Fortuity

Chapter 22

Why does this always happen to me?

Seriously, why?

We were in traffic. A lot of traffic. We made it all the way to Palm Beach with no problem.

I'm blown away at how beautiful Florida is already. It's sunny and there's so much ocean.

I've seen the ocean in California but everyone says it's different.

The sand is different.

Whatever. So anyways, we were all splitting apart, and I'm towing the mustang with the Range Rover and the baby is sleeping in the car seat and Tyler's driving the moving van. We've been driving for sixteen hours or so straight.

Now though, we're in Palm Beach. We're home, and Everyone probably recognized where they are but me and Del and my family and Delaney's family.

But we're all using the GPS.

And I had left my phone in the moving van last time we stopped on accident, and my GPS just fell off the dashboard and broke.

So now I've got no way to find the house and no phone to contact anybody.

I'm passing an elementary school called Forest Park. I drive to the end of that road, but it's a dead end. There's a parking lot to my left, but the building doesn't have a sign. Frowning, I just turn into it and exit from the other side, and I head down the road, back towards the school.

On the other side of the dead end thing was a busy road.

I go down the road until I see a road to my right, and I go right, and then I keep driving until I find another road to my right. I turn down it and it leads to a busy road.

I go right at that road, and I just start driving.

I'm on the highway again.

Panicked, I keep driving straight.

Eventually, a home depot appears on my right, so I take a right and onto some road called SW 8th St

There's an advanced auto parts store and a home depot and a burger king and a Dunkin Donuts and Staples.

This must be an outlet mall.

Nervous, I park by Home Depot and get out.

This is the first time I've stepped on Florida ground.

It's almost May, and it's fucking hot.

Christ, it really is hot.

I get Emily out of her car seat and grab the diaper bag, locking the Range Rover.

I go inside Staples, thankful for the air conditioning.

Shit, it's hot.

Emily is fussy, so I go into the bathroom to change her, and then I feed her in one of the stalls and burp her, and then I wander back out into the actual store.

I need help.

I wander around aimlessly.

I walk up to the counter.

"Do you guys have a phone I can borrow?" I ask.

"Uh...here." The woman hands me the stores phone.

"Thank you so much." I sigh. I dial Tyler.

It rings once.

"Hello?"

"Hey." I sigh.

"Where are you? I've been worried sick!"