“I’ll be glad to go with you,” Diana said.

“We can all go.” Joanie scooted around on the bench and draped an arm around Tootsie’s shoulders.

“There’s only room for two in the pickup truck, and there’s things I need to say to Midge, so I’m going alone.” Tootsie laid her head on Joanie’s shoulder.

“So y’all’ve been friends for more than seventy years?” Carmen got down off the bunk and slid into the booth on the other side of Tootsie.

“Probably longer than that. Her mother was Tootsie, and Gloria’s was Arlene. They were my mother’s best friends, and those are the folks I’m named after. Gloria was named for my mother, and Midge for my grandmother. We were in the church nursery together and started and finished school at the same time. Now it’s just me and Midge, and I need to spend some time with her,” Tootsie said.

“Is she in a nursing home?” Diana asked.

“No, her sister, Sissy, is taking care of her. Sissy was one of those change-of-life babies and was born when we were all sixteen. Midge’s kids have all passed away, so when she got too sick to live alone, Sissy took her into her house. She’s got hospice.” Tootsie’s voice cracked.

“I’m going with you whether you like it or not,” Luke declared. “I’ll drive and stay in the truck, or else I could go on down to Clarksville and pick up any supplies we might need for the week. But you shouldn’t be driving alone under these circumstances.”

“I’ll agree if you’ll just drop me off and then come back and wait until I’m ready,” Tootsie said. “That’ll give you girls a day to get settled in and get the lay of the land.”

“Fair enough,” Luke agreed. “If Midge is really bad, we could forgo the Jefferson stop and drive on to Scrap this afternoon. That way you could go see her tomorrow instead of waiting another day. We could be there by suppertime.”

“I promised Joanie and Carmen a tour of the Gone with the Wind Museum,” Tootsie answered.

“And we can do that another time. Maybe we’ll make a day trip down there in the motor home between now and Thanksgiving.” Carmen patted her on the arm. “Midge is more important right now.”

“If you’re sure, that would be great.” Tootsie dabbed at her eyes with a napkin.

Luke raised his voice. “Next stop, Scrap, Texas.”

“You want your seat up here in the front?” Diana asked.

“No, darlin’, I’m going back to my bedroom to watch Designing Women. I’ve got all the seasons on discs, and it’ll help pass the time from here to there,” Tootsie said. “Anyone who wants to join me is welcome.”

“I’ll make a bag of popcorn,” Joanie said.

“I’ll bring root beers.” Carmen slid out of the booth and headed toward the refrigerator.

Luke glanced over at Diana, expecting to see her unfastening her seat belt.

“I’ll join y’all after a bit. I’m going to stay up here for a little while longer,” Diana said.

Luke’s job meant that he spent hours and hours alone, so he didn’t mind driving with no one to talk to. But he did like being able to catch a sideways glimpse of Diana whenever he wanted.

Chapter Seven

Tootsie had always gotten antsy when she and Smokey got close to Scrap, but that afternoon it was even worse than usual. She picked up Smokey’s picture and held it close to her heart.

“It’s going to be tough to go in the house without you, darlin’. In all our travels, this was the home base, even after retirement. I was a fool to think it would be the same without you. If I didn’t need to see Midge tomorrow, I’d tell Luke to turn this rig around and take us back to San Antonio,” she said.

Stop it! I left you with three beautiful girls and a nephew. They all need help in one way or another, and you’re the one they’ll be leaning on, so buck up, sweetheart. I’m always with you in spirit, if not in the flesh. Smokey’s voice was so real that the short hairs on her neck stood straight up.

“You rascal, you could have been talking to me all the time.” She shook her finger at the picture. “I might feel your spirit, but what I want to feel is your arms around me when I walk into the house.”

She waited and even looked up at the ceiling, but Smokey didn’t have anything else to say.

The motor home almost came to a stop, and then Luke slowly turned to the left. Tootsie went to the window, drew back the curtain, and looked at the trees lining the short lane. The sugar maples had already lost half their leaves, but what remained were deep red, orange, and yellow all mingled together. She opened the window slightly and breathed in the brisk fall air. Most folks called this football weather, but not Tootsie. This was going home to Scrap, Texas, weather, and suddenly she couldn’t wait to get into the house.

Luke brought the motor home to a stop. Tootsie hurried to the door and swung it open. “Home!” she squealed. “We’re here, and it hasn’t changed a bit.”

I’m waiting for you, darlin’. Let’s go in and let the memories begin, Smokey whispered in her ear.

Tears flooded her eyes as she planted her feet on familiar ground, the fall leaves crunching under her as she made her way from the motor home to the front porch. She hesitated a moment before she used the key to unlock the door. Smokey wouldn’t really be there when she went inside. He’d never be with her in the flesh again. She finally took a deep breath and thought about the last time they’d been there. He’d kissed her at the door, like always, and said, “Let’s go in and let the memories begin.”

“If that’s all I’ve got, then I’ll be grateful for every one of them,” she muttered as she opened the door and took the first step inside the old house. Nothing had changed. The forty-year-old sofa was still sitting against the far wall of the living room, and the matted and framed marriage license was still hanging above it. Stairs off to the right led up to three bedrooms and a bathroom. She headed straight ahead through a small kitchen and peeked into the utility room and bathroom before she went through the archway from the kitchen into the dining room.

After she’d made her way around the table and past the buffet, she stared at the door a full minute to build up her courage. Finally, she reached out and put her hand on the knob and turned it. She closed her eyes tightly as she stepped into the bedroom she and Smokey had shared for twenty of the sixty years they’d been coming here.