Page 43 of The Risks of Reuniting

We good?

Chlo

Wed, May 21

Dearest family,

Grandma Sue – please do not ship me medical supplies. They will not arrive before I head home next week, and I'd like to remind you that I am currently surrounded by them. I am fine. Your famous chicken noodle soup, and its magical healing powers, always tastes good, but does not travel well. Even if frozen. Make me some when I get home. I'll look forward to it. And no, I don't think they make man spray. Bear spray, yes. Man spray – well, there'd be a lot less hurt women if they did. Pepper spray is about the best we have, and I'll make sure to keep it on me in the future. And I have to agree, it's my own fault for being so pretty .

Mom – do not call the US Embassy of Peru, or whatever it's called. The government does not care about your precious angel girl. If I had been kidnapped, that would be appropriate, but as things stand, I chose to be working in a dangerous area, and I am okay. I received proper medical care, and I spend the majority of my time in a walled-off compound. I am safe. The rat has not returned, thanks for the tip on peppermint oil. It wasn't easy to get, but we sprinkled it along the walls of our room and haven't seen him since. The repellent works so well that I'll be coming home still single – ha ha.

Dad – for the love, stop going to my condo and bugging Allie. She said you mowed our lawn? Why? It's like two feet square. Just enough to pretend we have green space. And the HOA mows it for us. Yes, I said it. The HOA. You do realize that if you mow it I'm truly wasting money, because I'm paying them to walk past my yard? I also hear my car isn't parked in the correct stall, and Allie can't find my keys. You're not as sneaky as you think, but you do need to go move it before it gets towed for being parked in another resident's spot. Thanks for the oil change, and the tire rotation. I'm assuming that's what happened. You're a sweetheart and I don't deserve you.

Gavin – No jokes this week? Send proof of life. Unless you've found yourself in a forced proximity, stuck on a mountain top, one-bed, love situation – in which case, I wish you luck.

I wish I'd never told you guys about the mugging. Can we pretend I didn't?

Love you too, you overprotective dummies,

Chloe

Thurs, May 22

Dad,

Try again, that spot is still incorrect. My car should be parked in 5A, not 15A. The HOA is ticked . . . and I'm not far behind.

Chlo

"Can you believe we only have, like, nine days until we fly home?" Rachelle sighs deeply as we lie in our beds, trying to work up the energy to get up. "I'm so sad. I wish I'd done a three month stint like Dr. J."

The sun is up behind the haze, and the room is lightening, but my tired eyes don't want to work, so I keep them closed as I listen to the sounds around us. People making their way down thehill, the neighborhood dogs barking, the sounds of people using the bathroom across the path from us. It's become familiar in the past few weeks, and I'm sad to go too.

"Do you think you'll do another humanitarian trip?" I ask her.

"Definitely. Although I'm not sure I can get my job to give me a month off every year. I'd have to save up paid time off, which is a bummer."

I open my eyes and look over at her. "Do you think you'd ever want to do this as your profession? Sort of like the Peace Corps? Go live somewhere for like a year or two?"

She turns her head to face me and scrunches up her nose in thought. "I hadn't thought about it, but maybe. It satisfies something inside of you, you know? I feel better than I do at home. More grateful, maybe." She playfully gestures down her body, which is still under the blanket. "I know this is hard to imagine, but at home I have a hard time not getting caught up in beauty and dating and who has what."

I scoff. "No way, not you."

She chuckles. "I would never let my hair air dry at home."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, your hair is pretty magical here. I've written home about it."

"You've told your family about my magic hair?" Her mouth breaks into a huge smile. "That's the nicest thing." I yank my pillow out from under my head and toss it at her. She squeals and catches it, then tosses it back. "Do you think you could walk away from everything you have in Salt Lake, and be out on trips like this for a couple of years?"

I pull a face. "I never thought I'd be willing to leave my comforts, but now, I've been away for a month and realize that I'm alright." I sigh.

Rachelle sticks out her tongue. "Where was that realization when poor, beautiful, kind, hard-working Holt asked you to follow him? I bet that realization stings." I toss my pillow back and she laughs again. "Truth hurts,Miss Moore."

"You're diabolical," I cry, playfully, sitting up and tossing back my blanket. "Just for that, you're on sanitation station all day. I will clean up no drool."

Her jaw drops open and she sits up too. "Now who's diabolical?"

I laugh and clap my hands twice, briskly. "Alright, Queen, chop chop. Breakfast awaits."

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