Sue draws in a breath and then pushes it out real slow. “That’s why I say forgive and move on.”
I inwardly groan. Here we go again.
“You never know what life’s next turn will be,” she says with a hollow laugh. “My husband and I could have learned a thing or two from Toby and Marissa’s relationship. Just because you’re older, it doesn’t mean you’re wiser, you know. That’s all a farce.”
Being raised by my mom, I can agree with that. She’s never made what I’d call wise decisions. I look up to see that the rest of the group has stopped and are waiting for us.
“Sorry, guys,” I tell them.
“It’s no problem,” Johan says, “but we should stick together. In case of more bears.”
“Good point,” I say.
It’s also a good excuse not to get caught alone with Sue again
CHAPTER 14ELI
Hello Granddaughters,
If you’re reading this, you must have made it through three days of hiking in Yellowstone. That was another one of my dreams. You may not be aware, but the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the largest intact ecosystems left in the northern temperate zone. It’s an amazing place, or so I’ve heard. I really wish I could be there with you. I’ve always wanted to see the Rocky Mountain Parnassian butterfly (Parnassius smintheus), which is native to that area.
I hope the two of you are getting to know one another by now. You’ve missed an awful lot in each other’s lives and maybe this time together will allow you to catch up. Please don’t let what happened between your mothers get in the way. It had nothing to do with either one of you.
Katherine, we didn’t see much of each other—especially in recent years—but I’ve always appreciated your unique sense of humor and your carefree attitude.
Becka, I’ve always loved your confidence and dedication to what you do. I regret not being able to watch you play soccer. You both are such smart girls—I know you’ll do well in college.
I didn’t speak about your grandma often, but I wanted to take some time to tell you a little about her now. Your mothers likely haven’t had nice things to say about her, but Charlotte wasn’t a horrible person. I just don’t think she was cut out to be a mother. That’s not an excuse, but the truth. When I started refusing to leave our property, it drove her crazy. She was a busy body—always going places and doing things. She especially loved shopping for antiques. Then, after a few years, when I was getting worse instead of better, she couldn’t handle it. You’ve probably heard the term “wanderlust.” Well, that was your grandma. I bet she’s living in some other country now, maybe Spain, if I had to guess. Please don’t hate her for wanting to live her own life. I never have. She had her good qualities, too. She was witty and smart as a whip—just like you girls. I wish you could meet her, but I have my doubts it will ever happen. I’m sorry for that.
There’s one more thing I need to let you know. For your last two trips, you will not be flying on a plane, but driving instead. A car will be provided for you. Long Creek, South Carolina, will be your first destination, and then you’ll continue down to the Florida Keys. The best part is that you’ll have plenty more time to get to know one another.
Until next time, sending my love,
Grandpa
CHAPTER 15BECKA
I SHOVE GRANDPA’S LETTER AT MY MOM. I’VE BEEN home for exactly five minutes, and the first thing I did was fling all my clothes out of the suitcase in order to find this envelope in the bottom.
“We have to drive,” I nearly scream, “together!”
Mom examines the letter, her brow furrowing as she reads. Her mouth sags into a frown. “What does he mean, ‘a car will be provided for you’?”
“Heck if I know.” I take off my shoes and throw them one at a time toward my closet, but my aim is terrible and they bounce off the wall with successive loud thunks instead.
“I’m pretty sure you have to be twenty-five to rent a car, so I don’t see how this is going to work.” She shakes her head. “And this part about my mother—what a joke.” She hands the letter back to me with a sigh. “I don’t know why he always stuck up for her after what she did to us. He always made excuses for her.”
I set the letter on my bedroom dresser as Mom moves across the room to sit on my bed. Wiping her palms on her slacks, she glances around like she hasn’t been in here for ages. All trace of irritation disappears from her face, but I’m still fuming.
“So how was it?” she asks. “Did you enjoy the hiking?”
I plop down beside her and fall onto my back. “The hiking was great. Yellowstone was beautiful.” A groan of frustration escapes my throat. “Until K. J. tried to ruin everything, but big surprise there.” I watch the ceiling fan twirl around and around above me. “I’m telling you, that girl is a nutcase.”
“What’d she do this time?” Mom’s tone is apathetic, as if I’m only telling her what she expected to hear.
“For one, she did a cannonball and nearly landed on top of me at the hotel pool. Totally on purpose. And then she kept trying to embarrass me in front of our hiking guide. She acts like she’s thirteen half the time.” I leave out the part about us fighting and me punching her in the face. It wasn’t one of my proudest moments—even if she did deserve it. Rolling onto my side, I prop my head up with one hand.
Mom’s satiny brown hair hangs over one shoulder, and she runs her fingers through it. “Maybe she inherited some of your grandpa’s strange tendencies.”
“She’s more than just
