Hope & a Canoe

by Michele M. Reynolds

  “Far away,” Tember said as she pointed toward the bathroom ceiling.

  “Heaven?” Olivia asked. “Oh! Then your daddy. How about him?”

  Tember looked up toward the ceiling again.

  “Oh, Mommy, this girl has a boo-boo and nobody to make it better.”

  “I see that,” the woman said as she walked over and took Olivia’s hand.

  “Mommy, you help her?” Olivia said.

  Tember’s eyes met the woman’s and she nodded.

  The woman, Pam, walked her daughter Olivia to the family Lexus and left Olivia with her dad, Gary. Olivia’s dad looked at Tember with a look of concern. Pam walked Tember into the gas station, where she bought Tember wall and car chargers for her phone, as well as water, food, and bandages for her cuts. Tember told her the truth: her grandparents had kidnapped her and were planning to leave her with bad men. Tember told her that the only way to get away was to jump out of a moving RV. Pam took one look at her hand and insisted on taking her to the hospital.

  “I’m sorry it took a four-year-old to bring out the Good Samaritan in me,” Pam said.

  Tember smiled. “No, it’s okay. I look a mess. I probably wouldn’t help someone looking like me.”

  Once Tember’s hand was sufficiently wrapped, she climbed into the Lexus bound for the hospital with Olivia, Pam, and Gary.

  28

  Jeremy and Grace drove for only a few hours before they had to stop to refuel. They both were angry they didn’t have the foresight to write down the license plate numbers of the RV or the Buick. Jeremy gassed up the truck as a defeated Grace dragged herself to the restroom.

  As she sat on the toilet, her phone beeped and beeped again in a tone she had not heard before. She finished, flushed the toilet, and exited the stall. She washed her hands, and then she pulled out her phone. The face of her phone blinked, but then it went dead. She rushed out to the truck to plug it in.

  “Going to grab a drink. Do you want something, sweetie?” Jeremy asked.

  “Some juice or water,” Grace said as she stared at the screen, waiting for it to reboot.

  Jeremy leaned through the open truck window. “What is it?”

  “Nothing, just rebooting it. I think I have an email or something,” she answered.

  The phone turned on, and an alert blinked in orange at the top of the screen. Grace opened the alert, and a map came onto the screen. The honing device that Grace had activated on Tember’s phone had started working. There was a green dot and a red dot right next to each other. Grace tried to zoom in, but the screen would not budge.

  Jeremy leaned into the truck and watched the blinking lights. “What does that mean?”

  Grace answered, “I don’t know. I think we are only a few miles from Tember or from her phone at least.”

  Jeremy looked around the parking lot and then back at the screen. “I’m going to get us a few drinks, and then we can hunt down her phone.”

  He walked away from the truck and into the store. After a few minutes, Grace’s phone beeped again, and a text appeared on her screen: I’m going to Mason County Hospital in Texas. I’m okay. Stitches opened. Can you get me some money so that I can get to where you are? I love you.

  Grace jumped out of the truck and yelled to her dad, who was walking out of the convenience store with a bag.

  “Dad, she’s here. She’s in Mason!”

  Jeremy jogged to Grace and gave her a hug. “I told you we’d find her.” He looked down at the phone and read the message. “Awe, she loves you.”

  Another text appeared on the screen: Jeremy looks ridiculous in that hat.

  “She said you–” Grace started to read and then looked up from her phone. A few feet away, standing by a gray Lexus was Tember. Grace ran across the parking lot toward her. As she reached Tember, Grace realized a soft embrace was called for. Tember was covered in scrapes, bruises, and blood-stained clothes. Grace pulled Tember close to her, and Tember held her tight.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” Grace said.

  “Me too. Almost happened.”

  “Mommy, that’s Tember’s friend,” Olivia said.

  “Yes, I think it is,” Pam answered. “Tember, you need to get to the hospital.”

  Grace pulled away from her and looked into the Lexus. A smiling family watched them.

