Page 6 of Love By The Falls

“Don’t do it,” warns Sage, and I pause. Am I being overbearing? Should I just take his word for it?

The doorbell rings, and Charlie runs toward the door. “Aunt Jane’s here. Let’s go!”

His enthusiasm makes my heart leap, and I follow him to the front door. He unlocks it quickly and greets Jane with a high-pitched, “Is Anthony here?”

Jane’s wearing Austin’s jacket and her hair is in a ponytail. But I’ve rarely seen Jane without her light brown hair up. “He’s setting up the tent in the living room, but said it’ll be ready when we get back from the airport.”

“A tent? Man, this is gonna be the best week ever!”

I smile but secretly feel a little hurt that Charlie won’t miss me. My heart’s already aching thinking about saying goodbye to him at the airport. But I keep my thoughts to myself and place our black carry-ons in the truck of Jane’s car.

“So, where are you going exactly, Mom?”

We fasten our seat belts in the back, while Sage puts hers on in the passenger side.

“That’s a good question. I know the resort’s in St. Kitts, but I don’t remember the name.”

“Ora Villas Resort & Spa,” says Jane as she drives out of our street. “Casey recommended it to Austin when we asked for suggestions for a premium resort in the Caribbean.”

Sage sighs dramatically in her seat. “I still can’t believe you know Casey Tucker. He pitched a perfect game two years ago and almost did it again last season. He’s incredible.”

“It’s ironic how you’re his biggest fan, and yet you’ve never met him,” says Jane.

“Ironic or unlucky?” Sage groans. “Every time I visited Cedar Brook with my family, he was away on travel-ball tournaments.”

Before moving here after college, Sage and her family would vacation at Cedar Brook every year. They would travel from Niagara Falls, Ontario to upstate New York every summer and stay for a couple of weeks. It was how we met and got to know each other better. Jane, Sage, and I were inseparable those summers before college and later became roommates. We’ve been together since.

“It’s sad that he hasn’t been back since senior year. I miss him,” I say.

Jane nods. “Me, too. And while Austin won’t admit it, he misses his brother the most.”

After a few moments of silence, Charlie chimes back in. “Does the resort have a pool?”

“It does,” says Jane.

“And a water park with slides?”

“No. I don’t think so,” confirms Jane. “It’s geared toward relaxing. There’s a Spa, though.”

Charlie’s face falls, and he looks up at me with a frown. “That sucks, Mom. I’m sure you’ll make the best of it,” he whispers, but not nearly low enough for just the two of us because I catch Jane’s smile in the rearview mirror.

A few minutes later, we drive by signs for the airport and various airlines along the highway and I squeeze Charlie’s hand tighter.

A big part of me wants Jane to keep driving past the departures drop-off and take me back home with Charlie. But a small part, one that is difficult to ignore, wonders what it will be like to lie on a beach and not think about anything or anyone for hours. It’s an image that is both exciting and fills me with guilt at the same time.

There is traffic up ahead, and I take the extra time to pull Charlie closer. His hair feels soft under my chin, and I close my eyes, inhaling the scent of his shampoo and committing it to memory.

Jane pulls up underneath the airline sign. “We’re here.”

I nod, but don’t move just yet. Jane, however, gets out of the car and opens the trunk.

“Listen, Charlie,” I say, turning him by the shoulders to look at me. “If you need anything or just want to talk, you can call me anytime.”

“Okay.”

“And if you get scared or lonely, we can video chat the entire night. In fact, I want you to call me every night before you go to bed so I can say goodnight.”

“Okay, Mom.”

---