phone. Mother wouldn’t like it, and you know how she gets when she’s angry,” Emma whispered.
“I promise we’ll turn it back on as soon as we get to our destination, and that will be before nine o’clock tonight,” Sophie said.
“All right then.” Emma nodded.
She didn’t expect to get all the way to Hummingbird Trailer Park before the center called Victoria and told her that Emma had checked out, but they had no idea where she was going, so that would buy her some time.
Emma’s hands shook so badly when they stepped up to the front desk, but she crammed them down into her pockets and said in a fairly steady voice, “I’m checking myself out.”
The lady behind the computer looked up and asked, “What’s your name?”
“Emma Merrill,” she answered.
“For God’s sake, she’s been here all these weeks and you don’t even know her name?” Sophie said impatiently. She had to get Emma out of this place in a hurry. If Victoria walked through the doors or by chance happened to call, all hell would break loose.
“Don’t remember ever seeing her out of her room,” the woman shot back as she hit a few keys. “You only have one week left in the program. Are you sure you want to leave? There will be no reimbursement of funds.”
Nancy came from a room, noticed Emma, and ran all the way up the hallway. “Emma, what are you doing? I have strict orders to call your mother if you decide to check yourself out,” she said between bouts of catching her breath.
“Nancy, I’d like to introduce you to Sophie,” Emma said in a very formal tone. “This is my friend, and I’m leaving with her. We plan to spend a few weeks in southern Texas. Do you think I might see a purple lizard?”
Nancy gave a brief nod toward Sophie. “We met earlier.”
“Does she need to sign something?” Sophie asked.
“Just one paper,” Nancy answered. She nodded to the lady behind the computer and said, “Print it out.” Then she turned back to Emma. “And I’m very busy right now, so it might be a couple of hours before I have time to call your mother. I hope you find many happy places where you are going, Emma.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Emma nodded and signed the paper that the receptionist put in front of her.
“Take good care of her,” Nancy whispered to Sophie. “If anyone can help her, it just might be you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sophie said. “Will you get in trouble for this?”
“Not at all. Emma checked herself into our facility. She has always been free to check herself right back out. She’s an adult.” Nancy smiled.
“Thank you,” Sophie told her.
Emma turned around. She wasn’t smiling yet, but her eyes looked a little less dead when she said, “I’m ready, Sophie. Let’s go find that crazy hippie lizard.”
Chapter Two
I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you,” Sophie said when they were underway. “I tried to call, but Victoria told me in no uncertain terms that I was never talking to you. The second time I tried, the phone number had been changed.”
“Mother is the boss. And I wasn’t there for you, either. I haven’t been to one of your shows . . .” Emma looked out the side window. “But I don’t do well in crowds or around men. Are there guys where we are going?”
“Ye-es.” Sophie heard the anxiety in her friend’s voice and wondered if maybe she had made a big mistake in taking her away from people who were trying to help her. She reached across the console and laid a hand on Emma’s shoulder. “Arty is past seventy and does metal art. He used to make the big stuff out of junked cars, but now that he’s older, he works on smaller projects.”
“Is he a big man?” Emma wrung her hands. “Maybe you better take me back to the center. I don’t want to be a bother.”
I will not give up, not after what Nancy said as we were leaving. I might be Emma’s last hope of getting well, Sophie thought.
“Arty isn’t much taller than me, if that. He’s a short, round guy who wears bibbed overalls. He’s bald headed and reminds me of Ralph, the old gardener at your folks’ place when we were kids,” she said.
“I liked Ralph.” Emma stopped twisting her hands.
“Me too,” Sophie said as she drove south and caught Highway 20 going west. “And then there’s Josh.”
The hand-wringing started again. “Is he a big guy?”