  “Grace, this is Pam, Gary, and Olivia. They helped me out,” Tember said. She looked at the family sitting in the car. “I’m going to go with her, Pam. Thank you so much for your kindness.”

  “You’re leaving?” Olivia pouted.

  “Yes, sorry, Olivia,” Tember answered.

  Grace grabbed Tember’s hand and kissed the back of it.

  “Mommy, her friend will kiss her boo-boos. It’ll be okay,” Olivia said.

  Pam smiled and winked at Tember. “Don’t have to worry about Tember.”

  “That’s right. Don’t have to worry about Tember. We’ll get her all fixed up,” Jeremy said from behind Grace.

  Tember turned and fell into Jeremy’s arms. He hugged her, careful to not brush against her bruises and scrapes.

  “You scared us, chipmunk,” Jeremy said.

  “Scared me too,” Tember said. Warmth dripped down her arm. She saw a puddle of blood on the ground. “I have to get to the hospital.”

  They said good bye to Olivia and her family and made their way back to Jeremy’s truck. Grace refused to let go of Tember’s uninjured hand.

  Tember borrowed Grace’s name again for insurance purposes. Once out of the hospital, Jeremy tried to convince Tember to press charges against her grandparents, but Tember refused, stating that more harm than help would come from that. Tember and Grace climbed into the backseat of the truck, and Tember felt comforted cradled in Grace’s arms.

  “I just wish they didn’t have all my money,” Tember said.

  “I wouldn’t say that they did,” Jeremy said.

  Tember said, “They do because they drugged me and then took it. I have nothing.”

  “Well, what if I told you someone cashed in your scratch-off tickets?” Jeremy asked.

  “Dad, you didn’t. No way,” Grace said.

  “Look in the compartment back there,” he said.

  Grace opened the compartment and found a stack of hundreds.

  29

  The three, exhausted and dusty from days on the Texas roads, stopped at an Oklahoma hotel. Jeremy insisted that they get two hotel rooms so that the girls would have some privacy. Grace closed the hotel door and stepped into the room behind Tember.

  “I’ve decided you have the coolest dad in the world,” Tember said.

  “Agreed,” Grace said. “Are you too sore to be kissed by your girlfriend?”

  “Try me.”

  Grace pulled Tember close, pushed the hair behind her ears, and passionately kissed her lips. Tember pushed her lips fiercely against Grace’s, pulling Grace tightly to her. She walked Grace backward and pushed her onto the bed.

  “Hey, the doctor said no activity,” Grace said.

  “I’m just kissing the girl I love,” Tember said. “Is that a crime?”

  “I love you too. Even you looking like a shot-up, dusty gunslinger.”

  “Is that a hint to take a shower?” Tember asked.

  Grace nodded.

  “Only if you come with me. I’m concussed. I need close supervision. Anyway, this hand is useless.”

  “Deal,” Grace said.

  Grace gently helped Tember out of her clothes and wrapped Tember’s hand in a plastic bag. Tember stood naked as goosebumps formed all over her body. Her eyes did not leave Grace as Grace peeled off her own shorts, shirt, panties, and bra. All of Tember’s pain seemed to be forgotten as she looked over Grace’s body.

  They entered the shower, and the warmth of the water quickly remedied their goosebumps. Grace unwrapped the hotel soap, lathered the bar, and ran it and her hands over Tember’s body.

  “Easy,” Tember warned.

  “Too hard? D
oes it hurt?”

  “Too amazing.” Tember laughed.

  “You’re too much,” Grace said. She gently washed Tember. “Wow, so many scrapes and cuts.”

  Tember said, “That’s what you get when you jump out of a moving RV.”

  “You really picked the lock on the cuffs with parts from a pen?” Grace asked.

  Tember grinned. “Yeah and I probably couldn’t do it again. I just moved the metal piece from the pen all around the lock, and it sprung open. The hard part was throwing myself out of the RV.”

  “I bet. That was brave,” Grace said.

  “Or stupid.”

  “Brave,” Grace repeated as she kissed Tember’s lips and pressed her naked body against her lover’s. “Rinse off.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Tember answered.

