And a sudden, strong need to unburden himself.
“I’m from New York, and I came here to escape the chaos my life’s been over the past four months,” he said slowly, but then the words came faster. “I’m a scientist, a chemist. After I published my findings on a new skincare formula I developed, everything just went…crazy.”
He rested his forearms on his knees, clasped his hands together and stared into the fire, reliving the insanity that had been thrust upon him. “Everyone wanted a piece of the formula. At first, I can’t deny that the attention was flattering-it was the sort of recognition most scientists dream of yet never receive.
“But it quickly spun out of control. I was being pulled in too many directions by too many people. I didn’t know who I could trust or what was best for my future and career. The pursuit by various cosmetic firms was relentless, and I couldn’t stand it any more. I’d read an article about getting your life back in balance, and one of the things it recommended was going somewhere you’ve never been, to do something you’ve never done. I’d always been interested in Machu Picchu, so I packed my bag and here I am. And I have to say, this is the most peaceful I’ve felt in months.” His gaze flicked to Kayla. “And the happiest I’ve been in a very long time.”
He drew a deep breath, and a profound sense of relief filled him, as if he’d carried a stack of anvils on his shoulders and they’d now evaporated. Into the clear, brisk, mountain air. He looked at Kayla and smiled. “Your turn.”
She moistened her lips, and Brett noted that she seemed rather uncomfortable. “I’m also from New York, and I actually read that same article as Brett, about rebalancing your life by doing something totally new, and believe me, a four-day hike in the Andes is about as far outside my comfort zone as you can get. So, here I am, an escapee from the daily stress of my public-relations job and high-maintenance family. And in spite of being so far outside my usual box, I’m feeling very…peaceful.”
“I would suggest it is
Dan hesitated several seconds, then combed his fingers through his short, military-cut gray hair. “Well, I wasn’t going to tell anyone, but since you all have been so honest, I don’t feel right not extending that same honesty back.”
Kayla shifted on the log beside him, and, noting her frown, Brett scooted closer, rapping his arm around her shoulder.
“I lost my wife three years ago,” Dan said, staring into the fire’s dancing red and gold flames. “Car crash. Hit by a drunk driver. He’s in jail now, but that doesn’t bring Marcie back. We were married thirty-five years.”
Brett felt Kayla stiffen beneath his arm, then, along with everyone else, murmur her sympathy for Dan’s loss. He could almost feel the waves of sadness rolling off the man and compassion filled him. His parents had recently celebrated their thirty-eighth anniversary. They were like two halves of a whole, and he couldn’t imagine either one of them losing the other.
“We have two daughters,” Dan continued, in a strained voice. “Both are married, and lucky for me they don’t live too far away. I get to see them and my grandchildren often, which has made things a little easier.”
He fell silent for several seconds, and it was obvious he was gathering his composure. After clearing his throat, he said, “Six months ago, my eyes started bothering me. Can’t deny I hadn’t kept up with regular doctor appointments after Marcie was gone. Oh, I did my normal exercises-racquetball and golf-but I didn’t bother with annual check-ups until my eyes began to trouble me. Doc told me I have macular degeneration. In simplest terms, it’s an incurable eye disease that leads to blindness. He gives me a year, two at most, before my eyesight will essentially be gone.”
Dan studied his clasped hands, and the only sound was the snap and pop of the flames. “Me and Marcie, we loved to travel. That woman was never so happy as when she was packin’ a suitcase. Went somewhere new every summer. When the girls were growing up, we took them with us, and after they left home, we went on our own. Had a long list of all the places we wanted to see together. She kept it hung right on the refrigerator, and every year we’d cross off a new place.”
He lifted his head and once again stared into the flames. “I’m trying to see as many of those places as I can in this next year. While I still can see them. So I can tell Marcie what they looked like. Hiking to Machu Picchu was on our list. So…here I am.”
No one spoke for several long seconds, then Kayla rose. Brett looked up at her and stilled when he saw that her eyes were bright with tears, her cheeks glistening with silvery wet tracks. She sat down next to Dan, taking the older man’s hand in hers.
“I’m so sorry, Dan,” she said, in a low voice. “My father…he died in nearly the same way. Car crash. Hit by a teenager high on drugs. I know how much it hurts. How hard it is to talk about.”
Tears misted Dan’s eyes and his head jerked in a tight nod. “Rips my heart out every time.”
“I know.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheek, and Brett’s heart squeezed tight. For her. And for Dan. He couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a loved one under such tragic circumstances. “What you’re doing,” she said softly, her gaze steady on Dan’s, “traveling to the places you and Marcie wanted to go…I hope you’ll get to see all
