The Chronicles of the Mint Green Camper Van

Chapter 4

We moved in together almost ten months ago now, and while Kira is still tossing and turning between alarms, I'm already anxiously awake and turning over every possible outcome that today might hold. It's finally Friday, and this meeting with Dorian is all I've been able to think about.

She seemed so excited at first with the idea of selling the van, but I could tell that wasn't without her reservations as she thought more and more about it.

I roll over and look at my phone to see that it's 8:45am, and I know we have to leave within thirty minutes if we're going to make it on time for our 10am meet up.

"Good morning beautiful. Are you ready to get our dream van today?" I say as I lean over to kiss her on the forehead.

Kira starts to get out of bed as she pleads, "Please don't get my hopes up so early in the morning. I want this van just as much as you, but I don't want to have any expectations. Let's just treat this as any normal day where we're trying to buy sometime we like."

"You're right. I'll go make us some coffee. Meet you downstairs?" I say as I throw my shirt on, looking at her as I'm halfway out the door.

She sleepily gives me a look and says as if we're having a serious business meeting, "As long as you use the hazelnut creamer, we have a deal."

-

We're quicker on our way out of the house than usual today, and we're set for a 9:55am arrival (as per my phones GPS). Today we're driving the Chevy Trailblazer that has been passed down through my family, which hopefully will be an afterthought once the proceedings of today go down.

After five minutes of going down route 77, I can't help but to voice my thoughts. "I have a feeling she might have changed her mind. But at the same time, what if this all works out?" I let out an exasperated sigh. "I really just can't wait until this is over. I can't handle this rollercoaster of emotions."

Kira looks at me while she's doing her makeup in the passenger seat. "You're ridiculous. Like I've said a million times before, what will happen, is already happening. There's nothing we can do to change the outcome now."

Before I can interject, she turns the volume up on one of our favorite songs by Dominic Fike, and leans back in her seat to finish putting on her concealer. It's moments like this that make me feel deeper in love with her, and I only wish she could understand how magical she makes life feel.

The car ride there went by in a flash, and before we knew it, we're walking over from the parking lot behind the bookstore once again – this time, with an entirely different charcuterie board of emotions on our plate. I feel a sense of steely optimism as we move past the van parked in the driveway, and with one look at Kira, I know her sense of confidence has been momentarily renewed as well.

With that said, we arrive again at the same pastel yellow house we approached only a week ago, and I knock on the door once again.

Unsurprisingly, it takes about the same amount of time that it did when we first knocked last week (or maybe it just feels that way because of how nervous we are).

This time though, we are welcomed by a gray haired man who looks to be about the same age as Dorian. "How can I help you two?"

I think to myself that this really doesn't get easier on the second time, and I after exchanging a look with Kira, we go into our elevator pitch once again. "With all of that said, we talked with Dorian last week and she told us to meet her here at 10am. Is she around?"

A wave of happiness washes over him, which is suprising because he seems to be more of the monotone and nonemotional type. As he excitedly turns into the house, he says with a short look over his shoulder,"I'll go get her, she's been talking about the pair of you all week."

Kira nudges me and gives me an optimistic smile accompanied by a shoulder shrug that clearly means something along the lines of "what do we have to lose?" Before I have any time to conspire with her about what's coming next, Dorian is entering the doorway with three manilla envelopes in her hands. "Would you like to sit down and hear what I have to say?" She gestures over to the light brown wicker couch that is pushed up against the far side of the porch for us to sit. After we settle in, she begins.

"I've thought long and hard about what to say to the request you made last week, and I finally came up with an idea. You're more than welcome to say no, but this is the only way I would be willing to part with the van." Dorian says with the precision and animosity of a gameshow host.

"Jess was full of a wanderlust that I have never seen inside of someone before. He traveled to the Badlands in South Dakota. To the pink lakes of Banff, Canada. All the way to inconsequential towns like Little Rock, Arkansas. And while I love Micah's Hollow, it's clear that there's more to life than where we live. Which leads me to my proposition." It's at this moment that she clears her throat, and I can't tell if it is for dramatic effect or if she actually has phlegm built up.

"These three envelopes all have a different destination inside of them; complete with camp ground recommendations, Jess' favorite restaurant in each city, and a sealed note about why that particular place meant so much to him. All I ask of you two is to choose one, and to go on a trip in the van to that destination before the Summer is over." Dorian spreads the three unmarked envelopes across a wicker table that clearly was bought in a set with the couch, and then leans back in her chair. "And if you do that, you can have the van – free of charge."

My heart starts racing. There is no way that this is actually happening to us right now. Kira reaches for my hand as her eyes stay glued to the three envelopes. She squeezes my hand so tightly and says, "We have to do this. Like, there is not a single world in which we don't do this."

I let go of her hand and throw my arms up in a fit of disbelief. "This is unbelievable." I look at Dorian and say, "Dorian, you are unbelievable. This is beyond what we could have ever hoped for. Are you sure about this?"

She tilts her head slightly to the side and closes her eyes for a few seconds as a tear streams down her face. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Jess would have loved to know this is how his precious van was passed on. All I ask is that while you take the trip, that you leave one of your cars in our driveway. I have a good feeling about the two of you, but I don't want you to just run away with it without any insurance policy."

Kira almost starts crying right alongside her, and we exchange a quick nod to confirm that we're really doing this, and then in near perfect unison, we look at Dorian and say, "We're in."

Now comes time for which envelope to choose.