What Janie Found (16 page)

CHAPTER
NINETEEN

Very early Tuesday morning, Janie and Reeve and Brian got on the airport bus. Stephen had little to say, and everybody was awkward. They hugged or shook hands and then they waved or blew kisses, but it was the kind of departure that left everybody feeling shaky and worse.

At the Denver airport, there was a delay. Reeve and Brian decided to forage for food. Janie sat at the gate with their carry-ons.

The three of them had composed the letter to Hannah, Janie had written the check and together they had mailed it. Janie had thrown the evidence of Frank’s account into the trash. She’d even thrown away the disposable camera, which had never been used and yet somehow had been witness to what Janie had almost done.

She was annoyed to find herself feeling around in the big purse yet again to make sure everything she needed was there and everything she didn’t want to remember had been tossed out.

The purse contained something new.

A single sheet of paper folded in thirds, neither taped nor stapled.

Oh, no, thought Janie, stricken. A letter from Stephen. Did he realize why we came? Did he find out that we didn’t come for him? That it wasn’t a family visit?

Oh, please, no, thought Janie. Because it
was
a family visit in the end; the most family visit I’ve ever had.

She opened the note timidly. She did not want to find out that she was the bad guy after all.

Dear Janie,

Thanks for coming. It meant a lot. Kathleen kept saying I had to let go of you and the nightmare you represent. But she’s wrong. The whole thing is about holding on.

I’m glad I bought you the boots. When you danced in the store, I felt like a million dollars.

Kathleen gave me a chance to step away from my family, and that helped. But now I have to step back to my family, and that will help even more. I think I can come home for a few weeks in August, and really visit, and really talk, and even be really glad I’m there.

Maybe you’ll come down to New Jersey when I’m there and we’ll be a real family.

Love,
Stephen

On the plane Brian took the window, spreading his map of the United States open on his lap so that he’d know when they crossed the Missouri and the Mississippi. Janie sat in the middle and Reeve on the aisle, sprawling his long legs out into it.

“Friday night, after we get home,’” said Reeve to Janie, “will you go to a movie with me?’”

“Friday night,’” said Janie, “you and I are going to Lizzie and William’s wedding rehearsal.’” She bent down awkwardly to yank her purse out from under the seat in front of her.

“I thought Lizzie said grown-ups didn’t need rehearsals,’” moaned Reeve. “I thought we didn’t have to do that.’”

Janie set the purse on her lap. It was as big as a baby. She’d be glad to get rid of the thing. She unzipped the large cavity in the middle and reached inside. “William wants a rehearsal. William told your mother he will never be enough of a grown-up to go through his own wedding without practice.’”

Janie was a person who kept things.

Paper bracelets.

Parents.

From the depths of her purse she drew out a dusty, gritty, sticky root beer bottle. She lowered Reeve’s tray, put the bottle down on its side and gave it a spin. Reeve tried to get ready for a kiss but he was grinning too widely.

Brian was staring out the window, looking for landmarks. “Have we met William yet?’” he asked.

“No,’” said Reeve. “What do you think he’s like?’”

“I bet he’s perfect,’” said Brian. “I bet anybody Lizzie picks out would have passed every test under the sun.’”

Like me, thought Janie. I passed every test. Not by much. The people with the high scores would be Stephen and Brian and Reeve.

But I found my family.

I found the right thing to do.

I found the way home.

Don’t miss Caroline B. Cooney’s riveting Time Travel Quartet

Time has kept them apart––love will bring them together.

B
rit can’t believe her grandmother expects her to drive the “getaway” van—she’s only had a driver’s license for 10 days! But Nanny is determined to pick up her college roommates and hit the road for her 65th college reunion. With only her cellphone, and no one but her crush on the other end, Brit has to do whatever it takes to get the roommates to their destination.

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ALSO BY CAROLINE B. COONEY

The Janie Books

The Face on the Milk Carton

Whatever Happened to Janie?

The Voice on the Radio

What Janie Found

The Time Travel Quartet

Both Sides of Time

Out of Time

Prisoner of Time

For All Time

The Time Travelers: Volumes I and II

OTHER NOVELS

Diamonds in the Shadow

A Friend at Midnight

Hit the Road

Code Orange

The Girl Who Invented Romance

Family Reunion

Goddess of Yesterday

The Ransom of Mercy Carter

Tune In Anytime

Burning Up

What Child Is This?

Driver’s Ed

Twenty Pageants Later

Among Friends

Published by Laurel-Leaf
an imprint of Random House Children’s Books
a division of Random House, Inc.
New York

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2000 by Caroline B. Cooney

All rights reserved.

Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Delacorte Press, New York, in 2000. This edition published by arrangement with Delacorte Press.

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eISBN: 978-0-375-89208-0

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