PROLOGUE

Long after Sofia had gone to sleep, Arizona was still up, packing her suitcase for their upcoming trip to visit her parents in South Carolina. The past few summers, Sofia had loved Grandma and Grandpa camp—or GG Camp—which involved going to the aquarium, fishing on the ponds, playing at the beach, and spending time with two people who loved her more than anything.

Arizona was excited, too, to see her parents, even if the trip required a plane ride—something that gave her anxiety, even years after the crash. Still, she loved her parents, and Sofia absolutely adored them, so she was happy to make the trip.

As she threw a swimsuit into the suitcase, her cellphone started vibrating against the night table. Arizona's lips quirked up as she picked it up. "Mom, shouldn't you be sleeping right now?"

"Oh, sweetheart, it's not that late," came Barbara's voice on the other end of the line.

"You're on the East Coast! It's three hours later there!"

"Your father and I were rewatching The Abyss," Barbara explained. "I forgot how long it is."

Arizona folded up a pair of shorts to bring on the trip. "Well, make sure you get your sleep. Because, once we get there, Sofia's going to wake us all at the crack of dawn."

"I'm sure she is," Barbara chuckled. "But, listen, about that," she continued, "I had a thought: I know how much you dislike plane rides, so why don't you fly Sofia our way as planned and then drive here and meet us in a week?"

"Drive there?" Arizona's eyes widened at the implication. "It must be a fifty-hour drive!"

"It could be fun!" Barbara argued. "Look, Sofia's already used to flying unaccompanied, and your father and I would love to spend a full two-weeks alone with her before you get here. Plus, you could make it into a little vacation—visit a bunch of places you've always wanted to see."

"Driving fifty hours alone doesn't really sound like a vacation."

"Arizona, the truth is that you'd be doing me a kind of favor. I have a friend visiting Seattle who I'd love to see, and so I thought you might be willing to make the trip together."

Arizona stilled. "Who is it?"

Barbara dodged the question. "Something tells me you two will click.

"Mom," Arizona warned, "are you trying to set me up right now?"

"Are you implying that you don't want to be set up?"

"Yes!" Arizona exclaimed. "Mom, please. I'm doing fine. I'm dating myself." She squared her shoulders.

Barbara scoffed.

"I'm serious," Arizona maintained.

"Fine," Barbara sighed. "But I'm serious that I think you two would have fun driving here together. She could pay for half of everything, and your father and I have known her for years but haven't seen her in forever."

Arizona inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled, "Okay. It could be fun."

She could practically see her mother's grin. "Oh, Arizona, thank you! You're doing me such a favor. Truly."

Arizona blushed. "Don't worry about it."

"All right, well, your father wants to go to bed. But we'll pick Sofia up from the airport as planned, and send me your trip details when you have them, yeah? Let me know when my friend should meet you, as soon as you can."

"I will," Arizona agreed. As soon as they hung up, she immediately began to map out her trip in her head: We'll go south, stop in California, and then head east through Arizona…

Almost three-thousand miles away, Barbara immediately started dialing another number, praying someone would pick up on the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

She smiled. "Callie? It's Barbara Robbins. I'm so glad you answered."

A week later—one night before she was to set out on her road-trip-slash-vacation-slash-favor-for-her-mother—Arizona found herself wondering about the unknown travel-buddy. Who was this mystery woman? Who else did her parents know in Seattle? Had she met her before? Was her mom trying to set them up, or was she just reading into it?

Her mother had, after all, always supported her—hardly even blinking when she'd first come out as a lesbian—and she knew as well as anyone how much she'd loved Callie. It wasn't so crazy to think that, maybe, Barbara was trying to set her up.

And then she started wondering about the other stuff: Is she beautiful? Is she smart? Is she kind?

She may as well have asked, Is she Callie? But of course she couldn't be. Because she was in Seattle and Callie was in New York and that was that.

Knowing she would be out of town for the next few weeks, Arizona spent her evening picking up the house, cleaning out the fridge, and vacuuming and mopping, wanting to come home to a spotless house.

As she lay down to sleep, she flipped through the photos her mom had sent her of Sofia that day: a few new freckles already speckled her nose, and she looked like she was having a blast. Arizona couldn't help but smile.

The next morning, Arizona woke up at 6am, ate a hardy breakfast of oatmeal with fruit, and packed up her car with all her bags and gear. It was going to be a long trip and, anyway, she'd always been a bit of an over-packer.

She'd told her mother that the mystery woman—whom Barbara still refused to name, to Arizona's dismay—should show up before 8:30am. She wanted to get on the road early so that they'd make it to their first destination before sunset. It was going to be a long drive.

By 8:25am, Arizona was antsy, having already been awake for two and a half hours. She stood at the front window, watching a car go by now and then, waiting for one to stop and reveal who would be joining her on the trip.

8:30am came and went, and still no sight of her.

8:35am. Still nothing.

Arizona was dialing her mom's number, prepared to complain about said co-traveler, when she heard a car door slam right outside. "Thank you!"

Arizona would know that voice anywhere. She peeked out the window. Long legs, walking toward her front steps. Tan skin. Impossibly pretty eyes.

Callie.

More to come tomorrow! If anyone on here wants to help me pay for rent, pls message me. The COVID-19 epidemic is hitting me hard financially.