  After the shower, they lay side by side on the bed. They kissed and caressed each other, staring deeply into each other’s eyes. Tember could not get enough of Grace’s kisses and touch.

  “I’m so happy to be here with you,” Tember said.

  “Me too.”

  Tember said, “I was afraid I’d never see you again.”

  “Me too.”

  Grace stared into Tember’s eyes, and her heart ached. Tember thought about what it would be like to be away from Grace. Her heart squeezed when she thought of Grace moving on without her.

  Grace read the sadness in Tember’s eyes and said, “I can’t believe your grandparents did that to you. Are you sure you don’t want to go to the police?”

  Tember answered, “I don’t want to go through all that. It’s over.”

  “But–” Grace said.

  “But, no worries. I don’t want to,” Tember said.

  Grace sat up in bed. “They make me so angry. They drugged you, kidnapped you, and handcuffed you.”

  “The only person who should be cuffing me should be you,” Tember said as she sat up and attempted to kiss Grace, but Grace pulled away.

  “I’m serious,” Grace said. “You had to jump out of a moving RV to avoid being held captive forever.” A tear rolled down Grace’s cheek.

  “I know,” Tember said. “Sorry to joke about it. Just doing the whole humor thing to avoid the painful truth. You’ll learn about that in college.”

  “Don’t do that either,” Grace warned.

  “What?”

  “Push me away by reminding me that I’m going away and leaving you,” Grace said.

  “I didn’t say that. I never said that.”

  Grace said, “Yes, but it was implied.” She climbed out of bed and slipped on her clothes and then her shoes.

  Tember watched her. “Where you going?”

  Grace leaned down and gave Tember a kiss. “I need to go for a walk. I’ll be back.”

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine. I just need to take a walk to clear my head,” Grace said.

  Tember grabbed Grace’s hand and kissed it softly. “Be careful.”

  Grace left the hotel room, and within minutes, Tember was asleep.

  Tember woke when she felt the warmth of Grace’s body behind her in bed. She turned over and wrapped her arm around Grace’s torso. Tember kissed Grace’s cheek and tasted salt.

  “You crying?” she asked.

  “I was,” Grace answered.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t joke around, and I won’t bring up college. You’re right. I’m worried about you going away.”

  “Stop, it wasn’t you. I’m sad about going away to college too. Not because of college, but because of being away from you. Is it weird to be so crazy about you in this short amount of time?”

  “I feel the same way,” Tember said. “I haven’t connected with anyone since my parents died, and you and I just connect.”

  “Can you imagine ever connecting with anyone the way we do?” Grace asked.

  “Never.”

  “Come with me then,” Grace said.

  Tember’s eyebrows rose. “What?”

  “You heard me. Come with me to Washington. You have some money. You can get a cheap apartment or something. Who knows? You might be able to take classes yourself,” Grace said.

  “You’re crazy,” Tember said.

  Grace asked, “Am I? Do you have other plans? Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll let you tutor me and do my laundry.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “So you’ll come?” Grace asked. “I don’t care what my dad says.”

  “Wait, your dad doesn’t want me going?” Tember asked.

  Grace shrugged. “He thinks you’ll be a distraction from my college experience. I just came from his room. We had our first fight since I asked if I could get my ears pierced. I won that argument. I’ll win this one.”

  “But I don’t feel good about going out there without his blessing,” Tember said.

  Grace laughed. “You being all chivalrous and old-fashioned now? You didn’t have his permission to explore my body like you did the night on the island.”

  Tember’s mind went to the memory of Grace and their bodies pressed together in that tent.

  “Let’s sleep on it okay?” Tember asked.

  “I’m not used to being told no,” Grace teased.

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  30

  Tember woke with Grace still in deep slumber beside her. She slid out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. She sat on the toilet and felt as though every muscle and bone in her body ached. She glanced down at her scratched and bruised legs. When she stood and looked in the mirror, she saw the swelling on her face had gone down, but blotches of purple had formed.

