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“What, you didn’t like the corn pit?” I asked, shaking the slobber from my hand.

Samantha gave the leash to Larissa, dug in her purse, and handed me a wet wipe.

“Thanks,” I said.

“They do a haunted hayride on the weekends,” Becca said.

“Did you see how much that shit is?” Jesse said. “If I pay thirty bucks for a haunted hayride, I better fucking die,” Jesse said.

Becca laughed.

Xavier looked at his watch. “Do you want to do the corn maze? We’re leaving soon to meet Hank for dinner.”

“Sure,” I said, tossing the wipe.

“Should we split up?” Jesse asked. “See who gets out faster?”

I looked at Larissa and she shrugged. “Okay.”

We went in two-minute waves and let Xavier go first since he had to leave. Larissa and I went last. Even though we’d agreed to a race, we weren’t in any hurry. I took her hand and we strolled through the stalks with our dog.

It was mid-October. The day was sunny and crisp. We’d all worn flannels so we could take a group picture. It felt weird that Mike wouldn’t be in it.

“I’m sorry,” she said, reading my thoughts.

“For what?”

“Mike. I know he doesn’t come to this stuff because of me.”

I bobbed my head. “He’s working nights. He’s usually sleeping when we’re out. He still goes to the guy stuff. I’m hanging out with him Friday.”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same.”

I peered straight ahead. “He just needs time. It won’t always be like this.”

She squeezed my hand.

“Remember last time we were lost outside?” Larissa asked.

“Of course.”

She glanced at me. “Did you bring the grape electrolytes?”

“I did, actually. Do you have any artesian rust water?”

“Shoot. Forgot it at home.”

“Darn. We can count on Woofarine to kill something at least.”

She laughed, leaning into me and I smiled.

We walked for twenty minutes. We meandered into a tenth dead end and turned around. We had no idea where we were.

I stopped to listen. The sound of kids playing in the bouncy house at the festival entrance was distant now and faint. “I don’t think we’re going the right way…” I said.

“Not all who wander are lost.”

“We are definitely lost,” I said, slipping my arms around her waist. Woofarine plopped between us on the top of our shoes.