"Hey, Mom?" Grace calls. She walks into her mother's room to find her reading a book full of recipes for foods that fight cystic fibrosis. Grace wants to yank it from her hands, but she refrains, ignoring the books steely glare.
"Mmm?" Grace's mom looks up at her questioningly.
"You know the camper we have?"
"I do."
"Could I...borrow it?" Grace asks, plastering on a pleading smile.
"For what?' She raises her eyebrows and Grace can see the no dangling from her lips, waiting to pounce.
"Well, I, uh, I want to take a road trip." Grace says, meeting her mother's eyes.
"With who?" She asks promptly.
"Zig."
"And Tiny and Maya?"
"No, actually, just Zig and I. But you know Zig. It's not a big deal." Grace says quickly.
Her mom sighs and takes a moment to think before responding. "Grace, your health is the most important thing. You know that right?"
"Please, mom. I'll do my treatments while I'm away." Grace says.
"Are you going to tell Zig?"
"If it comes up, yeah." Grace says, evading the question. "Can I pleeeeease borrow the jeep and the pop up camper? Just for a few days?"
Her mother deliberates and then breathes a great sigh. "Okay, BUT I want you to take your nebulizer and make sure you call me when you reach your destinations and check-in."
"Okay! I can do that."
Mrs. Cardinal looks at her for a moment more. "Okay. You can go. BUT, you have to tell Zig about your CF."
Grace looks her in the eyes. "Okay, fine. I'll tell him later." Before her mother can detect the lie, Grace wraps her arms around her and breathes her in. "I love you. You know that right?"
Her mother nods into her shoulder. "You're my moon and stars, Gracie."
"So, Bruce Peninsula towards the northeast right? And then...about 3 to 4 hours from there is Fathom Five. We could go there too! We'll have to take a ferry across though." Zig says without looking up. "How do you feel about crossing the border?"
"Probably shouldn't push our luck." Grace says with a grin.
"Grace Cardinal, we could be outlaws together." Zig says, all dimples and flirtations.
He nudges her shoulder gently, wiggling his eyebrows at her and she finds herself wanting to pull over and kiss him. But, she pushes the thought away and in true Grace fashion says: "Novak, we already are outlaws. I'm a hacker and you're a former drug dealer."
"I'm a reformed drug dealer who doesn't deal in drugs anymore." Zig says looking scandalized. "Can we pull over? I'm starving."
"Zig, we've got an hour and a half to go." Grace answers.
"I repeat: I'm starving."
"You're such a bitch Novak." Grace says playfully, then she pulls off on an exit to find something to eat. There's nothing good and nowhere to park the pop up, but they run into a Taco Bell and call it quits, going through the drive thru. They park close to the grass and sit outside to eat their tacos. The wind is still a little chilly, but the sun is hot. For the first time in a long time, Grace feels happy... and excited? Zig stretches his legs and groans then lays back to stretch the rest of his body, lifting his back away from the ground slightly, his shirt riding up to show his toned stomach. Grace feels her face heating up, but she's become a pro at hiding things and this time isn't any different.
"I can drive the rest of the way." Zig says, rolling on his side to look at Grace. His t-shirt is still rumpled up, the skin just above his belt distracting her.
Grace can feel how much energy she's depleted in the last few hours and his offer is an oasis. "Can I trust you not to wreck the car?"
"I don't know...I guess we'll find out!" Zig says with a smirk. Grace throws one of the wrappers at him and laughs, their voices mingling, their words winding around one another until they fall into more laughs and it's getting dark and it's time to move forward.
Zig falls into line behind other cars on the highway easily and within five minute Grace has fallen asleep, her head resting on her arm, propped up on the center console. He turns the air conditioning down until the goosebumps on her arms disappear and she relaxes even further until her head droops slightly onto his shoulder. He glances at her before turning his eyes back to the road, but her hair tickles his arm and her skin is warm against his and for some reason it's all he can think about. For the first time since they broke up, he isn't thinking of Maya. Zig is thinking about Grace and himself here and now, driving down this road, embarking on their adventures and it's such a relief from the constant ache in his chest.
When they get to the campgrounds Zig gets them checked in and pulls through the entrance to find a spot where they can set up the camper for the next couple of days. Everything he sees looks stunning in the moonlight. Grace stirs and sits up, yawning.
"Are we here?" Grace asks, rubbing her eyes.
"We're here." Zig says triumphantly. Grace looks stunning in the moonlight too he thinks, glancing at her again. He shakes the thought away before he can make anything of it.