  Her mind went to her conversation with Grace the night before. The thought of living close to Grace made her heart soar, but the thought of coming between Jeremy and Grace made her sad. She wanted Grace to have a good college experience, and she would be a distraction. When Tember went back to the bed, she noticed a piece of paper on the floor in front of the hotel room door.

  It was a note from Jeremy that read, I went for a drive. I’ll be back before lunch.

  Grace woke as Tember slid back into bed. Tember and Grace spent the morning making love, dreading reuniting with Jeremy and heading back north.

  Jeremy returned at eleven a.m., and the three of them decided to have a quick lunch before they drove toward New York. The tension between Grace and Jeremy was unmistakable. It broke Tember’s heart to see them that way, and the three of them ate their lunches in silence.

  “So,” Tember said, finally breaking the silence, and both Grace and Jeremy stared at her, hungry for conversation. “Grace invited me to go to Washington with her.”

  “Yeah,” Jeremy said.

  “Yeah, I did,” Grace aggressively answered.

  “But I’m not going to go,” Tember said.

  “You’re not?” Grace asked. “What? But–”

  Tember put her hand on Grace’s arm. “No, I’m not. I’m sorry. I’m so head over heels for you, but I don’t want to crash your scene out there. I have to create my own scene.”

  Tears formed in Grace’s eyes, and Tember looked away to avoid her eyes flooding over too.

  “Tember, what? You don’t like my daughter anymore?” Jeremy asked.

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “So you do like her?” Jeremy asked.

  “No, I love her,” Tember answered.

  Jeremy said, “Grace said that too. You guys have only known each other a week.”

  “Dad–” Grace started to say, but Jeremy held up his hand to silence her.

  “Tember?” he asked

  “Yes, I get it,” Tember said. “Hey, it’s news to me too. Who would have known that I’d fall in love so quickly and easily? But Grace and I have an amazing connection. I’d do anything for her. That’s why I’d rather go into the world alone than ruin the good thing she has going.”

  “So it’s not that you don’t want to go to Washington?” Jeremy asked.

  “No, I don’t care where I go. I just don’t want t
o cause a riff between you two,” Tember said. “I’ll be okay by myself.”

  “I get a feeling that you can take care of yourself. You’ve been doing that for a long time now. And Grace here, despite having a great dad, she can take care of herself too,” Jeremy said as he reached across the table and wiped a tear from Grace’s cheek.

  “Dad,” Grace said and then covered her face.

  “But,” Jeremy said, “even though you guys can take care of yourselves, you’re better together. I’ve never seen two people complement each other like you two. That’s why I’m going to request that you go to Washington with Grace.”

  Grace uncovered her face, looked at Jeremy, and asked, “For real?”

  “Here,” Jeremy tossed something to Tember.

  Tember caught it and heard metal clinking in her hands. She looked down and saw car keys. She held up the keys, and both she and Grace wore confused expressions.

  “If you could see your faces,” Jeremy said as he laughed. “Come outside.”

  Jeremy, Grace, and Tember walked outside, and Jeremy pointed to a brown, four-door sedan.

  “What is this?” Grace asked.

  “Sorry, it was last-minute notice. I picked this up at a local car place. I checked it out myself. It runs well. It looks like crap, but it runs,” Jeremy said.

  “You got me a car?” Grace asked.

  “No, I got Tember a car. You can’t have a car as a freshman on campus,” Jeremy said as he patted Grace on the shoulder.

  “But why?” Grace asked. “Why not wait until we got to New York?”

  “Do you think I want to drive all the way home with you two lovebirds?” he asked. “I thought you guys could drive out to Washington from here, and I could meet you out there in a few weeks when school starts. I’ll bring all your stuff.”

  “But we were supposed to have this fun road trip, you and I,” Grace said.

  “Ahh, don’t worry,” Jeremy said. “I remember what it was like to be eighteen. I’m old, not dead. I’d rather go with a hot chick than my old man.”

  “You’re not an old man, and I was looking forward to it,” Grace said.

  “We can do it another time,” he said.