Page 10 of Her Surprise Vacation Date

“You guys aren’tthatbad,” I joke. “No, really, you guys are great. You’re my family. I’d be lost without you guys, both of you. Shane really stepped up today, Ames. I had quite the luggage debacle earlier, but he helped me through it like a pro. He was so calm and comforting and in control of the whole situation.”

“Really? That’s a miracle I want to hear about, but at another time. I used up all my energy just now. I can hardly keep my eyes open.” A long yawn comes over the line. “I’ll call you later, okay?”

“Sure thing. Go get some rest.”

“Remember to stay hydrated, sis,” Shane adds.

“Yes, little bro, thanks.”

The phone goes dark as the call ends. After I tuck it into my purse, I notice our car slowing down. Shane’s exited the freeway, and we’re headed onto the local streets. I spot a gas station in the distance, along with some fast-food places and SmartMart, a popular chain store that sells everything from food to clothing. “Where are we going?”

“To the store. I figure you probably need to buy some things since you don’t have your luggage with you.”

“Oh, what a great idea! You are so sweet, Shane! I’ve been so caught up with everything that happened, I didn’t even think about that. I also need to find another gift for Ames to replace the one that was in my luggage.”

“That shouldn’t be hard. Just get her a gift card. She loves to shop.”

“I had something really special planned for her though.” I sigh, remembering all the time and effort I’d spent on buying thirty different candles in her favorite scents. It had taken me visiting half a dozen malls, plus some online shopping, to accomplish the feat. There’s no way I can buy the same gift before her birthday, so I’m back at square one. “I’ll figure it out. I have at least a day or two to get it done.”

“I can help you brainstorm if you like.”

“Thanks.” My insides warm at his thoughtfulness. It’s the same feeling I get when my students do something so out of character that I can’t help but be touched. Not that I think kindness is foreign to Shane. He was never mean as a kid, but I’m still impressed by his caring heart, not to mention his faith in God. The way he’d tried to encourage me earlier was pretty unexpected but amazing. “I don’t care what Ames said, I think you’re mature. You’ve grown up a lot since the last time I saw you.”

He cracks a smile. “Thank God for that. It’d be scary if I still acted like a teenage boy—no offense to all the teenage boys in the world. Adolescence is a weird time for guys.”

“For girls, too. It’s a strange time for everyone.”

“Even you? You never went through an awkward phase.”

“What are you talking about? I was about as awkward as you could get. Don’t you remember when I had braces from seventh to ninth grade and talked with a lisp? Then when I finally got them off and I thought kids would stop making fun of me, my hair betrayed me. It morphed into this unruly bush that made me look like I got electrocuted every morning. I had to sit in the back of all my classes, so I didn’t block people’s view.”

I shudder involuntarily as I recall the mean names my classmates had called me. The only way I got through those years was with the help of Amelia—she always stood up forme with her smart comebacks—and daily readings of Psalm 139. Knowing that God made me exactly the way He wanted me and that He hadn’t made a mistake got me through those tough teenage years.

I release a grateful sigh to have all of that in the past. “If I ever get amnesia like the characters in the books I read, I’d gladly have that phase of my life wiped clean from my memory.”

“Whoa, I had no idea it was that bad for you. You always seemed so put together.” Shane pulls the car into the parking lot of a shopping plaza and parks in the closest open spot. He keeps the engine on with the AC blowing, then undoes his seatbelt and turns toward me. With his left arm resting on the steering wheel, his expression is pensive. “I honestly wouldn’t have guessed that you’d had such a hard time in high school. I looked up to you, you know. Figurativelyandliterally since I hadn’t gone through my growth spurt yet. That unfortunately didn’t hit until after you’d graduated.”

Grinning, I take off my seat belt and face him as well. “I do miss being taller than you. You probably thought I had it all together because you were just getting started as a freshman. I remember being in awe of the seniors when I was that age.”

“Maybe that had something to do with it. But the truth was, I always looked up to you.”

“Always?”

“Ever since you and my sister met in middle school and became best friends. You were like the nicest and funniest girl I’d ever met. I enjoyed it when you hung out at our place. Didn’t you notice I always stuck around when you were over?”

“I thought you just liked to torment me.”

“Believe it or not, I was trying to get your attention.”

“Which you most certainly did with all your pranking. Istill have nightmares of you jumping out from the closet in the middle of the night holding a flashlight under your chin. ‘Carrots, give me carrots,’” I say, doing my best to imitate Shane’s high-pitched pre-pubescent voice. “Do you know I can’t look at carrots now without hearing your voice?”

To Shane’s credit, his face pales a little. “Are you serious?”

“I most certainly am serious,” I reply with my sternest face possible, the one I reserve for students who tell me their dog ate their homework. “You, Shane Morgan, are also the reason why I own a collection of night lights.”

“Huh?”

“I have to use half a dozen night lights in my bedroom just so I can get to sleep at night. Can you imagine how high my electricity bill is?”

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