Page 89 of The Suitcase Swap

Sophie was glad she’d gone to bed early because otherwise she would have murdered the person knocking on her door. She looked blearily at her clock.Six A.M?She might still murder them. She cocooned herself back in her blanket and made her way to the door. She was so angry that she didn’t even look through the peephole, merely opened the door wide and saw . . . ‘Edie?!?’

Her friend stood in front of her, a paper bag and a tray with two takeaway cups in her hands. Edie frowned at her. ‘Good god, it’s worse than I thought. Well, let me in and tell me you love me.’

And while Sophie did let her in, what she did instead was burst into tears.

After a bout of crying that ended in hiccups, Sophie was handed a bacon and fried egg sandwich and a cup of tea. Once she’d eaten every bite, Edie bundled her off to the bathroom with strict orders to wash the misery off herself and dress like a functioning human being.

‘You’re being mean!’ Sophie yelled from the bedroom. She was pulling on the outfit Edie had laid out for her, which included comfortable shoes. While she did feel infinitely better being clean, she didn’t say that to Edie.

‘No, I’m not,’ Edie yelled back. ‘I’m being firm and no-nonsense. Tough love, my friend. Now hurry up.’

‘Are we on some kind of schedule I don’t know about?’ Sophie asked.

‘Yes,’ Edie surprised her by replying. ‘Luckily, we’re not late since I factored in some showering and crying time. What I didn’t factor in is arguing, so chop-chop!’ She clapped her hands twice with the last two words.

‘Rude,’ Sophie mumbled, but she continued to get ready.

Edie eyed the side of the Staten Island ferry from their perch at the railing. ‘Maybe I should have gone with this colour orange for the house. I quite like it.’

Sophie grinned at her. The ferry lumbered along, white tumbled water in its wake. Sophie loved it. She loved everything about it, from the wide range of people on board, to the sea spray in her face, to the views. For the first time in over a week, she feltgood.‘You can always repaint the house.’

Edie didn’t reply but looked beyond Sophie with a grin. ‘Finally.’

Confused, Sophie turned. Her confusion morphed to surprise to see Marisa weaving her way towards them.

Marisa greeted them with a hug. ‘Oh good, you’re on the best side to see the Statue of Liberty. Well done, Edie.’

‘Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?’ Sophie asked.

‘I’m here to play tourist with you,’ Marisa said. ‘We thought it best if I tagged along to make sure no one got lost.’

Sophie’s surprise turned back into confusion. ‘We?’

Marisa nodded. ‘We.’ She reached into her handbag and pulled out an envelope. ‘This is for you. It will explain everything.’

Sophie took the envelope reluctantly as she examined their smiling faces. ‘Okay. I guess.’ It was a nice envelope, the cream-coloured paper thick. Her name was neatly printed along the front in familiar handwriting and her heart sped up. With shaking fingers, she tore open the seal. Inside was a folded slip of paper with ‘Read me first’ printed on it, along with a smaller unsealed envelope. She dutifully opened the folded paper and read.

Dear Sophie,

If you’re reading this, it means you at least opened the envelope. I’m grateful for that. I wouldn’t have blamed you forchucking it into the sea immediately (or at least into the bin. Littering off the ferry is probably forbidden). I’m sorry for how I left things. I feel like I’m always apologizing to you, or maybe it’s just that the times I’ve had to apologize loom large in my mind. You are the last person in the world I want to hurt, but I’ve managed to do it anyway. With that in mind, I’d like to tell you this – today is your choice. At any point if you no longer wish to participate, if you decide it’s not worth the bother, I will understand. Today is about you, Sophie. No one else.

With that in mind, I’ve put a smaller envelope inside this one. It contains the first clue on a scavenger hunt through the city. If you want to play, open it. If you don’t, hand it back to Marisa.

Mike

Sophie folded the note, her hands less than steady, her vision prismed by tears. ‘What is this?’

Edie plucked the letter from her. ‘If I may?’ When Sophie nodded, Edie skimmed it. ‘A scavenger hunt. Seems pretty straightforward to me.’ She handed the letter back to Sophie. ‘The question is, do you want to play?’

Marisa handed Sophie a tissue. She took it, wiping her nose. ‘If I don’t?’

Edie shrugged. ‘We see the Statue of Liberty and then go about our day.’

Sophie sniffed. ‘And if I do?’

Marisa shrugged. ‘You open the next envelope, and we go on an adventure.’ She touched Sophie’s shoulder. ‘Why don’t you think on it? You have an entire ferry ride to make up your mind.’

Sophie decided this was wise, so that was what they did. They watched the water go by. They enjoyed the new views of the city. When they passed the Statue of Liberty,Sophie didn’t say a word, simply drank her in. She was beautiful.

---