Chapter 7

• ~ July 25th - 10:07 ~
• Sophia and Lance sat comfortably at a small, round table outside Tim Hortons. Above them was a large umbrella that Lance had opened, blocking out the sun and shielding them from the morning sunlight. Their light-hearted conversation was primarily fixated on the trip they would be taking in six days.
• As they chatted, their eyes frequently darted towards the bustling street and the traffic that was driving by. At the same time, they were looking for Zoe's car. They both knew she was en route to deliver the commissioned art piece to Mrs. Bedford; after that, Zoe was going to meet them at the Tim Hortons.
• A smile graced Lance's face the second he spotted Zoe's car heading in their direction. "Ah, there she is!" Lance had looked over Sophia's shoulder to see that Zoe was pulling into the parking lot. Sophia stood up. Greeting in her typical manner, she waved rapidly and lifted the coffee that she had bought for Zoe. Placing the coffee back in the middle of the table, Zoe found the closest parking spot to them.
• Zoe swung open the car door, making sure she collected her keys and phone, tucking them in her coat pocket. Then, she closed the car door and made her way towards her two friends. With a smile stretching across her face, she saw Sophia rap her hands off the table excitedly.
• Sliding her glasses to the top of her head, she said, "This is a gorgeous day!" Zoe said as she pulled out her chair. I hope you were not waiting for me too long!?" Because of the traffic, she had been three minutes late. Sitting beside Sophia, she got herself comfortable.
• Shaking his head, "three minutes isn't life shattering Zo. We knew it would take you time to get from one end of the city to here!" Lance chuckled as he had a bit of fun at Zoe's expense.
• Clenching her teeth, she knew they would understand since they had chosen the location. "I know!" Zoe said a few times quickly. I can't help it. My brain is programmed to always be on time or 15 minutes early, preferably early. The thought of anyone waiting on me bothers me." She placed her hand on the coffee cup that was intended for her.
• Looking around the area, Sophia said, “I thought we could sit outside and chat since it's too nice a day to be stuck inside!” she said to Zoe.
• Continuing with her hands clasped on the table, “So!” she chirped, holding onto the 'o'. “Everything is a done deal!” She glanced at Lance and then turned her full attention to Zoe. “Almost everyone has transportation to the cabin. And ...” Sophia scrunched her face and shrugged her shoulders. “I was hoping you would be willing to take care of the groceries. It’s not that we can’t do it; we can. But when it comes down to getting things done, there’s no one better for the job than you!” She raised her hands in the air, quickly adding, “And don’t worry, everyone is chipping in for the cost of the food! I promise!” She wanted to make sure Zoe understood that the expense would not fall solely on her.
• Squeezing her teeth together and wrinkling her face, Sophia stammered, “Oh! And ... would it be too much to ask if Rodger could catch a ride with you?” Sophia hoped she wasn't overstepping. “It’s just that Rodger lives near you, and I figured it would save time since you would have to pass his apartment anyway.” She used a bit of logic to convince Zoe to take on one more task.
• Zoe knew that Rodger was the odd man out of the group when it came to the privilege of having his own set of wheels. It didn't bother him much. With the availability to use the city's public transit, he was still able to move around. Zoe shrugged her shoulders. “Sure, why not? It might be a little cramped with the food and all, but I’m sure we can make things work.” She smiled over the top of her coffee cup. “So ... I’m going to assume you gave everyone the detailed outline of the travel plans?” She raised her brows, expecting Sophia to come up with some excuse.
• The detailed planning outline included the time Sophia wanted to arrive at the cabin, which was 3:00 PM. Zoe allowed for some flexibility, knowing that everyone would want to stop for Tim Hortons before hitting the road. She also considered traffic, as well as the time required to pick everyone up. Zoe highlighted in bold the departure time from the city, emphasizing that it was something Sophia could not overlook.
• With a classic Sophia gesture, she waved her hand dismissively. Something she always did when she hadn’t completed a task. Sophia was notorious for last-second handouts. “I gave it to Lance and Taylor!” she said, giving Lance her signature smile. Asking him silently to nod in agreement.
• Clearing her throat nervously, 'Mental note ... make sure the guys receive the detailed plans for the trip!’ Sophia could tell by the expression on Zoe’s face that she had been caught in a lie.
• Giving Sophia a skeptical look, Zoe glared at her with her brow raised. “I’m sure they’ll get it sometime today!” she called out to Sophia, not wanting to make an issue of something so tedious. She pulled out her phone. “I’ll just message Rodger now to let him know the exact time I’ll be at his place to pick him up.” She started texting.
• "Oh!" Lance raised his hand to get Zoe's attention. "Rod is at his grandfather's farm. From what I understand, he is working long hours to get the fencing done." He took a drink of his coffee. "From what he told me, more than half of the posts have to be replaced. It ended up being a bigger project than what his grandfather had thought it would be."
• Briefly, she raised her head from her phone to let Lance know that she had heard him. Glancing briefly at Sophia, “Do we leave as a group to the cabin, or do we get there on our own time?” she asked Sophia, praying that she wouldn’t have to wait for Sophia to get Lance's truck packed and ready to go. She knew that even though they were supposed to be on the highway no later than 10 o’clock, they would most likely be on the road by noon.
