Gemma was crying silently when they finally stepped outside. Imani took her hand. “It’s okay. Stella says we’ll see them again.”
“She didn’t say I would,” Gemma muttered, but she held onto Imani’s hand tightly.
“You will, kid,” Stella said.
“What about my mom?” Gemma asked.
“I’ll only tell you what I know to be the truth, and right now my gut tells me you will see at least some of those people again—Doc Hilary for sure. I’m sorry. I don’t get anything when I think about your mom, which isn’t good or bad.”
“If you do get something about her, will you tell me?”
“Absolutely,” said Stella.
Mercury finally released Jenny’s arm. “Let’s say goodbye here. It’s too damn cold for you to go out to the parking lot.”
Jenny bit her bottom lip and nodded. She turned to Stella first and hugged her quickly. “Keep them safe, okay?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Then she hugged Gemma, Imani, and Karen before returning to Mercury. “I always wished I had an older sister. Someone who would clue me in about important life stuff. Someone I could hang out with—tell my secrets to—and know she’s always there for me.” Jenny drew a deep breath and cleared her throat before she continued. “You answered my wish. You’ll always be my big sister.”
“Oh, Jenny! Come here.” Mercury pulled the young teacher into her arms and held her tightly. “You be careful. Listen to your gut. And don’t take shit from anyone.”
“Okay.” Jenny stepped out of her arms. “Please don’t get dead.”
“I’ll do my best.” Mercury repeated Stella’s words. “I love you, Jenny Kimpton.”
“I love you too, Mercury Rhodes. And I’m going to go inside and not stand here and blubber while you drive away.” Without another word, Jenny turned and jogged back to the lodge.
Stella walked beside her as Mercury wiped at her cheeks and dug a tissue from her jean’s pocket to blow her nose. “I fucking hate goodbyes.”
“I know you do,” said Stella. “But it’s really just ‘see ya later.’”
“Yeah, well, that’s the only reason I’m not a snotty mess right now,” Mercury said.
Stella snorted. “You are a snotty mess, but I still love you.”
“Like Sam would say—ditto.” Mercury shivered as they picked their way down to the parking lot and their truck, which Stella had moved from its hiding spot up as close to the lodge as possible. “Goddess, it’s freezing!”
Karen looked up at the lightening sky. “Snow. Those clouds look heavy with it.”
Stella nodded. “Yeah, and I hope the snow keeps the green crap from floating around.”
Mercury gave the sky a suspicious glance. “I hope the snow doesn’t have the green crap in it.”
“I don’t think it does,” said Imani. “I’ve watched it and it’s heavy. Remember how it acted with Sim? It didn’t lift to him. It wafted around him sluggishly with the breeze. It was in the ditch and then around his knees and only covered him when he fell. It’s denser than the air, so it’s not going to float easily, and instead it’ll settle into low spots.”
“Are you saying that because your intuition is telling you to?” asked Mercury. “Like Stella?”
“No. I’m saying that because—science.”
“I wish we knew whether it was dangerous to touch or whether that green crap has to be breathed in to kill,” said Mercury.
“Zero clue,” said Imani.
Everyone looked at Stella, who shrugged her shoulders. “I got nothin’.”
“Well, either way the lodge really should be safe. It sits up pretty high,” said Mercury. “The initial blasts forced it up here, but like Imani said, it’s heavier than air, so it’s probably less of a threat the higher the elevation.”