An Affirmation

 

“ODETTE.”

She tried to open her eyes, but they were still crusty with sleep.

“Odette. Wake up.” It was her dad.

Slowly, Odette peeled open her eyes. The room was barely light. By her feet, Georgie groaned and rolled over.

“Dad?”

“Everything’s fine, Odette. But come on, get up.”

Odette slid her legs out from under Georgie and tiptoed around Rex. She followed Dad into the front room. “What is it?” she asked.

“I found a ferry schedule,” Dad said, smiling. “And look . . .” He held a trifold paper under the table lamp next to Grandma Sissy’s chair. “A boat is leaving for Anacortes—that’s on Fidalgo Island—at six forty-five this morning. Isn’t that where you said Harris was heading next?”

“Umm . . .” said Odette. Was her dad really suggesting that she race to the dock to track down a boy she had only met a few times? Her dad, the cautious one, who always double-checked everything and warned them “Be careful” at every turn?

“Odette, let me tell you something,” Dad said. “Taking that voluntary layoff was the scariest thing I’ve ever done. It was a leap into the void. But you know what else it was? An affirmation of life. I haven’t been one to take many chances, honey, but the only chances I regret are the ones I didn’t take.” He held up her jacket, which Odette hadn’t noticed was in his hand. “Come on,” he said. “It’ll be fun.”

Probably it wouldn’t be fun. It didn’t sound fun. It sounded embarrassing and terrifying. But just the same, she liked that Dad had come to wake her up. She liked that everyone in her family wanted to help. And Odette saw that this was about more than whether or not she got to Harris before the boat left. This was about adventure. Taking a chance.

“What the heck,” she said, and shoved her arms into her jacket.