I tried really hard to have a spiritual or thoughtful moment, but I ended up just thinking that it was getting darker and that I didn’t want to be eaten by a bear. My phone buzzed next to me on the ground. Caroline’s face appeared and any hope of having a magical moment was lost.
I snatched the phone and clicked ‘answer’.
“ Hey. You just ruined what was supposed to be one of the most moving moments of my life,” I proclaimed.
“ Were you about to have sex with Beck?”
I snorted. “No. I was scattering the first bit of ashes.”
“ Ohhhh. Yeah, sorry about that. Do you want me to sing a song or something? Maybe say a prayer?”
I twisted the urn’s lid back into place. “You don’t know a prayer, Caro.”
“ I could make one up, Abs. Have a little faith .”
“ Oh my God. I see what you just did and it is so not funny.” I still laughed because it actually was funny. “How’s your bum liver?”
She sighed and I knew it was a bad prognosis. “They haven’t let me go home yet.”
“ You’re still in the hospital!?”
“ Yeah, the doctors don’t feel like I should go home anytime soon.”
I chewed on my bottom lip and tried to think of something to cheer her up. Instead, I said, “It’s not too late. I could come home. I really don’t want to be away from you while you’re stuck in there.”
“ You are the most stubborn person I know and I’m hanging up before you say anything else.”
“ Call me if you need me. Any time, okay?” I added quickly, knowing her threat about hanging up was real.
“ Yes. Bye, Abs.”
The moment I hung up and started heading back to the camp site, my phone rang again. Beck.
“ You know, we’ll be together for two weeks straight. We don’t also have to be on the phone while I’m in the bathroom,” I spoke, internally thrilled at the thought that he just couldn’t get enough of me. Oh, who was I kidding.
“ Where are you ?”
His tone was anything but playful.
“ What are you talking about?” I asked, thinking it was strange how dark the forest had become. When I’d left the restroom, twilight was still in effect, but now darkness was descending all too quickly. Suddenly, I started to panic. I hadn’t brought a flashlight; the only light was coming from my phone’s screen.
“ You’ve been gone forever. I went to check the bathrooms and you weren’t there.”
Oh, crap.
“ I’m sorry. I had to call my friend and then I guess I lost track of time.”
I heard him take a deep, calming breath.
“ Okay. No big deal, it’s just that you probably shouldn’t wander around by yourself at night.”
I wanted to clarify that technically when I began wandering, night hadn’t fallen yet, but he was right so I just kept my mouth shut.
“ Do you know how to find your way back to the restroom?”
I thought I did so I said, “Yes.”
“ Okay. I’ll meet you there. Don’t hang up until you see me.” I couldn’t tell if he was overreacting or not. It probably was scary when he went to restrooms and I wasn’t there.