Page 52 of Fight Or Flight

“See?” his dad said with a laugh. “Even now, he’s working through how to get me to shut up in the most efficient and painless way possible.”

“Mark, stop,” his mom said. “Everyone sit.”

Ethan turned and reached for the chair he’d sat in since he was a small child. Then he saw Natalie’s hand do the same.

Natalie smiled up at him. “This was always my spot.”

With a small laugh, he shook his head and walked around the table to sit in Amy’s chair. “I didn’t know I’d been replaced after I left.”

His mother gave his back a pat. “We missed you very much. It was wonderful having Natalie here.”

Natalie sat down and squirmed a little in her seat. She looked mildly uncomfortable. He remembered her saying she’d never had a home, but it seemed as if she’d found one with his family. He suddenly had an overwhelming sense of relief that his parents had been there for her when she was going through the loss of her mother.

“So, Natalie,” his father said, pulling Ethan’s attention. “What have you been up to? I’ve always wondered where you went after you ran away from us.”

Natalie gave a small smile. “I went to Florida.”

“Florida?”

“Yeah, I got a job on a cruise ship. I worked on the ship and travelled the Caribbean for two years.”

“Really. That sounds exciting. Then what?” his father asked.

“After I saw every country there, I quit, moved to Peru, and got a job on an alpaca farm near Cusco.”

Ethan nearly spit out his wine. Everyone turned to him. He started to make an excuse but gave up. “You worked on a farm?” It seemed impossible. She couldn’t even stand the sight of little snakes.

Natalie laughed. “Yes. I got a job on a farm. They gave me free room and board, and I travelled around on my days off.”

“Then what?” he asked.

“Well,” she said, smirking at him. “I hated it. So I quit and got my first job as a tour guide in South America. It was much better. I could travel more and make more money. After I’d visited every country in South America, I quit. I figured I’d move to Europe after that, but I was in Chile at the time, so I took a boat tour to Antarctica first.”

“You did?” his father asked.

“Yeah. It was really cool.”

“Did you move to Europe after that?” his mother asked, picking up a big knife and slicing into the pie.

“Sort of. A guy I worked with on the cruise ship contacted me. He sailed yachts back and forth from the Caribbean in the winter to the Mediterranean in the summer, and he was looking for a crew, so I joined him.”

Ethan had to overcome his shock before he could speak. “You sailed a yacht across the Atlantic?”

Natalie nodded.

“Incredible. What was that like?” his father asked with an astonished smile.

Natalie laughed. “It was incredibly boring. And we were constantly worried about running out of food. But it was in the middle of the Atlantic that I set a goal to see one hundred countries and all seven continents before I’m thirty.”

“Wow,” said his dad. “How far have you come?”

“I’m at ninety-nine countries and six continents. But I’m starting a new job in Australia soon.”

“Is that the continent you’re missing?” his father asked.

Natalie nodded. “Landing in Sydney is going to feel amazing.”

Ethan’s chest tightened.

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