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Authors: Cassie Alexander
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me over, her hand peeking out from underneath her cover.
“How are you doing?” she asked as I arrived.
“I’m slightly more convinced about this mode of transportation than I was yesterday.”
She nodded, like I had just learned a valuable lesson. “I love it out here. You’ll need a thicker coat, though, especially for the Alaskan cruises.”
“I’ll get one.” I hugged myself, standing still.
“Would a walk help keep you warm?” she asked.
“Sure, uh—” I looked at the brakes on her wheelchair. To wheel, or not to wheel, was the question.
“You look pretty strong. Plus, I’m warmer this way,” she prompted, shrugging her blanket.
“Ha. Okay.” I leaned over and undid the brakes. “Hey, you know how Hal asked us if we were newlyweds yesterday?” She nodded as I pushed her. She was heavier than she looked, but her wheelchair made an excellent windblock. “Well, Asher proposed this morning. So we almost are.” I ought to get to share my second piece of good news with someone. My mom would be fine with an out-of-wedlock baby, having long since given up on my timeliness, but she might never forgive me if she didn’t get a chance to host a wedding shower.
Claire turned to look back at me. “Oh, congratulations!”
“Thanks.” I beamed. It felt good to tell someone.
She tilted her head and pierced me with one bird-like eye. “What about the baby? Does he know?”
I stopped abruptly, and the ship rolled, sending her wheelchair back to run up against my foot before I caught it. “What? How did you—”
“I’m an old woman,” she said, as though that were answer enough.
Well. Since I’d already outed myself anyway. “Um, yes. He found out about the baby before he proposed. Not that he wouldn’t have anyway, eventually—he was just really excited about everything.”
She smiled and nodded. “He’s a stand-up man.”
“I like to think so.” And despite the fact that I’d asked for it, I felt a little overexposed and desperate to change the conversation. “Do you have kids of your own?” If she did, they’d be my age—or my mother’s.
Claire shook her head sorrowfully. “Oh, no, that was never in the cards for Hal and me. I do like children, though.”
“Me too. I think.” I waited a bit. “I hope.”
She laughed melodiously. “I’m sure you’ll catch on,” she said, and leaned out of the wheelchair to point. “Can we go over there? That’s where I was supposed to be, before I started wandering.” I started to push her across the deck, impressed she’d been able to roll herself that far. Her upper body was probably stronger than mine.
“So where are you going next, after this?” she asked me.
“Back to the room?” I guessed, like it might be the wrong answer.
She shook her head. “No, no. I mean after this cruise.” She braced herself on the wheelchair’s arms underneath her blanket and craned back at me, seemingly oblivious to the rocking of the waves. “You shouldn’t finish one trip without having another one in mind. It’s the secret to staying young—always having something to look forward to.” She gave me a conspiratorial smile. “You’ve got to see the world while you can, preferably while you still have your original knees.”
I grinned at her. “How old are you? If I can ask, that is.”
“Well, I’d tell you that bullshit line about ladies never revealing their age, but let’s just say I’m pushing eighty-nine. Or you are, since you’re back there.”
I snorted. We’d almost made a full circle of the deck—on this side, we were protected by structures on the deck from the wind. We passed by a few people determined to be tropical, huddling shoulder-high in the hot tub, and a few kids racing around the kiddie pool under shivering parental supervision.
“It’s like they don’t have any nerves,” Claire said from the warmth of her blanket.
“Or they’re a different species,” I agreed. It was hard not to stare at
“How are you doing?” she asked as I arrived.
“I’m slightly more convinced about this mode of transportation than I was yesterday.”
She nodded, like I had just learned a valuable lesson. “I love it out here. You’ll need a thicker coat, though, especially for the Alaskan cruises.”
“I’ll get one.” I hugged myself, standing still.
“Would a walk help keep you warm?” she asked.
“Sure, uh—” I looked at the brakes on her wheelchair. To wheel, or not to wheel, was the question.
“You look pretty strong. Plus, I’m warmer this way,” she prompted, shrugging her blanket.
“Ha. Okay.” I leaned over and undid the brakes. “Hey, you know how Hal asked us if we were newlyweds yesterday?” She nodded as I pushed her. She was heavier than she looked, but her wheelchair made an excellent windblock. “Well, Asher proposed this morning. So we almost are.” I ought to get to share my second piece of good news with someone. My mom would be fine with an out-of-wedlock baby, having long since given up on my timeliness, but she might never forgive me if she didn’t get a chance to host a wedding shower.
Claire turned to look back at me. “Oh, congratulations!”
“Thanks.” I beamed. It felt good to tell someone.
She tilted her head and pierced me with one bird-like eye. “What about the baby? Does he know?”
I stopped abruptly, and the ship rolled, sending her wheelchair back to run up against my foot before I caught it. “What? How did you—”
“I’m an old woman,” she said, as though that were answer enough.
Well. Since I’d already outed myself anyway. “Um, yes. He found out about the baby before he proposed. Not that he wouldn’t have anyway, eventually—he was just really excited about everything.”
She smiled and nodded. “He’s a stand-up man.”
“I like to think so.” And despite the fact that I’d asked for it, I felt a little overexposed and desperate to change the conversation. “Do you have kids of your own?” If she did, they’d be my age—or my mother’s.
Claire shook her head sorrowfully. “Oh, no, that was never in the cards for Hal and me. I do like children, though.”
“Me too. I think.” I waited a bit. “I hope.”
She laughed melodiously. “I’m sure you’ll catch on,” she said, and leaned out of the wheelchair to point. “Can we go over there? That’s where I was supposed to be, before I started wandering.” I started to push her across the deck, impressed she’d been able to roll herself that far. Her upper body was probably stronger than mine.
“So where are you going next, after this?” she asked me.
“Back to the room?” I guessed, like it might be the wrong answer.
She shook her head. “No, no. I mean after this cruise.” She braced herself on the wheelchair’s arms underneath her blanket and craned back at me, seemingly oblivious to the rocking of the waves. “You shouldn’t finish one trip without having another one in mind. It’s the secret to staying young—always having something to look forward to.” She gave me a conspiratorial smile. “You’ve got to see the world while you can, preferably while you still have your original knees.”
I grinned at her. “How old are you? If I can ask, that is.”
“Well, I’d tell you that bullshit line about ladies never revealing their age, but let’s just say I’m pushing eighty-nine. Or you are, since you’re back there.”
I snorted. We’d almost made a full circle of the deck—on this side, we were protected by structures on the deck from the wind. We passed by a few people determined to be tropical, huddling shoulder-high in the hot tub, and a few kids racing around the kiddie pool under shivering parental supervision.
“It’s like they don’t have any nerves,” Claire said from the warmth of her blanket.
“Or they’re a different species,” I agreed. It was hard not to stare at
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