Page 29 of Maximum
“No.” Tom was already browsing through the pages of the glossy magazine and stopped at a picture of an ice glacier. “Wow, look at this. It’s beautiful.”
“You bought me a night lens for my camera.” Justine glowed when she thanked Fleur.
“It’s not new, but when you said that yours broke, I searched and got lucky. Someone was giving away his old camera and some random lenses. I drove two hours to get it, but you always said that lens was the best for capturing the night sky.”
Justine tucked the lens into her bag and kissed Fleur again. “It’s like Christmas.”
“When are you flying home?” I asked Tom.
“Tonight. I know Fleur has a packed schedule for this visit, but I hope you’ll come and visit us one day. We live on the outskirts of a large wildlife park. I built a large tree hut for Justine and me with an amazing view. We shoot so many pictures from our balcony. There’s a group of monkeys that live in the trees around our house. It’s very entertaining to follow their shenanigans. Last week one of them snuck in and stole an orange right out of Justine’s hands while she was peeling it. We have to be careful not to let valuables lie around.”
“Sounds amazing. Do you have electricity in a tree hut?”
“No, of course not. But we have solar chargers for our electronic devices and a satellite connection. It’s primitive but we love it.”
Justine and Tom exchanged a loving glance that made me like them even more.
“I’m sorry, but I have to ask you; if you won the lottery, would you move?”
They laughed and Tom waved a hand. “Not a chance. Do you know how exhausting it was to build that tree house? We’re not city people. It’s the silence and tranquility that speaks to us.”
Justine had a wistful smile on her face. “I wouldn’t mind winning the lottery. Then we could support the causes we believe in. And give you a little money so you wouldn’t have to worry if you could afford a child.”
“When are you flying north?” Tom asked us
“Tomorrow morning, I think.” I looked to Fleur for confirmation.
“Yes, tomorrow morning at eight twenty.”
“You could have driven. That way, Maximum would have seen more of South Africa,” Tom pointed out.
“I thought about it, but the lodge is paying my ticket, so I chose the easy way.”
“How long would the drive be?” I asked.
Fleur shrugged. “Somewhere between ten or eleven hours.”
Justine held out a bowl of cut-up orange slices to me. “Have you been on a safari before?”
“No, this is my first time in Africa. I’ve been in Asia many times, and usually I spend my summers volunteering in an orphanage somewhere, but when Fleur talked about this trip, I had to jump at the chance to come with her.”
Tom frowned. “That’s great, I mean with the orphanages and all, but you’re not going to leave her this summer if she’s pregnant, are you?”
Sucking on a piece of orange, I made a sound before assuring him. “No, of course not. I wouldn’t want to miss any doctor appointments or scans.”
Fleur stiffened next to me, but she smiled when I rubbed her back and leaned in to kiss her cheek. Still, I didn’t miss the weary look in her eyes.
