They Both Die at the Start

Chapter 13

10:40

AIMEE

We leave the social services building and find ourselves once again just wondering the streets of New York City. I don't want to say anything to break our silence in case Lidia does have a destination in mind or I interrupt the steady symphony of our feet.

All of a sudden, the heavens open and within seconds all four of us are completely and utterly drenched. One look at my two best friends, both dripping from head to toe, matching stunned expressions on their faces is all it takes for me to burst out laughing.

We stand for a moment. Three girls and a buggy in the centre of the greatest city in the world being pummelled by the thick raindrops, twinkling laughter accompanying the heavy patter on the sidewalk.

Lidia dives into the nearest building and Lucy and I blindly follow her, barely able to see through the sheets of rain. As we stumble into our shelter, dozens of eyes glare at us and I realise where we are; I guess three drenched girls wildly laughing in the New York Public Library isn't a normal sight.

Our new audience sobers us enough to hide our laughter and we slide around a table, giving us a moment to recompose ourselves.

I look around, amazed at the surroundings. Thousands of books, some older than I can imagine enclose us. I stare in awe; unsurprisingly this isn't the kind of place I spent a lot of my free time. This is the kind of place I can picture someone like Lidia; studying away for some stuffy college degree like politics or music history. She would fit right in here with a fancy coffee, typing away on a laptop. She said that's what she had been planning to do before Penny.

But one look at the mother before us, cradling and attempting to dry her wet daughter, the love and care in her eyes; I know she would never trade this for any other life.

Across the long wooden table from me and Lucy, Lidia pulls out her phone and at our confused looks says,

"My grave stone encryption... I probably should've written it earlier but I didn't know what to say then."

She decidedly types for a minute, without pressing backspace once. After reading it and seeming satisfied, she passes the phone to me and Lucy practically jumps on my back to read over my shoulder.

"Here lies Lidia Vargas; mother, friend, granddaughter.

She learned to laugh in the rain"

"It's perfect" I say and I truly couldn't imagine anything better.

11:03

We decided to wait out the shower and my poor legs were so grateful for the short rest before we headed back out onto the streets. Sun now blazes down on our damp clothes, as we stand outside the library.

"So where next?" Lucy asks, "Maybe we could go to one of those decker centres. I head there's one where you can travel the world in like an hour."

"No," Lidia answers firmly, "I don't want to waste my last day doing any of that commercial bullshit. Anyways I did the 'around the world' trip just last week with Rufus and Mateo. I was thinking we could go to that park Rufus used to like, Mateo told me how pretty it was and I think I would like to see it..."

"Ohh you mean Althea Park," I interrupt, carried away by my excitement, "us Plutos love it there, it's probably just a ten-minute cab ride from here. We'll be able to grab some food there, they do these killer hotdogs with this great sauce and crispy onion bits ooh and..."

I stop and then blush, realising Lucy and Lidia are both trying (albeit badly) to contain a laugh. Seeing my embarrassment Lucy also blushes before trying to reassure me,

"Aw no we're not laughing at you, I promise. It's just so sweet how enthusiastic you are about this park. It sounds like it really means a lot to you."

I smile, knowing Lucy gets me.

11:21

Collapsing beneath a tree, we become a bundle of limbs; Lidia's head resting on my legs, Lucy's legs over Lidia's, mine and Lucy's backs against the tree trunk. We had to seek some shade and respite, the sun was becoming viscous as it nears midday, our legs weary from walking, our stomachs full from lunch.

Lidia falls asleep beneath the whispering leaves. She grips the buggy with one hand, her other one around her head like a pillow. She looks so much younger when asleep, so sweet and innocent.

A small sniffle next to me makes me look over at Lucy, a singular tear trickling down her check.

"It's just she deserves so much more than this. She deserves to watch her daughter grow up, she deserves to find love on her last day, like her friend Mateo did, she..."

"Hey, it's okay," I say, trying to console Lucy even though I share all her feelings, "She didn't need to find love, her heart belongs to Christian and all of her love is devoted to Penny. She would do anything for that little girl."

Lucy's eyes meet mine, "It must be nice to have someone love you that strongly, I want that in my life." She says before the tears begin to fall again.

I hug my new friend under our tree in Althea park, as we fall back against the solid wood and surrender ourselves to sleep. Our hands interlock and find each other under the golden sun.