Pine Creek Campgrounds, Colorado

For the rest of the afternoon, Aden helped Corey get the order together as she told him stories about all the campers “stranger than him” that she had met over the years. She told stories with her hands and big, exaggerated facial expressions, often getting distracted from her attempts at multi-tasking, which meant doing a stock count took most of the afternoon. It was a decent way to spend it though, and when Mannie arrived to collect, Aden had no complaints.

“Thank you very much, beautiful,” Mannie said as Corey handed off their afternoon’s work.

She pulled a folded bill out from her back pocket and slipped it along to him with the order sheet. “Think you can grab me some new paints while in town?”

Mannie smirked, but it fell a little as he unfolded the twenty. “This isn’t enough for the pricy shit you usually get.”

She frowned too. “I know. We can’t afford it right now. Just get me some cheap ones. I’ll make do.”

“If you say so.” He shrugged, pocketed the bill, then folded the order sheet and headed to the truck, signalling for Aden. “C’mon, beach bum. Let's hit the road, we’re losing daylight.”

Aden grabbed his bag, pausing at Corey’s side to say a goodbye. Words failed him for a moment though as he lingered there, at the top of her porch steps next to her. He had never been good at goodbyes, and something about this one was surprisingly difficult.

She offered a comment instead. “Get yourself a rain jacket. Or a poncho. Or something, yeah?”

“I will.” Aden smiled, looking at the feet as he added, “Thanks, by the way.”

She scoffed a little. “For what?”

He paused, considering the obvious, getting him out of the rain, feeding him, giving him some dry clothes, just generally being a kind person when he needed it. What he really wanted to thank her for were the other things. The little things. Like her smile, and bringing him out to see the lake, and caring enough about his life to even ask about Cassie… “Everything?” It felt too heavy, to try and put his thanks to actual words.

Corey hummed. “Well, you’re welcome, then.” She smiled. Careful, polite. She was good at goodbyes. From all she had told him, she had said a lot of goodbyes over the years, so he’d expect as much. Even with her casual mask, the corner of her lips read something sadder though.

Aden averted his eyes, because he was being stupid for noticing her lips at all.

He didn’t say anything else, and neither did she. Aden just took the steps down the porch and joined Mannie at the truck, pausing for just a moment to return a wave when she offered one, before entering the passenger side.

Mannie drove off, leaving Pine Creek behind them. Aden leaned his head back against the seat, resisting letting his sigh come out too loud. The first few tiny spits of rain hit Mannie’s windshield.

He leaned forward over the steering wheel to glance at the clouds. “Looks like a storm coming.”

Aden hummed. “Yeah.”