“Maybe if we cover it up here.” Ivory and Kimberly are in their shared motel room. Kimberly is gloomy because of yesterday’s events.

“Just let me disappear,” Kimberly whines, flopping onto the bed. Rolling her eyes, Ivory walks over to the suitcase that holds both of their clothes. Shuffling through the suitcase, Ivory picks up a hoodie for Kimberly to wear. 

Kimberly’s other hand is vanishing. The two figure the more time her parents are apart, the worse her condition will get. 

“This would’ve never happened if you didn’t interfere with your parents!” Ivory states, rising up from the bed. Kimberly sighs. Ivory is right. 

“True, but who knew I would break up my parents?” Kimberly whispers. Standing next to her, Ivory gives her best friend a pat on the back.

 “On the bright side, you at least got to meet them while they were young. Isn’t that cool?” Ivory smiles as they walk out of their motel room and head down the hall to the elevator.

Waiting for the elevator, Kimberly scoffs. “Yeah but this isn’t cool.” Kimberly motions to her ghost-like limbs. Ivory doesn’t reply as they wait in silence. 

Ding!

The elevator makes its presence known. As they enter, Ivory asks a question. “Do you have an idea of what your dad would be doing right now?” 

“Um, I think he was a mechanic at my grandfather’s shop.” Kimberly says as she tries to recall the stories her father would tell her about working with her grandfather. 

Before Ivory could reply, the elevator doors open. People talked amongst themselves in the lobby. The two pause their conversation until they get outside. 

“And where’s that?” Ivory continues, blocking her face from the beaming sun. 

“I think it was Liberty Avenue?” Kimberly answers, trying not to get it confused with the parallel street to it, Jamaica Avenue. 

Walking down the street to the bus stop, Ivory rubs her hands on her shorts. “Then off to Liberty we go,” Ivory jokes, as Kimberly softly smiles. 

Sighing, Ivory comforts Kimberly, “It’ll be fine Kim, it’s not like he’ll throw his tools at us. Relax.”  Ivory throws her arm around her friend’s shoulder. 

Kimberly remains silent, as she nods her head. “Come on” Ivory tugs at her friend’s arm, hopping onto the Q112. The two hope for the best with Kimberly’s father. 

***

“That was the longest bus ride ever,” Ivory whines, stretching her arms above her head. Kimberly agrees. “I think the seat gave me a tan,” Kimberly complains. 

The two are walking down Liberty, keeping their eye out for Kimberly’s grandfather’s shop. 

“Are you sure it’s over here?” Ivory questions, protecting herself from the sun by standing under a store’s sign, “it should be, I remember my dad showing me a picture-” Kimberly stops in her tracks, grabbing Ivory’s hand as they hurry across the street.

“Why didn’t you stop at the crosswalk!?” Ivory shouts, pulling back her arm, stunned that her friend still had strength. 

“There it is!” Kimberly points to the shop ahead of her, 

“Where what is?” Ivory wonders. 

“My grandfather’s shop,” Kimberly replies, smiling. 

Ivory eyes the small shop. A large sign saying White’s Auto Shop hung over a small building. Cars were piled up around  the shop, and under a car is a man working. 

“Well, what are we waiting for? Come on!” It was now Ivory’s turn to drag Kimberly over to the shop. 

Ivory and Kimberly hear music blasting from a boombox as they get closer to a man repairing a car and Kimberly thinks it may be her father. 

“Hello!” Ivory shouts, but the boombox drowns out her voice. 

Looking over to Kimberly, she asks, “Wanna give it a go?” 

Kimberly clears her throat before shouting, “Hey!” with no answer, Ivory and Kimberly then take turns shouting at the man under the car for a minute. 

“This is silly” Ivory declares before tapping the man’s leg, 

“Hello? James?” Ivory questions. 

Jumping, the man rolls out from under the car. “May I help you?” James questions while turning down his radio. Grinning, Ivory turns to face a pale Kimberly. It was James. 

“Do you have a moment to speak?” Ivory asks politely, Kimberly faces the opposite direction of where her father was standing. 

“Do I know you?” James wonders, removing himself from under the car. 

“My friend and I were sitting behind you and Leah in the diner?” Ivory and James continue with their conversation as Kimberly is a nervous wreck. 

Ivory’s eyes follow James’ movements as he wipes car gunk from his hands with a dirty rag “Diner?”  His eyes skip past Ivory to get a good look at Kimberly’s face. 

Frowning, James holds himself up against the car, pointing at Kimberly. “I remember you.” 

“You’re the girl that ruined my relationship!” James shouts.

Awkwardly smiling, Kimberly replies. “Sorry?”