May 2022

“Yeah, I don’t know about that,” Sadie said through a stressed exhale. Her cheek held the cell phone between her head and shoulder. 

“Come on, dude. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip. When is this opportunity going to come up again?” Chloe urged on the other line. 

“I don’t know,” Sadie paused, “probably in about eight months when you and Graham plan another once-in-a-lifetime surf trip.” 

She shifted the phone to her other ear, throwing a linen shirt and rumpled pair of jeans into a carry-on suitcase. Chloe sighed louder than a whisper, basically an audible eye roll. 

“Don’t start, Clo. It’s just not a good time for me to be taking off to traverse around Portugal. I really need these upcoming gigs.” She checked the time on her watch and huffed a strained breath.

“Don’t make it sound like we’ll just be lolly-gagging. We’ll all have work stuff to handle while we’re there. The boutique is about to hit its peak summer season, so I’ll need to be available to the team. Plus, Graham will be working here and there and checking his email, so we’ll have to be semi-responsible. And, you know full well, I won’t be planning another trip for a good while with the baby coming.”

“I can’t just get up and leave.” 

“That is literally the worst excuse I’ve ever heard. You definitely can… You work remotely. And, isn’t that what you’re doing right now? I’m pretty sure you could write that review without meeting The Currents in person, for what, the twentieth time?” Chloe paused, anticipating a rebuttal from her closest friend. “Dude, seriously, this might be our last chance to get the gang back together before the baby is born!”

“Okay, first of all: that’s definitely the best part of my job, and you’ve got to be crazy not to interview a band in person, no matter how many times you’ve met them. And, second of all: what gang?” Sadie huffed, shaking her head, adjusting the phone. 

“I see you guys all the time. We live in the same town we grew up in! Plus, I’m throwing your shower, dummy. You can invite whoever and whatever gang you’re referring to.” She threw two more loose shirts into her case, shaking them out as she inspected their cleanliness. 

“Sadie. You, me, Graham, and Jake. The gang!” Chloe was gaining intensity on the other side of the phone. 

Sadie halted her packing. “We’ve not been a so-called gang since high school… since before Jake left, that is.” She paused, debating her next petty comment. “I mean, I can invite Jake to the shower if you want.” 

“Really?” Chloe grunted.

“Do you guys even speak to him?” Sadie said, acting dumb.

 She knew they did. She’d kept tabs on the dirty blonde surfer boy from high school. Throughout the years, she’d collected crumbs left by Graham and Chloe about his life. Every once in a while, she’d overhear Graham speaking to him on the phone in the office of the boutique he and Chloe opened. 

She knew he was still living abroad in Lisbon, apparently successful as a therapist, and still best buddies with floppy-haired, financial planner Graham. It was difficult for Sadie to imagine self-consumed, flighty Jake as a grown-up therapist. She wondered what his clients were like. Other expat surfers mourning a chance at going pro?

“Things are getting serious for us these days,” Chloe said. “I don’t want to miss a trip for everyone to rekindle those good ‘ole days. You know, the days we surfed all day and had those dumb smiles plastered across our faces. Surely, you remember that.” 

“Get outta here. That smiling was all you. You and Graham getting together, and that sappy high school over-the-top lovey-dovey-ness. That was not me.” 

More clothes made their way into the suitcase. Sadie resumed pacing back and forth between her dresser and closet. She rolled her eyes, thinking back to those years on the water with the three of them. 

“Chloe, I was there. You can’t even deny it.”

“Fine, that is semi-true, but Graham and I have such killer memories of those years with you and Jake. Would you please at least consider the trip for once? We’ll have Wi-Fi, and I promise we’ll work… some. Plus, I’m going, so you​​ know everything will be planned out, and we’ll have an itinerary with built-in work time.” A quiet exhale of defeat came through the phone. “I just want one last trip with those of you who made my youth, before real adulthood hits me.” 

Silence lingered over the line for a few seconds. “Why Portugal, though? Can’t we go to Peru or something? Something at least on our side of the world?” 

“Oh, come on, Sadie. You know Jake lives there, and he’s obviously down to join us. Plus, Graham hasn’t seen him in ages, so they need their bro time, while we have our girl time!” 

She was the last on the list that needed convincing.