There was a long discussion of whose car they should take. It all transpired via the "Penderwick Sisters (Older)" group text. The group had been created years ago, but in all its history, it had never been so active. There was also a family group text that included everybody, a Penderwick Sisters group that included Lydia, and a Penderwicks Siblings group that included Lydia and Ben. And, not many knew, there was a final group text called MOOPS which was just Rosalind, Skye and Jane. Some things were sacred, after all.

Jane was emotionally attached to her old sedan, which she called Alfonso. But Rosalind was positive Alfonso, however noble and benign, would never make it up to Maine.

Rosalind said they would take her car. But Jane said that Tommy would probably need the car while they were gone, at some point or another.

Skye contributed by saying that she had seen Jane's car a few weeks ago when Jane visited Gardam Street, and Skye was not getting into that hunk of tin.

Batty pointed out that Skye's jeep was perfect, if Skye wasn't so paranoid about the potential of anyone other than Skye driving it.

Jane said it wasn't like they were going to be using the car a lot once they got there, they could get all the groceries by walking to the Moose Market. If Skye was so particular, she would just do the drive there and back.

"Is that an admission that Alfonso will definitely NOT make it to Point Mouette?" Rosalind asked.

At long last, Skye caved and said that yes, they could use her jeep. But Batty was not allowed behind the wheel under any circumstance. Skye had never forgotten an unprotected left turn incident when Batty was sixteen and practicing for the test with Skye. Batty had ended up failing the driving test three times before she got her license.

And so it was that on that early July morning, Jane had a heavy heart at bidding farewell to Alfonso, but she knew her pain would be eased with each mile that brought them all closer to Point Mouette.

At long last, they were nearing the end. Jane was riding shotgun while Rosalind took the homestretch. Skye had driven the first hour, and Jane the next two. Rosalind insisted that as the oldest, she had to do her part.

Jane had been flipping through the radio, but all the stations were either static or on commercials. Commercials annoyed Skye. And Skye was always very close to the brink of annoyance during a long road trip. Jane turned around to check on the back seat.

To her surprise, it was all smooth sailing. Batty was drumming her fingers gently to some secret rhythm and gazing out the window, and Skye had her book open in her lap, but was also looking at the coastal Maine scenery.

There was a time when Skye and Batty in a backseat together for more than an hour would have spelled trouble. Jane found herself still expecting an explosion from Skye and tears from Batty, even though the two had been on far better terms since Skye was seventeen and it was finally explained to her that their mother Elizabeth Penderwick had not died because of Batty's birth. The two events were sadly linked, but not causal.

Skye turned towards Jane and smiled.

"I'm starting to recognize things, aren't you?" Skye said.

"Not specific things, but the feeling, yes," Jane said. "We're getting closer and closer to the end of the point. We're going out, out, out into the ocean."

"I feel like I'm about to drive off the edge of the world," Rosalind said. "I like it."

Jane turned towards Rosalind. Her sunglasses were pushed back on her head, and her curls fell gently around her tan shoulders. Jane realized that Rosalind's brow was smooth. Jane was so used to seeing Rosalind worrying about something, usually her sisters, but for once Rosalind seemed calm.

It occurred to Jane that maybe Rosalind could use someone worrying about her.

"Moose Market!" Batty shouted. "There it is, there it is!"

"Ah, I can't wait for those pies," Skye said.

"I'm gonna start making a list for our first grocery run," Jane said. "Bread, salami, strawberry-rhubarb pie –"

"Blackberry pie too," Skye said.

"Chips, salsa, and wine," Jane said.

"Lots of wine!" Rosalind said. "Remember, this is my bachelorette party!"

"Here's the inn," Batty said.

"You still keep in touch with Meredith?" Jane asked. "You should text her!"

Batty shrugged and said she didn't have her number.

"It's important to keep in touch with old friends," Jane said.

"Well," Batty said. "I'm bad at female friendship I think."

Skye burst out laughing, and Rosalind joined in.

"Are you kidding?" Jane asked.

"What? I am," Batty said.

"We're the Penderwick sisters," Jane said. "We are female friendships!"

"No, we're sisters," Batty said.

"It's because she got a boyfriend the first week of college," Rosalind said. "Classic."

At Rosalind's snarky tone, Skye stopped laughing. Jane squirmed in her seat. Rosalind just kept staring out the front windshield. She knew she had gone too far, and she pursed her lips. Then again, maybe she hadn't gone too far, she had just gone farther than Rosalind ever went.

"I mean," Rosalind said. "I remember in college every year, there would be that one freshman girl who threw her whole being into some older guy who smiled at her the first day, and that was it. She didn't do anything else, she didn't make any other friends, he was her world. And sure, sometimes it worked out and they got married or whatever. But most times, it all ended, sooner rather than later. And what do you expect? Of course it ended."

Batty looked like someone had just poured a bucket of frigid ocean water over her head.

"Batty did other things," Skye said. "She was in that musical, the cowboys one."

Jane flashed her eyes from Rosalind, this new and lethal creature, over to Skye, strangely trying to throw Batty a lifeline, and back to poor wounded Batty, staring at her eldest sister like Rosalind had suddenly grown three heads.

Jane decided that the world had gone topsy-turvy, and now they could no longer rely on the Oldest Available Penderwick, and maybe not even on the Second OAP. So Jane did the only thing she could think of.

"We're here!" Jane yelled. "Birches!"

Within seconds, all four sisters tumbled out of the jeep and ran to embrace their salvation.