[The sound she makes is more akin to a hum than an actual answer. Humaning is hard, and her ability to be one comes and goes. But she sounds positive and like she's ready, so she reaches over to grab his hand as she nods.]
Ready.
[Neither of them even look back as they leave. There's nothing else for them here. All they have to do is look forward to what's waiting ahead. Which, as it turns out, is a lot of open road. Eddie stops at a gas station about an hour in so they can grab a snack and she can use the bathroom. She doesn't lock the door and he winds up having to come in when she takes too long without answering him.
He finds her staring at herself in the mirror at the sink, almost puzzled by her appearance. She lost track of herself and time itself staring at her own reflection, trying to make sure that the eyes looking back at her are her own. There's a fear she came back wrong, or this isn't her body. But everything feels like hers, and she's pretty sure Eddie is now concerned she's defective.
So she apologizes repeatedly on their way back out to the car, and winds up eating half a bag of chips because she doesn't want to ever make Eddie worry more about her than he already does. If she has it her way, he'll never be sad again.]
How many days do you think it will take us to get to the beach?
[She pipes up over the tape he has quietly playing, once again sounding like her old self. It seems to be coming and going tonight, but she keeps telling herself that's normal.]
no subject
Ready.
[Neither of them even look back as they leave. There's nothing else for them here. All they have to do is look forward to what's waiting ahead. Which, as it turns out, is a lot of open road. Eddie stops at a gas station about an hour in so they can grab a snack and she can use the bathroom. She doesn't lock the door and he winds up having to come in when she takes too long without answering him.
He finds her staring at herself in the mirror at the sink, almost puzzled by her appearance. She lost track of herself and time itself staring at her own reflection, trying to make sure that the eyes looking back at her are her own. There's a fear she came back wrong, or this isn't her body. But everything feels like hers, and she's pretty sure Eddie is now concerned she's defective.
So she apologizes repeatedly on their way back out to the car, and winds up eating half a bag of chips because she doesn't want to ever make Eddie worry more about her than he already does. If she has it her way, he'll never be sad again.]
How many days do you think it will take us to get to the beach?
[She pipes up over the tape he has quietly playing, once again sounding like her old self. It seems to be coming and going tonight, but she keeps telling herself that's normal.]