* * *
"Have a great flight Dad!" Maddy gave her father a hug and a kiss,
before he shook Ken's hand and reminded him of their future plans to do
this again very soon. They watched as Joseph strode out to the waiting
Piper Cub, now fueled and ready to transport him back across the river.
In the distance, he waved at them one final time before settling into the
cockpit and starting the engine; once the propellers reached maximum
speed, he directed the plane out to the runway. And then, in a perfect
combination of thrust, lift and timing, the small aircraft rose above the
marshes and into the star-studded heavens.
"There he goes!" Maddy exclaimed. "It's amazing, he'll be home in a
half-hour and my mom will probably still be on the road." She glanced at
her watch, which revealed that a little over an hour had passed from the
time they'd said their goodbyes to Mom, Aunt Maria and Louis in the
driveway. It hardly seemed possible.
Maddy let out a yawn, then apologized, assuring him that the cause
wasn't the company, but a lack of sufficient sleep. He grinned at her
knowingly, before his face turned serious again.
"Sweetheart, maybe you shouldn't drive home tonight. Why don't you
just stay over and head back in the morning?"
She hesitated for a moment, thinking how wonderful it would be to
just be able to go home and crash, rather than deal with Expressway
traffic. While Maddy typically preferred the back roads that ran through
small towns like Franklinville, Swedesboro and Mullica Hill, she avoided
using them late at night, when alone at the wheel. If something should
happen to her car, she stood a much greater chance of getting help
alongside a heavily-trafficked route. Besides, friendly mystique aside, small
towns were not devoid of criminals; it wasn't a great idea for a single
woman to ride by herself through dark, two-lane "highways."
"God, I would love to," she sighed.
"So then, why don't you?"
His voice was soft. Little did he know she was also afraid of staying
alone in the house overnight. And while she knew he'd probably be more
than willing to either stay with her or have her sleep at his place, there was
also the small matter of getting it past her family. As if reading her mind
again, he added, "Look, we can go back to the house, get your stuff and
have you sleep at my house. You know by now you can trust me, right?"
His blue eyes penetrated her brown ones.
"Yes, Kenny, it's not that," she whispered, slipping her arms around
his waist. "It's just-well how am I supposed to explain it to my parents?
You know how they are about these things, even if you and I know
nothing's going to happen."
"Isn't it better than you falling asleep at the wheel?"
"Of course," she agreed. Then with a sudden thought, "Hey, what if I
tell my mom you have to work a graveyard shift?" He looked at her
skeptically. "Are you sure you want to lie?"
"Look, Kenny, I hate lies, especially after spending nearly two years
with someone who regularly fed them to me. But in this case, I don't
really see a choice. If anyone thinks I just want to stay here to be with you
alone, there's gonna be a fight. Besides, it's very plausible that you would
get called into work. And I am positive my mother would rather I got a
good night's sleep than attempt to drive while struggling to keep my eyes
open."
"Ok, it's your call," he replied. "But let's stay at my place, since it'll be
easier for both of us to get to work in the morning."
"Whatever you want, sailor," she smiled before standing on her toes
to give him a kiss.