7 Days {edited}

Epilogue

After the bus ride home, in which I sat next to Emily, we arrived at the church where it had all started.

"I just have one more announcement before you all go," said Pastor Brett. All eyes turned to him. "We have your camp T-shirts!" Everyone cheered and rushed up to the staff members, who were holding cardboard boxes with different-size shirts in them. "We have thirty of each, so there should be plenty."

I waited in line with the people getting medium tees. Behind me, I heard, "Whoops, s'cuse me." And then I looked, and it was Lincoln, butting his way through the line to catch up with me.

"That was so nice of you," I said sarcastically. Then, to the others, "Sorry, guys." They all waved me off, not seeming to care that Lincoln had just cut in front of them. "So what's up?"

"Just gettin' a T-shirt," Lincoln replied. "Oh, have you looked at your Encouragements yet?"

"No. I was going to when I got home."

"Well, I read mine on the bus. I couldn't wait any longer," he confessed.

Omg. That means he read my note! I thought to myself. Suddenly, I was more nervous than usual. And that's saying something.

"Before we go, I wanted to ask for your number," he continued.

"O-okay," I stuttered.

"Anyone got a piece of paper?" he asked the crowd.

No one did, so I suggested, "Here, just write it on my hand. I have a pen." I pulled it out of my back pocket and handed it to him.

Then he took my left hand in his and sketched his phone number on the back of my hand in surprisingly neat handwriting. Then, underneath it, he wrote Lincoln. "Just in case you forget," he said.

Finally, we'd reached the front of the line. The girl handed me a green T-shirt with a cool earth design involving the word 'encounter.' I couldn't wait to try it on, so I just pulled it on over my tank top.

I saw some people getting their shirts signed by the other students, and thought, What a great idea! So I borrowed someone's Sharpie and went around asking my friends to sign the back of my T-shirt. Emily and the other girls added little messages like "love you!" and "glad you were here, Rain!" It was now my new favorite shirt.

"Well, I better get going," I said to my friends. They all hugged me and told me they would miss me. I got Jordyn's, Cami's, and Blake's phone numbers before walking out to my car. It was still sitting there with the others.

"Wait!" Lincoln called as he ran towards my car.

I was just about to get in, but I straightened up and walked to the front of my car. "Yeah?"

"I didn't get to give you a hug," he said, a little breathless.

Smiling, I opened my arms for a hug. It was the first time he'd hugged me since we met, and I held on for as long as possible. I thought he was going to pull away, but he didn't.

About a minute later, he finally let me go. "Well, bye."

"Bye, Lincoln."

I got in my car and backed out of the parking lot. A few tears trickled down my face, and I let them. I watched my friends disappear through the rearview mirror, and felt my heart ache. I didn't want to let them go. It had been one wild ride. Definitely the best seven days of my life.

- - -

"Mom, I'm home!" I called as I opened the front door.

First there was nothing. Then there were footsteps. "Rain, is that you?"