Chapter 24
Trey
"Wait! I think that’s her!” Trey could hardly believe his eyes, as though it was a mirage his mind had invented because he wished for it hard enough. He wasn’t one hundred percent, without a doubt, positive it was the woman they were looking for because, from their perspective, it was hard to see the whole picture instead of bits and pieces. But the tropical print draped over a chair triggered his memory.
“Are you sure?” His wife pointed upward. “She has dark hair. Is it her?”
No, Trey wasn’t sure, but they had stopped, and if they were going to disembark from their shoe transportation, this was the time to do it. “Yes, we need to get off.” They scrambled to stand on uneven footing. He held on to his wife’s arm, lowering her down the side of the shoe as much as he could. “Well, at least I’m pretty sure,” he said as he tried to look at the woman at the table again.
His wife jerked her head, giving him an incredulous look, saying, “Wha—” before he let go and sheslid, screaming, the rest of the way to the ground, falling into a heap on the carpet below. The foot was already shifting, so without thinking any further about it, he threw himself over the side, his body rolling at a dizzying speed as if he were tumbling down an enormous hill. He came to an abrupt halt with a grunt.
“Trey? Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” he said in a strained voice, attempting to get up on wobbly legs. “Are you okay?”
“I’m okay, but—AAAAAAAHHHHH!” She grabbed him, yanking him to the side as a shadow passed overhead before being replaced by a shoe, missing them by inches. They ended up in a pile with him on top of her, which was his favorite position to be in, even while in danger of being stomped on.
“You will always be my absolute hero,” he said to his wife.
“I hate this! Being this small sucks. I now empathize with ants, and I hate ants.”
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before helping her to stand.
“Now what?” she asked, gazing up at the whole dining room towering over them.
“We have to get her attention. Maybe we can get up on the table.”
“How are we going to get on the table?”
“If someone lifts us up…”
“Trey. Seriously.”
“I don’t know!” The feeling of desperation, frustration, and hopelessness settled over him. “I’m not good at coming up with ideas, and I’m sorry you’restuck with me instead of someone who’s actually brilliant and—”
She grabbed him, first by the arm before taking his jaw between her hands, staring into his eyes. “Listen to me. I love you. I wouldn’t want to be stuck in this situation with anyone else. And you come up with great ideas all the time. We’re going to get out of this, and you’re going to be an amazing teacher. The kids always adore you, andIadore you. I’m proud of you too.”
Her speech took him aback. It’s not that he hadn’t heard someone be proud of him before. His parents had said it to him a few times, but usually after a big game. It was always on his athleticism. This hit differently. “Really?”
“Yes, really. I want to marry you again.” She kissed him deeply.
His heart was absolutely full of her. “I love you. You’re amazing.”
“We can do this, right?”
“Look at how far we’ve gotten already.” With her as a partner, he imagined they could do almost anything.
“What is that?” He pointed to a mound of wheat-colored disks. Going closer and taking a whiff, the smell was familiar. They were about the size of a large shield but not as heavy.
“I think it’s instant oatmeal,” Cat replied, reading the crumpled packaging nearby.
“Maybe we can use it to spell out a message like people do on a deserted island when they want toreach someone flying overhead. What do you think?” He grabbed some of the flakes around the edge, shifting them over to her.
“Yes! You’re brilliant! What should we write?”
“How about,Please look down here. We’re tiny and need your help.” He stopped. “Is that too long?”
“Maybe a touch. We need something short and snappy. How about justHelp?”
