Page 5

“What’re we all talking about?” asked Emmie, returning quicker than any of them had expected. She looked suspiciously at Christie. “Christie, I swear…”

“I was just saying that I’m probably going to bow out early,” said Wren. “I had a really early start, making sure that everything was all set up before y’all arrived.”

The light in Emmie’s eyes dimmed and Wren realised that the other woman thought she’d been put off by whatever Christie had said. Impetuously, she grabbed Emmie’s hands. “No no, I really am just wiped. I gotta go check in on security before I clock out for the night.”

“I can walk with you?” asked Emmie, shyly.

“I’d love that.”

It was much quieter away from the campfire, so much so that Emmie took her earplugs out and slipped them into her purse. Wren was glad, because the sound of crickets in the moonlight sounded magical, like they were in another world altogether.

“Hear that?” she said.

Emmie stopped walking and listened intently, her face a study in concentration. “Crickets?”

“See, you’re not as much of a city girl as you think.”

“I do like nature,” Emmie said. “I always try and bring elements of it into my designs; I just don’t like the big loud bits, although I love the sound of the sea.”

“You can’t get more big and loud than the sea!”

“I know,” she laughed. “I think it’s because if you close your eyes, the rest of the world fades away until it’s just you, the sea, and shells being shucked against the shore. If it weren’t for the fact that I think it’d wipe me out, I think I’d really enjoy hiking. I just don’t like all the bits of the outdoors that are trying to kill you.”

That made sense.

5

Emmie

Once Wren was done with all the security things she needed to check up on, they slowly made their way back to the main campsite, but Emmie was kind of done with the campfire for now. It was loud over there and she was still enjoying their little bubble of quiet, crickets not withstanding.

“I might go get settled in Luna.”

“Luna?”

Emmie felt herself flush. “My campervan.”

“Oh, of course.” Wren wasn’t being sarcastic; she just accepted it, the same way she’d accepted Emmie’s autism diagnosis and her dislike of potato salad. No arguments, no trying to change her or get her to do things ‘properly’. Just gentle acceptance.

“Well, how about I walk you to your camper? Maybe tuck you in, if that’s not too presumptuous?”

“It’s not too presumptuous.” Emmie wanted to wriggle, to do a happy stim to let out all the positive energy that felt like it was building. “I’d very much like that.”

Unlocking the van, Wren helped her set up the reflectors on the front and side windows, and then turn on the fairy lights that lit the inside.

“I gotta get ready for bed,” Emmie said.

“Where’s your washbag?” asked Wren.

Emmie pulled it out from where she’d stashed it.

“And your pjs?”

Those were tucked neatly under her pillows. They hadLilo and Stitchpatterns on them that made Wren chuckle when she saw them. “Excellent choice, petal. Want me to come with you to the bathrooms?”

Emmie nodded vigorously. She wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but all of a sudden she felt all small and vulnerable. That seemed ridiculous, especially as she was so much taller than Wren, but there was an authoritative confidence to her that had Emmie just following on like a good girl.

It had gotten so much darker, and she almost tripped over twice, both times Wren catching her arm before she splayed on the floor. “I got you, petal,” she said.