Page 2 of The Risks of Reuniting

I laugh to myself as their responses come in. The Hayes cousins never fail to crack me up. I'm distracted by the conversation as I make my way to where one of those cousins runs an airport shop. You can't get into or out of Salt Lake without visiting Poppy. It almost feels like a mafia thing – pay your respects or else – except that Poppy is sunshine and completely committed to helping and healing people.

Ten minutes later I'm wondering what's actually worse right now – being at the airport about to fly off to a place where I don't speak the language and may die in a watery plane wreck over the ocean, or having my cousin Poppy dangling a bright purple crystal necklace under my nose while she chats rapidly about its ability to calm my anxiety.

I love Poppy, truly, but I'm sort of out on the whole crystal thing. Her passion for it makes my lips quirk up in a half-smile, which makes her mouth split into a huge grin because she thinks she's captured my attention.

She hasn't.

My attention is firmly attached to my stomach where three pieces of day-old, cold pizza are floating around feeling like regret. Earlier today they felt like the fuel I needed to get through this day, but now they're a bubbling mass of undigested cheese and I need a crystal that promotes passing cold pepperoni through your digestive tract before boarding a plane.

"I don't need help with anxiety, Poppy. I need digestion. Is that a blue crystal? Orange?" I ask, rubbing my stomach over my V-neck top.

Poppy's light-brown hair tickles at my forearm as she leans close to whisper in my ear. "Are you doing that thing where you pretend to be tough by cracking terrible jokes?"

I blink and frown. "I am tough."

She rolls her lips into her mouth and nods, backing away slightly, her skirt swaying with her. "Mm-hmm. Tough, tough, tough." She repeats the words in a fake British accent, which is her version of sarcasm. "We all know aboutthe documentary." She uses her fingers to make air quotes.

I look away, noting the dozens of people hustling past, and the noise of constant conversation, as I tug at the straps of my backpack and roll my shoulders slightly to ease the tension. My sneakers feel too tight, and I hate that I wore cotton sweatpants, because they feel too heavy for the May temperatures, and I wonder if all the travel tips I read were wrong.

"I hate planes, and yet I'm standing here," I mumble, looking back at Poppy. "Which does not make me weak. In fact, I think it shows strength."

Poppy nods, her lips smoothing back out, her floral head-band dipping toward her eyes. "I agree."

Poppy never lets up this easily, so I shift my hips and put my hands on them. "And?"

She bops her head back and forth, stroking the amethyst lightly. "I read your horoscope this morning."

I sigh. "Of course you did."

Now it's her turn to frown at me. "I know you think I'm a little woo-woo, Chloe, but I love you enough to risk your eye rolls."

And I love her enough to listen. I relax my stance and nod, which is all the encouragement she's going to get. Poppy and I might be polar opposites as far as personality goes, but we're part of a cousin group that's as thick as thieves, which means I know she is completely motivated by love for me. In fact, it's my love for her that has me standing in the doorway to her airport shop practically choking on the diffused oils she has floating around the place.

Poppy's grin is back, and she recites my horoscope from memory. "The moon enters Aries, your solar house of personal identity, opening the door to change. This can be a wonderful time to grow. You will enjoy the self-discovery."

"Hmm," I reply. "My self-discovery phase is over. I accept who I am."

"Chlo – seriously. Change is coming. Self-discovery is your jam."

"Honestly, I am about to get on a plane and go to Lima, Peru. That's a bigger change than the universe expected from me," I dead-pan. "The universe is shook right now."

Poppy gives me heryou're adorable, but I see right through youlook. "All I'm saying is that the vibes are good. If you can set aside your can't-touch-this attitude, I think something wonderful awaits you in Peru. Use this flight time to make a list of things you'd like to improve about yourself, and you'll find success." She grabs my forearm and pulls me in close. "Listen, the Aries Moon can best be described as agitated, determined, and sometimes aggressive, but that's starter fuel. Use it."

I only understood like fifty percent of those words, but the pleading, hopeful look in my younger cousin's eyes softens me enough that I reach out to squeeze the hand still resting on my forearm.

"Thanks Pops. I'll remember that."

Agitated, determined, and aggressive equal starter fuel. Doesn't feel like the type of pep talk I'm used to getting, but who am I to pretend to comprehend the woo-woo ways of the horoscope?

She straightens and pushes the amethyst crystal necklace back at me. "Please take this. You don't have to wear it because you believe in it, you can just wear it because it's pretty. You can rub your fingers over it whenever you feel overwhelmed. Flying isn't for everyone, and your Spanish skills aren't going to win any awards. Plus, purple goes beautifully with your brown hair and eyes, and brings a little color to your pale skin."

She's right about my skin being pale right now. Terror will do that to a girl. Still, I start to shake my head and she grabs my hand, wrapping my fingers around the crystal. I feel it digging into my palm and the sting brings an odd sense of relief. So I tuck it into my pocket and nod.

"How much is this? I can't just take merchandise from the shop," I say.

"That's not from the shop. I keep things on hand for when people are guided to me." She smiles, before suddenly crying, "Oh," and hustling back into the little store.

I watch with amusement as she zig-zags through the shop she manages. This store is a stepping stone to her dreams, and I watch her go, imagining that someday she'll be moving through displays of crystals and bracelets, books, and organic foods. The store she someday owns will ooze her personality and I admire the heck out of her for having a dream she's chasing so hard at the young age of twenty-one. I mean, it's not my vibe, but it's completely impressive nonetheless.

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