Page 112 of If Ever

Her head pops up. “What?”

“Yes! You’d love London, and you could meet my family.” Her eyes light with excitement. That’s my girl. “They’ll love you.”

Why didn’t I think of this before? I can keep her with me and give her an introduction to my crazy family.

“Could I even get an airline ticket this close to the holidays?” she asks eagerly.

“There’s always a seat somewhere. We’ll look as soon as we get home.”

“I’ve always wanted to travel abroad. I can’t believe I really get to now.”

Suddenly her face falls. I bet she’s thinking about the cost. “Chelsea, don’t worry about the cost of the flight. I’ve got this.”

“It’s not that. I can pay for it, but I don’t have a passport.”

“Oh.” That is a problem. I calculate the number of days until I leave. It’s a little over a week. “I bet we could get you one of those quickie rushed passports.”

“Really? What would I need?”

“A passport photo, which is easy enough; some forms, which we’ll look into as soon as we get back to my flat. We’ll look into what else it takes.” My mind is working a million miles a minute. I can’t believe I get to bring her home. Mum will be so happy.

Once back we huddle around her laptop scanning the U.S. Passport requirements. There are forms to fill out, she’ll need a photo ID and a birth certificate. “Look here. We can expedite it for a substantial rush fee and get it within a week.”

Chelsea bites at her lip. “I don’t have a birth certificate either. I did once, but it got lost with all my moving around.”

“Well, let’s see if we can rush that too.” Where to begin? “What state were you born in?” We scan through the websites to find the information. The red tape is ridiculous, but it appears we could get the paperwork she needs. The question is the timing.

She places her hand on my arm as I’m about to try another site. “It’s okay, Tom. There’s not enough time.”

“There might be,” I say, not ready to throw in the towel.

“Thank you for trying, but we could go through all of this and if even one thing doesn’t go perfectly, I’d be wasting a very expensive airline ticket.”

I lean back in my chair. She’s right. “I’m sorry I didn’t think of inviting you sooner.”

“But you did invite me, and it’s the sweetest thing that’s ever happened to me. Thank you.”

Later she gathers her laptop and calls goodbye as she slips out the door saying she’s going to a coffee shop to work on her resume. I could kick myself for dropping the ball.

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