71. Angst and Preparations

SIRI

September 7, Monday Evening

California

I spend the morning preparing for the road trip I’ll take tomorrow with my dad. Jamie sends me an email detailing a play-by-play of her plan for Vegas tomorrow. I jot it down in my notebook along with the questions I’m going to ask Dad in the car, so I don’t forget or chicken out.

Dawn doesn’t get off work till eight today. Grams and I have spent the whole afternoon together cooking another meal entirely from scratch: chicken francaise with homemade pasta and a bruschetta appetizer. We’ve been having a great time making fun of the cheesy Netflix rom-coms Grams set to play in the background. She keeps commenting on the editing choices, and it’s not till she references her own work that I realize Grams must have been an editor … for movies. In Hollywood. I’m so glad I got to meet this sassy old lady who happens to be my grandma, and I can’t wait to re-meet her as myself when this magic wears off.

At 10 p.m. Dawn texts me that she’s along the side of the house, much later than I thought I’d be seeing her. She’s stopping by just to say goodbye because she has class early tomorrow morning.

Dawn’s hair is pulled back in an impeccable high ponytail. She’s wearing a hot pink skirt covered in subtle imprints of hearts, with matching pink heeled sneakers and a tight black top. She looks like a pop star.

Once I’m within three feet, she throws her arms around me in a hug, and I hug her back like my sanity depends on it.

“Sorry, I’m being awkward about hanging out on your last night here … I’m starting to feel weirder about furthering the snow globe if we’re not going to tell Jamie,” she babbles with her arms around me. She pulls back. “If you’re ever in California for more than four days and you want more than a snow globe, I would love to explore that with you.” She huffs a sad laugh. “I know if I come inside … the more we hang out now that we’ve … snow-globed, it’ll be harder to say goodbye.” She snorts. “I sound like such a loser.”

I shake my head. “I am so thankful I met you.”

She quirks her brows, gesticulating nervously. “We’re going to meet again, you know. I’m excited to re-meet you when you come visit Jamie … and be friends, if you want to be. And like I said … I mean, I don’t always find such a natural, easy … um, and if you wanted to try dating ever, you know where to find me … on Pizza Perfect.”

I laugh. She smiles coyly at me and I grin hard back.