For the first time in ten days, I felt something else.
“I’ll take it off your hands for $1500?” I tried to swallow the words.
Shit.
The cleaner peered at me and laughed. “Don’t you want to give it a whirl around the block?”
What the fuck did I know about cars? “Is it automatic?”
“Yep, and eight years old. Never had a problem with it—I can show you the annual check reports.”
People made impulse decisions all the time, right? Habit was such a bitch.
I tried to embrace the feeling of newness, which was about as natural as hugging a mall Santa at Christmas time.
“If you say it works—” I took a deep breath. “I’ll take it.”
She shook her head, smiling. “You young folk are so spontaneous. If you’re sure, I can sell for $1500.”
Spontaneous?
I almost laughed despite my slight queasiness. “That’s me. Spontaneous Andie. Is it okay to pay in cash?” With the bank breathing down my neck, I hadn’t trusted them not to freeze my accounts. After their call, I withdrew every cent to my name.
The woman extended her hand. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
No wonder public transport didn’t come out here. I eyed the sheer cliffs rising on one side of the narrow, winding road, more worried about the steep drop on the other side. At least the powder-blue Corolla I’d dubbed Ella Fitzgerald hadn’t conked out.
Cleaners were trustworthy mofos.
The raw beauty of the area couldn’t be denied as I worked deeper into the valley. Over the steep drop, enormous lush trees were visible as far as the eye could see. I caught occasional glimpses of a wide river.
I consulted Maps again.
Another five minutes. Supposedly. I hadn’t seen a house or car since Frankton Gorge, and if this town didn’t have a petrol station, I was screwed.
“Nearly there, Mum,” I told the bright purple urn strapped to the passenger seat.
The set-up was borderline creepy, but the thought of the urn smashing and sending her body ashes spilling everywhere was worse.
My alto saxophone occupied the passenger seat foot space. Two suitcases, my bedding, and photo frames filled every inch of the Corolla’s back seat. By the time I got a spare key to Realtor Roy for the upcoming house photos, I was eager to leave and couldn’t be bothered with a final run to the storage place.
I eased Ella F around a tight curve, and the road slopped down. We started descending into a huge gully.
House lights were visible at the bottom.
“Thank fuck.” I did not want to find myself in a Without a Paddle situation tonight. Or probably ever.
I slowed to read a sign around the bend.
Deception Valley
EST. 1870
POPULATION: 11,400
Huh. Bigger than I thought.
A few more bends, and the massive trees receded to better outline the valley below.
Wow.
Just wow.
On my left and right, two towering mountain ranges extended into the distance, creating the border of the gully. While the space between them was narrow here, the valley floor steadily widened in a V to become an enormous basin. A river stretched through the middle as far as my eyes could see, cutting the valley neatly in two.
In the dying light, I glimpsed what looked like a huge lake.
I once watched a documentary on Denali Park, and this had that same untouched appearance. I couldn’t even tell if the gully eventually ended or if it kept going forever and ever.
“Beautiful,” I murmured, oddly emotional at the sight.
My holidays away from Queen’s Way numbered nil. I’d never seen anything like this off the television. The thick forest and the houses dotting the river were pretty beyond words.
I glanced at Mum’s urn. “Why did you leave this place? Seriously.”
She’d concealed so much. The gambling, I could process, as messed up as it was. But this?
Why did Mum bury her past, even from me?
She felt like a stranger in death, which made mourning her properly impossible. Because how could someone who loved me also lie to me for twenty-one years?
I had to reconcile Mum’s past with the mum I’d known.
Closure. That’s what I needed.
My phone complained in a series of chimes and beeps as I reached the bottom of the winding descent.
Back in reception, obviously.
Ignoring the noise, I took in the surrounding scene. On one side of what I assumed was the main road, old stone buildings stood proud, shoulder to shoulder with their neighbours as they looked across the road to the river.
This place was straight out of a children’s movie. Peering back, I could see that the river ran down from the gorge in three large steps like something from El Dorado. The streetlamps reminded me of Lady and the Tramp.
Cobbled roads.
Slots in the doors for mail.
No rubbish in sight.
This town cast the graffiti-spattered walls and chewing gum-covered pavements in Queen’s Way to shame.
“Still not understanding, Mum.”
A couple of cars were parked farther up the street, and it was just after 7:00 p.m., but maybe this was normal for a Wednesday night.
Pulling over, I blew out a breath.
Focused on getting here, I hadn’t put thought into my next step.
I scrolled through my messages and missed calls. Eek. Logan wasn’t overjoyed with the hasty message informing him I was boosting for a long weekend.
Dialling his number, I put the phone on speaker.
“Andie.”
I relaxed at his familiar voice amidst the crazy new I’d launched myself into.
“Logan. Reception was out for most of the drive. I’m here now.”
The silence was leaden. “And where is here exactly?”
“I texted it to you. Deception Valley. That’s where Mum was from.”
“You decided to buy a car and drive all the way there? By yourself.”
“My name is Spontaneous Andie now. I had to get away from everything for a few days.”
He sighed. “Understandable, babe. I just wish you took me with you.”
I studied the jam-packed car. “Would you have fit between two suitcases?”
My boyfriend of the last year wasn’t exactly fun-sized. I had a penchant for tall, loud, and confident men. Of course, going for the alpha type hadn’t ever worked for me in the past, but Logan was steadily changing my mind. And attraction was attraction.
His deep chuckle made me regret leaving.
“When will you be in my bed again?” he asked.
“I have work on Tuesday, so I’ll be back for that. It could be sooner. I just want to find out as much about Mum as possible.”
“Call me each night to let me know you’re alright.”
I rose a brow. “I’ll think about it if you say please.”
“Night, babe.”
So stubborn. “Night, Lo.”
After locking the car, I snapped a few photos of the river and street. The full moon painted the calm parts of the water silver. I sent a quick selfie to Logan because, honestly, I had no friends. School buddies hung around at first, but when I couldn’t find time for them, ever, they disappeared in a steady trickle.
Whatever. People weren’t reliable. I stopped crying myself to sleep over that a long time ago.