• Rising her shoulders and letting them drop, she said, “You can leave for the cabin once you have the food." Sophia said, her excitement was bubbling. "Daddy mentioned to me that he was going to go up to the cabin the day before we arrived. He said he would make sure the cabin door was unlocked.” Sophia finished off the rest of her coffee with a smile on her face. “So all we really have to do is arrive at the site. Unload the vehicles to set up.
• And last but not least ... have a lot of fun.” She shrugged her shoulders casually. “Oh, and don't forget that you get the loft!” she proclaimed.
• Moving her lips into a flat line, 'I was hoping I was going to get the loft!' Zoe nodded in agreement. She had always dreamed of having a cozy little space with a loft that could serve as her studio. “Sounds great!” she replied, pressing send on her phone. "I am sure that Rodger will get back to me when he has the chance." Zoe highlighted the information she wanted Roger to follow. ‘I will be at your place at quarter past eight. It would definitly help if you could be outside waiting for me. I have been asked to pick up some items from the grocery store, and my goal is to be in No Frills when they open. I will make sure Sophia gives me the list the day before our departure.’ Zoe quickly added a LOL at the end of the message, both of them knowing she would have to hound Sophia for the list before she actually received it. She placed the phone down on the table as she focused on her coffee.
• “We’re going to have to make the first night Legendary!” Lance began enthusiastically. “Taylor wasn’t able to get the time off that we’d hoped for!” he said, his tone turning sombre. “However, he can stay for the night and has promised to come back Monday to hang out before we leave the cabin sometime in the afternoon.” he added with a forced smile.
• "It is better than a no!" Zoe's mind began to wander on her. Despite trying, Zoe couldn’t shake the memory of the childlike face from the satellite picture she had seen. The ghostly image lodged in her mind. “I’m assuming Taylor's parents were completely against the long weekend trip, huh?” she felt bad for Taylor; this is something he has always wanted to do. I just never seemed to have the time.
• "From what Taylor told me, yes!" Lance grunted in response. “He had to argue with his mother to get time off from working at the family restaurant.” He recalled the phone conversation he had with Taylor, who was furious when he called. Since starting at the family restaurant, Taylor had shown up for every scheduled shift without complaint, always working with a smile. However, his parents were quite strict and rarely allowed him to have social time with friends. Exhaling sharply, Lance continued, “Taylor told me he had to threaten to quit his job just to get one day off.” He gripped his coffee cup and swallowed the last drop. "But the main reason he couldn't get the whole weekend off was that one of the waitresses had already asked for the time to do her own thing. So, his father met him half way." Lance gave Sophia and Zoe a sombre expression.
• Zoe nodded sympathetically. She had met his parents on a few occasions. Noting the difference between her parents and his. While her parents encouraged her to explore and enjoy life, Taylor’s parents were intense, more like his mother than his father. They always kept him on a short leash, not allowing him to do anything without their permission. “Here's to the best night ever, all in honour of Taylor!” she proclaimed, raising her coffee cup in the air before finishing the last sip.
• Swallowing the content, Zoe asked, "What are the chances that you would have started that grocery list?" She was not holding her breath. If Sophia was in charge of making the list, everyone was doomed.
• Lance slid his hand into his pocket, "I know how you are a stickler for time management, so I have it already here!" Lance had handed over the information to Zoe. "As much as Sophia means well," he kissed the side of her head, "we are focusing on getting out of here 'on' time!" He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Let's be honest, babe ... punctuality has never been one of your strong suits!" Lance pointed out what everyone knew.
• "I know!" Sophia agreed as she kissed Lance on the lips. "I'm really happy that you put up with me!"
• Zoe snickered behind her hand. The moment was a picture-perfect romance novel cover. 'They are perfect for each other!' It reminded her of her parent's relationship with her father, who was just a year older than her mother. They had been going strong since her mother was 16. Watching the two of her friends, Zoe could see a similar bond between Lance and Sophia, and she could even envision wedding bells for them once they both finished their schooling.
• "Have you heard anything about Connor and Mat?" Zoe motioned her head toward the garbage.
• Lance shook his head. "Their boss said they have to find someone to cover their shift." He tapped the table. " They can come up Monday morning for sure, so that is at least something."
• Taking note of the time, Zoe said, "I have to go! There are a few things I have to pick up for this adventure. And you know how I am, I like to pack well in advance." She got to her feet and picked up her cup. "Is there anything else you need me to get while I am out and about?"
• Lance thought for a moment, "I don't think so, Dad has a lot of his camping gear in the garage so we should be set!"
• With her phone in hand, Zoe made her way to the trash can. With her empty cup in her hand, she prepared to toss it away. “Catch you two later!” she called out. Turning to give them one last smile, she waved goodbye. She set off toward her car. Lance and Sophia exchanged amused glances, their laughter ringing out as they waved goodbye. “Have a good day!” they shouted after her.