Page 103 of When You Wish Upon a Wideout

“Everything alright?” he asked, taking the bag from her.

Sienna apologized, sliding in. Beau closed her door and stepped around the car, entering from the other side.

“I hope I didn’t make us too late. It’s just... ” She looked back at the house. “I’ve only ever been away from her for one night at a time. And that washerdoing, and it’s still kind of a new thing.”

Beau squeezed her hand. “I feel bad I’m making it hard for you. I’m being selfish. I need you alone for a few days. I’m sure they’ll remember to turn off the stove after using it, but do you want to go stick a post it on the back splash to remind them in case?”

Sienna let out a small laugh. “No. No. They’ll be fine. I need this too. We won’t miss the flight, will we?”

“No,” Beau said, rolling her fingers between his.

A soft smile spread across his face, and Sienna leaned against the headrest, turning to him.

“What are you thinking about?”

Beau drew lazy circles on the top of her hand. “I’m just excited to be with you. Take that trip we never took.”

Sienna’s sigh was laced with a bittersweet taste, thinking back to fifteen years ago, to the innocent naivete Sienna and Beau held when they planned to do everything in one summer as if money and time were no object. They would make it to Disney World, the ocean, and Houston to visit NASA. Yet none of those things had been checked off the wish list before Beau left.

But here they were, in the back of a town car on their way to tick off the literal biggest—nothing was larger than the ocean. Sienna looked back at the house as they pulled away from the curb, seeing the roof where she and Beau used to lie at night.

Better late than never.

“It’s hard to make up for a decade in three days.”

“You don’t have to make up for anything.” Sienna shook her head. “We’repastthat.”

She held his eyes, hoping her gaze showed she harbored no hate, no resentment.How could I?she wondered, thinking of Grace.If you never left, there might have never been her. Some things just work out the way they’re supposed to.

“I’m serious. I want you to stop thinking that you need to do all these big things to apologize. Actually, I’dhateto think you’re doing all this just because you feel guilty.” Her gut sank at the thought.

“That’s not why.”

Sienna nodded.I want to believe you, she thought.I want to believe you so badly.And I’m here trying to do just that.She turned her head toward the window, watching as the small town of Brookwood melted into fields of meadows beginning to bloom.

“It needed to be now,” Beau said from beside her. “All of it. I can’t... I can’t quite explain it to you, but it needed to be now, even though I’ve been thinking about all these things foryears.”

She looked back at Beau.

“You don’t believe me?” he asked.

“It’s not that... ” she felt the driver’s stare through the rearview mirror. “Not now, alright?”

I don’t need another person feeling sorry for me.

Sienna focused on the drive. “This isn’t the way to DFW.”

“That’s because it’s not.”

“What airport are we going to then?”

“A smaller one.”

What Beau meant by a smaller one was an airport reserved for private charter flights. Half an hour later, the town car pulled up, checking in at the gate before proceeding to drive straight to the private jet.

“All set, sir,” the driver said, putting the car into park and exiting the vehicle.

Sienna had been staring at the jet so hard she didn’t realize he had opened her door. “Beau—”

---