Page 122 of The Girl with No Name
She’s got on this flowy, floral dress with different stripes in shades of red and yellow, flip flops, and big sunglasses. The whole outfit puts a giant smile on my face, and leaves me wondering how I got so lucky as to meet her.
“I’m so thankful it turned out you’re not a square,” she jokes as she hands me a donut.
“Mmm… Looking delicious.” I lick my lips.
“Yeah. We’ll always have to stop here when we pass this area. They’re so yummy.”
“I wasn’t talking about the donuts,” I say, eyeing her up and down to make it obvious.
“Oh. Ohhh.”
Pressing her up against the van, I give her another kiss. She’s sweet and sugary.
So are the donuts.
When the tank is full, Luna jumps into the passenger seat since I’m driving this leg.
“Four hours and thirteen minutes to Nashville,” she announces.
“Man, we’re flying.” I kick the van into drive and return to the country roads of Indiana. “I’ve been thinking about this whole thing,” I tell her.
“What thing?”
“All of it. The blue horse painting. Me writing that song. It all seems a little too wild.”
“Kinda makes you think, doesn’t it?”
“Think about…?” I ask. I can see Luna’s mind running a mile a minute.
“Whether Godisactually looking out for us. I used to get down about the bad stuff that happened in my life. Now I see it was all part of the journey that led me to where I needed to be.”
I nod, letting her words soak in, as we pass Boot City.
“How long would I have stayed stuck in a less-than-ideal situation if I’d never met you?”
She grins and puts her fingers together like Mr. Burns fromThe Simpsons. “You never know. I could be totally insane.”
“Well, even if you are, I’m glad you trusted me. Whatdidmake you trust me, by the way?”
“Just because I’ve been hurt before doesn’t mean I’ll be hurt again. It’s the leap of faith. And also?” She pauses like she’s thinking hard.
“Yeah?”
“I just trust you because I do. I don’t know why. It’s a feeling I get with you. And…” She drifts off for another moment before bringing her eyes back to me. “My gut says to trust you. So I am. If I don’t trust you…what do I have? Trusting you means I trust myself, if that makes sense.”
I swallow a big lump that forms in my throat. “I understand exactly what you mean.”
As the scenery passes, a distinct calm comes over me. I glance over at Luna’s profile, feeling utter certainty that this is where I’m meant to be. The smell of fresh air, donuts, and new beginnings overwhelms me as I consider how I’ve changed.
I sent an email to Hal saying I wouldn’t be back, and texted Jay to thank him for being a good coworker. My office-job era is over, for now, at least.
My 401k projection looks like shit, I have to say.
What routine am I going to have in Nashville? Where am I—where arewe—going to live?
Honestly, I have no clue.
Maybe we post up in this crazy van for a little while on the outskirts of town. That’s all right with me. Because for the first time in my entire life, I can honestly say my soul is happy.