Under Normal Circumstances

The Road Less Traveled

Grace, Billy and I sat at the kitchen table that night, maps spread out all over it. She was plotting our course, picking sights to see along the way, estimating the time it would take and the cost. She wasn't concerned about the cost one bit since she found out about the check. I was still dumbfounded that she had got mom and dad to agree to this.

"What did you say to them?" I asked her when she'd come home with 'good news'.

"Why does it matter?" She asked, her arms full of the maps she'd just bought.

My eyes had widened at her.
"Did you tell the truth at least?" I questioned.

She gave me a withering look as she dumped the maps on the kitchen table.

"I told them you were in love with that wonderful young man we'd spent the evening of the funeral with, but had been putting him off for my sake. I told them I was absolutely sick of your selflessness and ridiculous thoughtfulness that I was going to take you to see him. I also mentioned that Steve had been horrid to you so you especially deserve this. And I told them not to try to talk you out of it because we've all been smothering you way too much, we need to let you have this," she finished recounting to me and we soon found ourselves pouring over maps, Billy and I watching Grace in awe of her determination. 

I rested my chin on Billy's little shoulder as he sat on my lap. His dark curls were soft against my cheek. It was well past his bed time but we let him stay up.

"Who are we going to see?" Billy asked me, his hands resting on my arm wrapped around his waist.

"Slivko, the one we went to the diner with. He gave you your daddy's boots?" I reminded him.

"Oh!" He said brightly. "I like him!"

"So does Maybelle," Grace said with a teasing lilt before glancing at me.

"So do I," she added sincerely when she saw my  unamused face.

"I'm still confused about something," I told her. "Why is everyone so cool about this? I was expecting some kind of resistance, you know? Like I haven't known him long enough, that kind of argument."

"Why? Are you trying to get out of it?"

"What? No, I -"

"Do you not really love him?"

"That's not-"

"Then shut up and be thankful," she said shortly.

I paused, a little surprised by her response and having no comeback. I don't know what came over me exactly but I giggled. I giggled and couldn't stop. Grace looked at me with a little smile that grew until she was giggling too.

"What?" Billy asked. "What's so funny?"

Billy zonked out while Grace and I packed. It was close to 1 in the morning and reality felt a bit altered. I wasn't sure why we were acting like it was so urgent to leave. I mean, sure I wanted to see Slivko and clear all this up, but he also had no idea I was coming so he wasn't expecting me on a certain day or anything. But is this was something Grace needed I wasn't about to stop her.

Grace waltzed into my room then with one of her bags and put all my letters and the folder of photos into it.

"I wasn't done with these," she explained when I gave her a questioning look.

Every we hadn't written anything about the creatures, not really anything about the island at all actually, so I didn't see the harm in letting her read them. I just shook my head at her and rolled my eyes.

"Did you ever kiss Steve?" She asked out of the blue.

"Ew, no," I answered immediately as I refolded a shirt to pack.

She laughed at me.
"You dated him for months, you didn't always think 'ew'," she pointed out. "So what's different about this guy? Why'd you let him kiss you?"

"Well," I tilted my head. "I kissed him."

I wasn't looking at her but I felt her eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"You kissed him?" She repeated. "Oh! Do tell!"

I fiddled with the shirt in my hand some more, stalling a little. A goofy grin passed my face thinking of him.

"We'll see," I started. "We were going into this really dangerous area of the island to- to try and find Jack. Slivko didn't like the idea and made me promise to stay close. We all almost died... but anyway, after that is when we split up- right when I found out about Jack. Then Conrad, Mason and Hank went back for them and when no one came back we went after everyone and when I saw Slivko again he started this long apology for leaving me but we were all about- about to die again and we didn't have time for it so I just grabbed his face and kissed him."

I'd nearly torn my shirt in two by the time I'd finished my story and Grace wore a shell shocked expression. Slowly it melted into a sly and suspicious look.

"That's not the only time you kissed," she stated. "How many times have you kissed him?"

I looked up as I did the math.
"6."

Graces mouth dropped open.
"Well," is all she said for a few minutes.
"He gave you his shirt," she pointed out meaningfully.

"He did," I agreed just as meaningful.

We stood there nodding seriously at each other for a stupidly long time.

We finished packing by 1 am and then slept until sunrise. Grace was armed with coffee and her hair swept up in a bandana, I had a bun of messy bed hair, tea, and Slivko's sunglasses and shirt. We loaded my car with our luggage and a sleeping Billy and with Grace as my map bearing copilot, we set off on a winding road that would eventually lead me right to Slivko.