Episode 1199: Tourist

“It’s not that different from the divorced kids here, you have two parents battling for supremacy just like they experienced,” Hope’s best friend, Jenny pointed out. “I figured there had to be some other kids here with parents who don’t get along and maybe they'd know what to say better than I did. If this was about how to coupon or how to avoid the landlord when rent is due, that I know, but this… Well, I figured somebody here might have pointers for you.”

“I’m sorry I’m such a mess these days,” Hope said. “I really thought I was over it when we came to camp, then the stupid care packages… I’m sorry you have to keep mopping me up. You’re supposed to be having fun in the sun, experiencing the outdoors not putting together impromptu support groups for your sad sack friend.”

Jenny reached out and patted Hope’s knee. The two girls sat opposite one another, each cross-legged on Hope’s bunk.

“It’s not a big deal,” Jenny said. “You’re my best friend. I wanted to find a way to help. I wouldn’t even get to be in a place like this if you weren’t such a great friend to make it possible for me to be here. So, you know, I really think we should just stop thanking each other and just be like, yeah, that’s to be expected, that’s what best friends do for each other, no thank you required.”

“Okay, well, yeah. Then I’ll thank you but not thank you for giving me a few more tools for handling the dad stuff and instead I’ll just suggest that we make the most of our last days here. Let’s make a camp bucket list to make up for time we lost over my drama.”

“Don’t call it drama, that makes it sound unjustified or whatever when what you’ve been feeling is totally legit. And a camp bucket list sounds awesome, I bet we still have time to do it all and be proper tourists here.”

“What’s this?” Sarette asked. “The art fair? Hiking in Blue Ridge? Building a kite?”

“Oh, yeah, that. It’s just a list of stuff I thought Hope and I could do together when she gets home,” Paul said, joining his mother at the nook in his kitchen and setting down a coffee for each of them. “There’s so much I want to do before the end of the summer, so I just started jotting down ideas whenever they came to me.”

“This is a three page list, honey. Be careful that you don’t plan so much that you two don’t have time to actually enjoy yourselves.”

“I’m basically a tourist with my own kid, mom, there’s nothing permanent in these visits, Curran Gable will see to that. I don’t know how much time I have with her. I feel like I should cram in as much as I can with her before Gable does whatever underhanded thing he’s going to do to take her away for good.”

Episode 1200: As It Was