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“Your mom is at the hotel. We’re gonna have a little weekend getaway.”
“Seriously?”
He lifts the suitcase. “Had to scare you. It’s empty.” He laughs and holds out his arms. I hug him tightly.
“I love you, son. The entire family loves you.”
Then he’s out the door as though it was all a dream. It wasn’t, was it?
Thirty
Calista
One week has passed, and I miss Rylan like crazy. I’m not sure our last night together was a good idea because all I see when I close my eyes is him staring at me in my black panties and bra. All I feel is him inside me, thrusting and telling me how much he loves me.
I pack up the slides of us and go to store the box in the cabin’s bedroom closet. If I’m going to spend more time here, I want to get this place cleaned up. The only real storage is the bedroom closet. I open up the folding doors, but I sit down when I see that there’s no room for anything else.
Foam presentation boards are stacked on the floor inside the closet, and I lift one. In black cap letters, MISSION #1 is written across the top.
A picture of Uncle Austin is on the left side and Aunt Holly is on the right. In the middle, under the heading “Modus Operandi,” is a list: make sure the tryst is reported in Buzz Wheel, enlist the help of Jack in getting her to Founder’s Day, and on and on.
I put the board back and examine the next one. Every one of my aunts and uncles on my dad’s side has their own “mission,” then all of Rylan’s brothers and sisters.
Is this what my great-grandma used this place for after Great-Grandpa died? Headquarters for the geriatric matchmaking crew?
I see one lone board on the other side of the closet. I pick it up, and it says FINAL MISSION: Rylan and Calista. Tears well in my eyes. The notes on the board say things like “you have to be ready to act fast, as soon as Rylan comes into town, it’s game time” and “they’re both stubborn but don’t take no for an answer.”
I read through the list…
Give Calista the cabin.
Make them do the slideshow, but have Pete do one of them.
Get anyone you need to involved.
Make sure Rylan sees her in a wedding gown.
Oh my god, were they really able to accomplish all this?
There’s a knock on the door, and I rush over, hoping it might be Rylan. No one else knows about this place except for Alice and her peeps. I look through the curtain, and I’m surprised to see my mom and dad.
I unlock the door and open it. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Hey, sweetie.” My mom puts her hands on my cheeks and kisses my forehead.
“How did you guys find me here?”
My dad rolls his eyes. “We all know about this place. We’re just respecting G’Ma D’s wishes in passing it on to her great-granddaughter.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry, we’re all in agreement. No one disturbs whatever you do here.”
“You’ll never believe what I found.” I rush back to the closet and pull out their mission board. “Look.”
My mom sits on the couch, her hand flying up to her mouth. “Oh boy. Look how young I looked.” She sounds wistful.
“You’re still just as beautiful.” My dad kisses the top of her head.
