Twelve
driver, having asked him to drop her off a few blocks from Bree’s house.
“I want to surprise my friend,” Cindy told him. “It’s been almost thirty years since we’ve seen each other.”
“Why did you wait so long?” he asked, looking at Cindy in the rearview mirror.
“I didn’t know where she lived.”
The driver paused long enough for Cindy to hear what she had said. How could she have let that be an excuse, she asked herself.
As if he heard her thoughts, the driver said, “At least you are here now. It must be when she needs you the most. There’s a park a few blocks from that address. Do you want me to drop you there? Perhaps some time under the trees will supply you with the courage you are seeking?”
His kindness and understanding rendered Cindy incapable of speaking, so she nodded yes. She resisted hugging him as he held the door for her, not knowing if he would like it.
Instead, she smiled, said thank you, and turned to look at the park that was filled with light filtering through the new leaves on the trees. A light breeze brought a hint of lilacs and daffodils. She breathed deeply, and some of her worries vanished.
She had packed lightly, as Paul had suggested. They could buy what they needed as they traveled. His attorney, Bruce Dawson, would make sure they had all the funds they needed to do what he requested.
Judith had contacted the attorney and had him wire funds to an account that all four of them could access as needed during the scavenger hunt. The attorney had refused to give them any information, only telling them that Paul had asked him to provide them with whatever they needed, and yes, he had been the one to mail the letters. Just before hanging up, he had wished them good luck.
“Good luck!” the Uber driver said as he set her small piece of luggage on the sidewalk. He, like the attorney, didn’t add, “You’ll need it,” but that’s what Cindy heard behind the words. Yes, she would need it.
Cindy let her gaze travel around the park, looking for a place to sit and think. Halfway around the park, she stopped, her breath catching in her throat and her heart beating so fast she thought she might faint.
It seemed impossible. It probably was. But sitting on a bench only a few feet away was a woman whose profile, although much older, was the same profile she had seen every day as she sat beside it in elementary school.
One breath later, the woman turned, saw Cindy, stood, stared, and within seconds both women ran towards each other, the suitcase dropping to the ground unnoticed.
Clutching each other, they sobbed, and then laughed, sobbed again, and finally, it was Bree who said, “I had hoped it was you who would come.”
Hours later, the two of them were in Bree’s living room. Another box of pizza had been delivered and eaten. Bree had set Cindy up in the guest bedroom, and now that they were both full, it was time to talk.
Cindy knew it was probably the wrong place to start, but her heart had broken when Bree left, so she had to ask.
“Why did you leave, Bree?”
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Why?”
Bree sighed and looked away. The moment she saw Cindy standing on the sidewalk, it was as if all the years apart had fallen away, and they were young again and ready for the world. But the wall she had around her had only gotten stronger through the years, and she knew she couldn’t take it down. At least not now. Maybe never.
“Can we not talk about that?”
Cindy nodded. She had loved Bree despite that wall before. Now that they were together again, Cindy wasn’t about to let Bree’s wall get in the way of their friendship.
The one thing she knew about Bree was that she always tried to do the right thing. So whatever had happened, it wasn’t something Bree did wrong, although she probably felt that she had.
“Okay,” Cindy said, putting her empty soda can down and tucking her feet up. “Let’s talk about when we are going to leave.”
Bree glanced at her hands, wondering how long the brown spots had been there, took a deep breath, and said, “Don’t know if I am going to.”
“It’s what Paul wanted.”
“What about what I want?” Bree said, almost shouting.
“What’s going on, Bree. You always do what you want. That’s your thing. You told me that. So why do I hear anger about what Paul wanted?”
Bree stood. “Just tired, I suppose. Can we talk about this later?”
“No,” Cindy answered, surprising even herself. “We can’t. I get that you don’t want to talk about what happened before, but now I won’t have it. I’m here because Paul asked us to be with you on this crazy scavenger hunt. Despite you not being around for the last thirty years, we are all willing to stop what we are doing and be here for you.
“So no, we can’t talk about this later. And really, now that I think about it, you don’t have a choice. This trip is something you will do whether or not you like it. Sit down. Let’s plan.”
Bree stared at her friend, turned away, and then started laughing.
“What!” Cindy demanded, now furious with herself for having a hissy fit and Bree for laughing.
Bree shook her head, still laughing, and said, “You have become someone, Cindy, and I am so proud of you.”
Cindy stared at Bree, realized what she said was true, and that set off another round of hugging and laughing.
After a few minutes, Cindy said, “Well, thanks, I think. But I’m serious. When are we leaving? And he said you have the first clue. What is it?”