Page 8 of The Grump I Got Stuck With

Got time for a call? I messaged back.

For you? Always.

I fired off a heart emoji.

Wait, one sec! I need to get a snack. I feel like this update’s going to be especially juicy.

I couldn’t help but smile. As much as I appreciated Princess’s furry support, Em had been my mainstay since we were six years old, traipsing into the same ballet class with our matching tutus and pink slippers. I’d stumbled around like I had two left feet while Emily had flitted around like a woodland nymph. The dance phase had obviously been temporary for me, but Emily had turned that lifelong passion into a career.

What hadn’t been temporary was our friendship. Nineteen years later, no matter where life took us, we always made an effort to carve out time for each other. Even with the time difference making things complicated since I’d been in Scotland, Emily was always ready to listen to my latest culinary review or give me a pep talk when I’d been rained on for the fourth consecutive day.

Snack secured! Emily wrote. A moment later, a call came through.

“Hey,” I said, answering immediately. Princess perked her head up from the comforter.

“Girrrrrl,” Emily said in greeting. “The first rule of Scottish van life road tripping is not to drive yourself into a ditch.”

I snorted. “I actually think I should be congratulated for avoiding it this long.” The narrow, twisty Scottish backroads were not my friends. Never mind having to figure out how to drive on the opposite side of the road.

“You got too cocky, didn’t you?” Emily teased.

I hummed in agreement. “That’s the last time I trust an app to know if the roads are clear. I should have gone with my gut—which was saying to spend another night in Glenby where the cute pub let me eat my weight in scones and Scotch broth.”

“But seriously, Mads, are you okay?” Emily asked, her tone turning serious. “Like, you’re safe? No broken bones or concussions to worry about?”

“Zero injuries to report,” I said. Thankfully. The snow I’d gotten stuck in was quite powdery. The biggest blow had been to my ego when I’d realized I’d driven straight off the road. I usually considered myself to be an excellent driver, but tonight’s conditions were hellish. “But if by safe, do you mean am I surrounded by swaths of tartan and a fireplace that could hold a car? Then yes.”

“Tartan is sexy,” Emily quipped. “Where were you headed anyway before you ended up in the ditch?”

“I hoped to make it to Aberdeen before Christmas. It’s a bigger city, and I figured there might be more to do over the holidays. But looks like I’m stuck in Braeburn until someone is able to dig the van out.” Even if Lord Crankypants could get me into town tomorrow, it’s not like I could go anywhere without a vehicle. But hey, I’d much rather be staying in some tiny inn or B&B in the meantime. His kid might be adorable, but the thought of dealing with Alistair for another day was miserable.

“Maybe this was your sign to slow down a bit,” Emily said. “You know, instead of chasing something, let it come to you. That whole law of attraction thing.”

I hummed, half in agreement, half with mild uncertainty. I’d been driving around Scotland for the better part of three months, searching for a connection—to the land, to my bio mom, to the country where I’d been born. I’d yet to find that connection, and I definitely hadn’t figured out my life’s purpose. I couldn’t seem to find that, no matter where I looked.

“Hey, don’t sound so bummed,” Emily said, cutting into my thoughts. “You’re on a grand adventure, remember? And you’ll find your thing. I promise. You just have to give it time.”

“I just thought coming here, connecting to my roots…” I huffed in frustration. “After finding out about the adoption, I thought I’d finally figured out my missing piece, you know? That I’d come here and immediately feel at home.” But it hadn’t happened that way. I felt like as much of a stranger here as I had back in Connecticut, and I had to stuff down the uncomfortable twinge in my chest. The one that made my voice hitch.

“These things rarely happen overnight,” Emily said. “I didn’t know dancing was going to be my forever thing until I’d done a decade of lessons. Then it finally clicked, you know?”

“Yeah,” I agreed. And now she knew she belonged on a stage. I wanted that. Not the stage or the crowds, but a place to belong. I clung to her belief that it would happen for me. “Thanks, Em.”

“Of course,” she said. “What are friends for if not to encourage you to climb through doggy doors? Speaking of…are you gonna tell your parents about that?”

“God, no!” I cried. I could imagine the looks of horror on their faces. They’d never thought driving around Scotland to “find myself” was a sound or logical plan. As law professors, there was nothing they valued more than logic. In fact, they’d called my trip a childish temper tantrum. But what the hell did they expect after waiting until I was twenty-five to tell me I was adopted? “This situation would just confirm to them that me coming to Scotland was a bad call.”

“They’ll probably just be glad to know you’re okay,” Emily said.

“No, what they’ll do is ask me when I’m going back to work.” They were very concerned about the time I was taking away from my paralegal job. “But I will probably touch base with them tomorrow to wish them a Merry Christmas. The doggy door stays between us.”

“Cross my heart,” Emily said, and I knew she was making a little X across her chest just like we’d done as girls. “So are you going to tell me about this ‘major ass’ who’s letting you stay the night? Or are you going to leave me in suspense?”

I got to my feet, running my hand over my face as I started pacing the room. “Ass is an understatement, trust me.”

“He can’t be that bad if he let you stay.”

“It was like pulling teeth.” I recounted the tale of Alistair walking in on me shimmying through the doggy door and how irate he’d been. Emily, bless her, immediately got indignant on my behalf over how Alistair had behaved.