A Drop in the Ocean

Chapter 42

I got into Denver pretty late, but I didn't take the time to look at my watch.  I immediately rented a car and made my way to Vail.  Once I made it to Aimie's house, I parked on the curb and made made my way to the front door with suitcase in hand.  I knocked on the door and waited for about two minutes.  The sound of pattering feet echoed through the inside of the house, and the door slowly creaked open to reveal an exhausted Aimie.

"Hi," she said, her voice filled with sleep and sluggishness.  She rubbed her eyes.  

"Hi there!" I cried in a chirpy voice.  "Can I come in?" I asked, and she nodded, moving out of the doorway so I could come in.  I set my suitcase against the wall, and she closed the door, locking it behind her.  "Hey, do you mind if I crash on your couch for a few days?" I also asked.  I began walking over to her orange velvet couch and plopped down.  David's sister Mandi is a professional DIY-er and has an eye for design.  She has designed all of their house, and I can't help but love all of it. 

"Yeah.  But why?" she asked.  "What happened to staying in LA?" she added.  I shrugged. 

"I quit," I said, swinging my backpack off my shoulder to grab my phone and a book.  This woke her up instantly.

"What?" she cried.  I shushed her.  

"Your family is sleeping," I told her.  Her face was twisted into a scowl of some sorts.  

"Why did you quit?" she whisper-shouted.  I looked down at my hands, and it hit her.  "Luke," she whispered, finally realizing.  I looked up at her.  "What happened?"

"We kind of fought.  And then we kind of made up.  And then I kind of left," I told her.  She sighed.

"But why?" she asked.  I shook my head.

"I just need to slow down.  This tour has taken a lot out of me," I told her.  She gave me a sympathetic look and came to sit down next to me on the couch.

"Well, I don't think crashing on my couch is going to help you out much," she chuckled.  I gave a small laugh too, but the gears in my head were still turning, thinking of something that I could do.  I wasn't going back to Australia, and I didn't want to go back to Saranac Lake.  Too much was there.  I needed something new.  A new place to be.  

"We could travel," I told her.  She threw her head back and laughed.  I remained straight faced, and her laughing instantly stopped when she realized that I was totally serious.

"Okay, but how do you expect that we'll pay for our travels?" she asked me.  I thought about it for a second.  

"I don't actually know.  But where would we go?" I thought out loud.  

"We could go to Iceland," she suggested.  I gave her a wide-eyed look.

"We could live in Iceland," I whispered.  Aimie furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?" she asked.  I rolled my eyes.

"I mean, we could live in Iceland.  Reykjavik.  Go to the university.  Get jobs.  Be college kids in Iceland," I told her.  The thought was exciting.

"Again, how will we pay for it?" she asked.  I furrowed my brow in thought.  I began to look around the room for no reason what so ever, but my eyes landed on the cart for Carl.  That's it.

"Your wish," I whispered.  

"What?" she questioned, wanting clarification on what I said.

"Your wish," I repeated, a little louder.

"What about it?" she continued.  I looked at her, a grin beginning to span the width of my face.

"We could use your wish!" I exclaimed, my voice echoing off the walls.  She shushed me, not wanting to wake her family.  

"Just ask them if they'll pay for us to live in Iceland?" she asked.  

"Not for the entire time, I think.  Just like a month, tops.  And just for you.  I can do my best on my own.  Do you think we can get it done?" I asked.  She gave me a small smile.  

"Yeah.  If we work hard at it," she told me.  I opened up my arms and gave her a huge hug.  She pulled away, and we sat in silence until I spoke.

"It's so good to see you," I said.  She nodded.

"I've missed you a lot," she replied.  After another short silence, she slapped her knees, signalling her getting up.

"Well, I'm gonna go to bed.  You know where the blankets and pillows are.  I'll call the Genies in the morning, since, you know, it's like 3:00 AM," she told me.  I laughed.  She gave me a small smile before making it down the hallway towards the stairwell where she frequently was carried to her bedroom.  I was happy that I was finally with someone I didn't want to strangle every time I saw their face.