It Takes Time

Chapter 5

Tristan was up and ready to hit the road by seven the next morning. Alice had insisted he take her bed for the night while she kept watch in the girls' room, ensuring he got a proper night's sleep before his long day of driving. He'd assumed Sophie was still snoozing, but as he stepped outside, he found her leaning casually against his car.

She flashed him a dazzling smile. "Ready to go?"

His eyebrows lifted. "Yes?"

"Great! Let's head out," she said, pushing off from the car and rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"Hold up, you're not coming," Tristan said, holding up a hand to stop her.

"Oh, come on!" Sophie protested. "Alice is taking the day off, so Bee won't be alone. Do you really want to spend the entire day driving by yourself?"

"Do you really want to spend the whole day cooped up in a car with me? I'm boring, remember?" Tristan countered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I already took that back! You can't hold that against me forever. Anyway, Alice already said I could go, so it's fine."

"She said you could come?"

"Yes!" Sophie exclaimed, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Tristan eyed her sceptically, then pulled out his phone. "So if I called her right now, that's what she'd say?"

"Yup. Go ahead. She's awake."

Tristan studied her for a moment longer, searching for any signs of deceit, but she didn't crack. With a sigh, he dialled Alice's number.

"Hey, Trist," Alice answered, her voice warm. "Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Tristan said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did you tell Sophie she could come with me today?"

"I told her she could ask you if she could go with you. Whether you let her or not is up to you," Alice clarified, a hint of amusement in her tone.

"Ah. There's the missing piece of the puzzle," Tristan said, shooting Sophie a pointed look.

"Can I offer my opinion, though?" Alice asked, her voice turning serious.

Tristan leant back against his car. "Sure."

"It might not be such a bad thing to let her go. It would be a good opportunity for the two of you to get to know one another better, and it would make me feel better for her to have some time out of the house. We used to go out every weekend, but we can't do that right now because Bee's too sick to go out or be left home alone. She's been a real trooper about it, but I do feel bad. It can't be good for her."

Tristan let out a deep sigh, his resolve crumbling. "I guess if you managed to convince my dad to agree to all of this, I can't be too mad that you're so good at getting people to do what you want."

"You don't have to, but I'd also feel a lot better knowing you weren't on your own. I know a fourteen-year-old might not seem like the greatest moral support, but she's lived a lot in her short years."

"I'm fine, but she can come if she wants to. Not my fault if she gets bored, though."

"Woo!" Sophie shouted, pumping her fist in the air as she overheard Tristan's decision.

Alice's laugh echoed through the phone. "Well, it sounds like she's happy for now. Drive safe."

"Yeah, thanks," Tristan said, ending the call with a sigh.

"Did you eat breakfast?" Sophie asked as they climbed into the car. "I brought some snacks for the road. Want any?"

"Uh, maybe later," Tristan said, starting the engine. "Not really hungry right now."