They stood in front of Stella, together. Dan Bloom stood a bit back, cell phone in hand. He was not going to miss any of this.
“Thank God!” Cedar’s mom called as they ran toward the three kids. Sara Montgomery’s face was one of sheer panic. Hollowed eyes, disheveled hair, creases between her eyebrows.
“I thought, I thought…” she hugged Cedar tightly.
Phillip’s parents emerged as part of the group and looked at Phillip in a way he had never seen.
“We trusted you. How could you do this? She is so sick!” yelled his dad. His mom looked on, shaking her head.
“Stop, everyone. It is not Phillip’s fault. He was trying to help me.”
“Help you?” said Sara Montgomery, “how can breaking you out of the hospital help you! What were you thinking!”
Phillip’s dad said, “Get your stuff. We are leaving. You’ve done enough damage here.”
Cedar took her mom’s hands. Tipped up her chin.
“Mom, look at me. Look at my face.”
Cedar’s mom turned to look at her daughter.
“See me. See my eyes. You know it is true.”
Tears sprouted in Sara Montgomery’s eyes as she looked deep into the fiery, deer-like eyes of her wild tree daughter. She knew in that moment the way you know things. The way you feel love like a blanket.
“Kevin. Look at Cedar. She is bright. She is well.”
“But how can that be?” Cedar’s dad marveled.
“Because she is home. Because her fate is connected to this tree.” At this, Cedar’s parents paused, eyes locked on Cedar.
Phillip’s dad interrupted the silence. “I have no idea what you all are talking about, but I have to get to work, and this boy here is grounded for life, so if you don’t mind, he’s coming with me.”
“Dad, I can’t leave. We’ve made it this far. Cedar’s mom is right.”
“Um, excuse me,” Dan Bloom called.
“Young man, you are coming with me.” Phillip’s dad reached and caught Phillip’s arm.
“Let go! I was only trying to help!”
“You’d better turn around, folks,” Dan said, camera raised and recording.
Behind the group, dozens of people were coming forward, many holding signs, calling into the forest.
“Save the Worcester Woods! Save Cedar!”
“Save the Worcester Woods! Save Cedar!”
They kept coming. Piles of kids holding hand-lettered signs. Parents holding their kids’ hands. It seemed that Chester School had emptied and appeared right on the trail, right in the woods before them.
The adults were speechless, and Cedar broke into a wide smile. The morning light bathed the dozens of families that emerged around Stella. Cedar and Phillip stepped around the stunned adults and started greeting classmates, teachers, parents, friends, and many people they didn’t know.
Cedar looked around, light as air, in disbelief. Phillip ran his hands through his hair, whispered, “Unbelievable.”
They didn’t even notice the TV news cameras.