The Sky’s the Limit: My Journey with Maryellen

I decide it is time to go home. I need to make friends with Gran. So when we get to the Larkins’ house, I take a deep breath and tell Maryellen that I have to leave now. Maryellen cheerily says that’s okay. I can come back later. It’d be fun if I can spend the night again.

It seems Maryellen has misunderstood me. It makes my heart hurt to explain what I mean by leave. I won’t be coming back. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I’ll be traveling to Cedar Top. I don’t say that my vehicle is my watch, and my trip will be going forward sixty years in time. So instead, I forced myself to say that my family might stay in Cedar Top after all. So I should say goodbye now.

Maryellen sounds sad as she says that she’ll never forget me. I tell her I won’t forget her either. We may not see each other again, but we’ll be friends forever. We hug, and then slowly, Maryellen goes inside her house. When she’s gone, I duck into the trailer.

My hands are shaky as I put my ski uniform back on and hang Carolyn’s dress on a hanger. I’m worried about going home, but I’m excited, too. I decide that after I clear up the misunderstanding about the ski race, the first thing I’ll do is ask Gran to tell me all about her artifacts. Where she found them, what they were used for, and why they’re important. I bet Emma, Mom, and Dad will be interested, too. It’ll be fun for all of us to listen to Gran’s stories and be together some evening, like the Larkins were when they watch The Lone Ranger on TV. I smile, thinking that I’ll do exactly what Maryellen did when she first met me. I’ll ask Gran a million questions.