THE PHOTO TRAVELER (THE PHOTO TRAVELER SERIES - BOOK 1)

CHAPTER 28

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Today’s the one-week anniversary of Bud’s passing. Even after all of my alarm clocks go off, I can’t get myself out of bed. I lie there just staring at one of the dolphin portraits I’d decided to leave up for Estelle. I’m glad I did because it reminds me of when I first arrived here, and that reminds me of Bud. I sink myself deeply into my comforter. “One week today, Bud,” I whisper to him. “I miss you so much. Nothing is the same.” A small jolt runs through my body and I shiver. I know it’s probably just my body waking up, but I can’t help wondering whether it might be a sign from him telling me he’s watching over me. Over us.

      After I shower, I head downstairs expecting another lonely breakfast. But I’m surprised to hear a rattling noise coming from the kitchen. When I see Estelle at the range whisking eggs in a bowl the way she always used to, I stop dead in my tracks. She turns and gives me a smile and announces, “Well? These eggs weren’t going to cook themselves, were they? You mind getting out the milk for me?”

      I’m so relieved I don’t know what to do except go over to her and wrap my arms around her and say, “I love you!” She puts down her spatula and turns around in my arms to look up at me.

      “We’re going to be okay, Gavin. I had a dream about Buddy last night. It gave me some peace. I know everything will be okay... But it’s just you and me now, so you have to promise me that you’ll take care of yourself. Okay?”

      “Yeah. Of course. But you have to also. I promised him I’d take care of you, and I will. So from now on, all of your doctor’s appointments—everything—I want to know.”

      She smiles faintly and turns back to the eggs. “I can’t imagine what I would’ve done if you hadn’t been here with me through this. Do you know how lucky I feel to have you?”

      Over breakfast, we have our first real conversation in a week. I’m relieved to see that she’s finally eating again—and startled when she takes the chair that had always been Bud’s. This time I serve her, telling her, “Now it’s my turn to help you.” Surprisingly, she doesn’t object to it.

      I’ve decided it’s time to tell her about Melinda so she can keep her guard up. She just nods as I tell her, but I think she’s also disturbed to realize what kind of people she and Bud had left me with. After I finish, she pats the chair next to me and asks me to sit beside her. She rests her head on my shoulder and we sit for several minutes in a peaceful silence. I hate to break it, but I have to.

      “Estelle, listen, I want you to please stay inside the house here until we know we’re safe. We’re both better off here than out there. And I’ll only leave for school and work. Okay?”

      She ponders this for a moment and nods.

      “And Bud brought up his gun after he took me out to practice shooting. He was right- we need to make sure we’re protected. I know the idea sucks, but there’s no way around it. I want you to keep it in your nightstand at all times. “Okay?”

      She grimaces at the thought, but finally answers, “Okay.”         

      “We’re gonna be fine, you know? He’ll make sure we’re safe.”

      “Sweetheart…I hope nothing more than for you to be right.”    

* * *

I get to school later than usual and am 15 minutes late to my first-period class, but my teacher excuses me since I’ve never been tardy before. As always, the TV is turned on for the morning school news. I arrive just in time to hear one of the student reporters announce that we can order our yearbooks in advance—and that there’s going to be a photo competition for the cover.