“Is it just me or is Tina turning into a drill sergeant?” Alice whispered to Carmen.

“Alice, up front with me,” Tina requested.

Carmen laughed.

“Yessir, I mean Ma’am,” Alice answered jogging ahead of the group.

Carmen and the rest of the girls covered their mouths suppressing their giggles.

“I want everyone to find a partner. They will be your buddy throughout the hike. Stay with your buddy. If your buddy stops for a drink of water… then you will stop for a drink of water. If your buddy stops to admire the trees… then you will stop to admire the trees. Get what I’m saying?” Tina addressed the group.

All nodded their heads.

“I can’t hear you.”

“Yessir,” the friends shouted out.

“Very funny, guys.”

*****

Their climb started out easy. A simple walk through the woods. The same walk Serena and Evan took the day before. Soon a clearing was found giving way to a small hill that twisted up a hundred feet.

“Tee, I don’t know about this,” Bette voiced.

“What about this?”

“We’ve already walked five miles.”

“Bette, you’re not tired. You’ve run more than that in a morning.”

“No, I’m not tired. But Evan might be. Tina, have you forgotten… she hasn’t completely healed from her injuries.”

“No, I haven’t forgotten the plane crash,” Tina replied.

” And the near accident on that stupid bus. Her ribs were bruised again. Maybe not as severely but you saw her face when I asked her if she was okay.”

Tina looked back at the girl. Evan was lagging behind the group. She saw Serena drop back from her buddy, waiting for Evan to catch up.

“Maybe we should turn around,” Tina said watching Serena take her daughter’s hand.

“Maybe we should,” Bette repeated giving Tina’s hand a squeeze.

Tina looked Bette in the eyes.

“Maybe you should chorale the troops,” Bette smiled.

“Guys… I think we should begin heading back.”

“Thank god,” Alice groaned.

“I can hear you, Alice,” Tina resumed her commanding tone.

“Damn, she had ears like a dog,” Alice whispered to Carmen.

“Are you calling my wife a dog, Alice?”

Alice slowly turned around to come face to face with Bette Porter.

“Me… no way. You know I would never say something like that about Tee. Now you, on the other hand, that’s a different story,” Alice joked.