anything else. Right up until their adult drivers began to stow the luggage.
Then the waterworks began.
Tiffany wrapped Jayden up in her arms and wept on her shoulder. “Thank you for not killing me that first day,” she said between sobs.
“I want in on this.” Ashlyn dropped her suitcase and purse on the ground and joined them.
“Me too.” Carmella teared up. “I can’t let y’all cry without me.”
Expressions of shock spread across the faces of all the drivers and parents that morning as they waited beside whatever means of transportation they’d brought to Alpine. Jayden could understand the surprise. The counselors had witnessed the gradual growth in these kids. All these people had observed was the beginning and the end of the story. Those folks in their fancy clothes and expensive vehicles, knew nothing of the obstacles the girls had overcome during their stay at Piney Wood.
“It’s time for you to go.” Jayden took a step back and then gave each of her Daydream girls one last individual hug. “I can’t tell you all how proud I am of you. You’ve got my phone number. Call me if you need anything and remember the words to ‘The River.’”
“I have to try to reach my destination.” Ashlyn didn’t repeat the words verbatim, but Jayden got the message.
“I’m determined to sail my vessel through the rough waters,” Carmella said.
“I’ll choose to chance the rapids, and be my own self,” Tiffany declared.
Jayden figured the girls would go straight to their own vehicles, but instead all eight of them gathered up in a huddle, not unlike a football group, whispered a few words, and then took a step back and yelled, “We love you all.” Then they crawled into cars, slid into limos, or, in Ashlyn’s and Tiffany’s cases, went up the steps to small private planes.
The limousines were the first two vehicles to leave, and then the Cadillacs pulled out behind them to form a long parade. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer that all the girls got home safely.
Tiffany’s airplane taxied down the tarmac and was airborne just before Ashlyn’s did the same. Jayden couldn’t see that far, but she knew in her heart that they were waving goodbye from the skies.
Novalene pulled a small package of tissues from her purse and passed them around. “That’s the best send-off we’ve ever had.”
“It’s been an extraordinary session,” Elijah said as he led the way to his small plane. “You ladies sure you don’t want to come back next summer?”
“Hey, we just ended on a fantastic note. We can’t take a chance on ruining that.” Novalene went up the stairs first.
“I can’t believe they’re gone. I wonder if this is the way a mother feels when her kids go off to college,” Jayden said as she followed Novalene up the steps.
“This group will come back to see you,” Novalene said. “The whole bunch of them really bonded with you. Someday, they might even offer to be counselors.”
“Now wouldn’t that be something?” Diana came in ahead of Elijah.
“Sit back and enjoy the ride. Skies are blue. No storms in sight,” Elijah said as he took his seat. He taxied the plane down the runway, and only the two PWA vans were left sitting over by the hangar. If she hadn’t needed to go back to Dallas and clean out her office, she wouldn’t even be on the plane, but before dark, she and Elijah would be back home. She would drive one of those vans back to Piney Wood, and her new life would continue. It had actually begun eight weeks ago—she just hadn’t known it at the time.
Elijah had checked the weather report twice that morning, and nothing had come up on the flight path north to Fort Worth. Once they landed, Diana called an Uber to share with Novalene. After a few more hugs and lots of promises to keep in touch, they left, leaving Elijah and Jayden alone.
“Well, what’s next?” Elijah slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“I’ve ordered a car to take us to the school. I need to sign some papers, clean out my desk, and be sure everything is in order for the new teacher coming in to take my place. Shouldn’t take more than an hour,” she said. “Unless you want to see the sights of Dallas?”
“I like the view of them much better from up there in the air than on the ground.” He smiled. “When you get finished with what you need to do at