Page 78 of Big & Lily

“Not to mention, we’ve put my niece through enough this week. She’s one tough cookie for hanging in through all that.”

“Niece?”

“I have a feeling.”

“Well,” says my sister, “if that’s true, I’m going to name her Denali. A strong, wild name for a kid with a strong, wild start.”

“Perfect,” I say. “How do you think Eric will feel about that?”

“Fuck Eric. He wanted out. He didn’t want any part of being a mediocre family. He’ll get his wish. I guess you’re going to have to be Denali’s father figure, Big.”

Well, that answers my question about whether or not this news changes anything for Lily. “I’d be honored, Mama,” I say. I kiss my sister on the top of her dirty, bloodied head, and now we are crying again.

We walk out into the waiting room where our friends are waiting. Me badly navigating the crutches, and Lily floating. Everyone, including Jace, Frank, and a guy in a ranger uniform, await an update.

“So?” Luna asks.

“Hairline fracture of the fibula,” I report. All eyes go to Lily.

“And I’m pregnant.” There is a collective gasp. Dane steps forward. I can’t tell if the face he’s making is one of horror or delight. Lily holds up the palm to him. “No, Dane. You’re in the clear. It’s Eric’s.”

Dane’s face drops. This guy. It’s been a tough trip for him—from Just Normal Dane to love at first sight to losing it all in the space of a week. I hope he calls his sponsor as soon as he gets home.

“Who is Eric?” asks Xavier.

“Can she tell you in the van?” suggests Brick. “We’ve still got a couple of hours before Anchorage, and you all have flights to catch.”

Jace hustles the group out the hospital doors and to the waiting van. Mimi and Luna hover around Lily like mother hens. We might have to recruit them for occasional grandmother duty. Don’t get me wrong, Ruth will be thrilled out of her mind—and doting—up to a point. Mother henning is not her thing. Although, baby Denali will never want for anything if my mom can shop for it.

That reminds me, we haven’t spoken to anyone at home since the early morning breakout and subsequent tumble. It’s probably for the best. Now we can hobble off the plane to their shock at our condition and then land the exciting news just in time to distract them from giving us a long, stern I-told-you-so. Particularly from Ruth.

They all climb in, Lily and I going last so we can have the front row. Before I clamber with my crutches and my boot and my general lack of grace, I pull Brick aside. “I’m sorry,” I say to him. “My sister and I sure made a mess of things.”

He juts his chin at Lily as she laughs at something with Xavier. “Looks like it’s a happy ending.”

“It was magical. All of it.”

Brick chuckles and his eyes crinkle and I try not to get caughtin them for too long. “Hm,” he says. “I’m pleased to hear that, but I think there’s a little revisionist history going on there.”

“Oh, you mean the airsickness, the vomiting, the mosquitos, the exhaustion from hiking a thousand miles uphill, the falling in a freezing creek, almost drowning in the lake, falling in a ravine, and breaking my ankle? Loved every minute of it. Or, let’s say, I’d do it all again in a heartbeat to get this outcome.”

“Well, when Alaska offers you her gifts, she knows that some of them you might want to regift.”

I’m hoping to use the ride to the airport to soak in my last moments with the gang, but after a sleepless night and everything that came after it, the scenery rolling by lulls me into a near coma. Lily nods off almost as soon as we pull out of Palmer. The news of her pregnancy is still a shock to both of us and will be for some time. Despite always being her cheerleader, doing cartwheels to convince her that her day would come, a big part of me had given up hope. After Eric left, I took no joy in feeling I might have been right.

We thought this trip had changed us. We didn’t know the half of it. Things will be different when we get home. Lily might not need as much big sistering, but she will certainly need a partner. And I’ll be the first one in line for that job.

I don’t make it long without passing out myself. The last thing I remember is driving through Wasilla and wondering if we could see Russia from here, and now I’ve just opened my eyes, and the van is idling in front of the airport doors. Jace jumps out and begins to unload our bags. Lily and I are last out. We hobble down from the vehicle with Dane’s arm around my sister’s back, me wobbling with my crutches. We are attracting a lot of attention, the two clearly injured women. Heads turn, and I can almost hear the tsks and the smug thoughts of,I survived the wilderness without a scratch, what did these two dummies do?

After he’s done with the luggage, Jace gives each of us a loosehug and says, “You’re a cracking group, yeah. Best we’ve had. Safe travels to you all, cheers!” I suspect all the groups are cracking to Jace on the day they leave, but I’ll take it. He climbs back into the van and waits for Brick.

“He’s not wrong,” says Brick Malone, Earth Walker, Soul Searcher. “We’ve been honored to have your company this past week. We hope it was everything you expected and that each of you is bringing a little piece of Alaska home with you.”

“Oh, we are,” says Lily, placing her hand on her flat belly.

“I think you arrived with that,” I say.

“Speaking of which,” she adds, “I’ve got a craving for butter pecan ice cream. Big, can we find me some before we get to our gate?”