"We do?"
"Yes." She couldn't stop smiling.
"I thought Flat Finn was being assigned attic duty for the rest of his existence?"
"Plans change."
"So we don't get to sneak off somewhere and fool around?" Matt groaned.
"Not yet."
"These better be some damn good plans."
**********
"Look, this blindfold thing is really starting to creep me out. I don't know when you became a dominatrix, Julie, but my sister is in the car, so it hardly seems appropriate to be demonstrating your specialized skills in front of her." Matt reached to pull off the blindfold that Julie had tied over his eyes.
"Don't you dare!" Celeste leaned into the front seat of the Volvo and smacked Matt's hand. "Behave yourself. This is a good surprise."
"Are we almost there yet? I'm hungry," Matt said. "I need to pee. I'm bored. How much longer? Let's play I Spy. Oh, wait. I can't. I'm blindfolded. This is the worst trip ever!"
"Matt, shut up!" Julie pulled into the far right lane on the highway, keeping her hand in Matt's. "Only one more exit, and then we'll be there. This will be worth the two-hour drive. Trust us."
"When you say worth, do you mean there will be cash incentives involved? Apple is having a press conference in a few days, and I'm sure they'll be releasing some wildly unnecessary gadget that I need."
"Celeste, make your brother behave," Julie said.
"The fact that you are still holding his hand after he has been persistently annoying during this whole drive indicates to me that he is now equally your problem. I am going to enjoy this scenic drive and let you manage Matty's irritating outbursts."
"Great." Julie sighed dramatically. "Lengthy bouts of obtuse chatter interspersed with moments of mind-numbingly boring trivia about the history of the internet. It's a tradeoff for the occasional bits of charm, I suppose," Julie admitted. "But one that I'll just have to live with."
"I'm still here!" Matt hollered. "I can hear you talking about me. I have feelings, you know!" He faked a sob and sniffed loudly.
"I'll make a note of that," Julie said.
"Oh, Julie, there's the sign," Celeste said. "We're here! This is the perfect send-off for Flat Finn. The real Finn would approve. You will, too, Matty."
Julie pulled the car into the parking lot. "Guess where we are?"
"Yosemite? The Grand Canyon?" Matt said. "Vegas? Oh, my God, we're in Vegas, aren't we? Is Celine Dion here? Cher? Are we going backstage? No, it's the Liberace Museum. I can feel it. It's a dream come true! I've waited my whole life for this."
"That is ridiculous, Matt," Celeste scolded. "We are not in Las Vegas. Try harder."
"Disney World? The Mall of America? Pike Place Fish Market? Graceland?"
"It's flattering that he thinks we're lame enough to subject him to a tourist trap, isn't it? Celeste, he'll never figure it out," Julie said. "Let's show him." She slid the blindfold off his eyes and watched him. He adjusted to the light and read the sign in front of the car.
Matt was serious now. "I never would have guessed this is where you two were taking me." He paused and bit his lip, a soft smile forming. "The last time I was here was with Finn."
Julie clapped her hands together. "We're going skydiving."
He looked at her. "What do you mean we're going?"
She nodded. "You're not very bright, are you? I mean that you and I are going to jump out of a plane and then a life-saving parachute thingy will pop out and we will land on the ground in one piece. "
"Both of us are going?"
"Yes," she said. "I want to jump with you, Matt. For real this time."
She loved when he was speechless.
"And Flat Finn, too," Celeste said. "We called the skydiving center this week. They remember you and Finn, and they said that you could take Flat Finn when you jump. I think it's a fitting way to celebrate. The real Finn would genuinely like this idea."
"Of course I'll take him," Matt said. "Of course. Julie, are you sure about this?"
"Yes," she said. And she meant it. She trusted him completely. "I want to do this with you."
Matt leaned over and put a hand on the back of her neck. He pulled her in gently, kissing her softly and perfectly.
"I knew it!" Celeste squealed. "I told you, Julie, didn't I? I said this would work out, and it has. Does this mean that there will not be any more unpleasant spats between you two? I found those squabbles to be incredibly disquieting."
Julie sat back and laughed. "I don't know about that." She looked into Matt's eyes. "Even so, I love you."
Matt smiled at her and winked. "I know."
Celeste and Julie both smacked him.
"This would be an appropriate time not to be a dork or a smartass," Julie said.
Celeste popped her head into the front seat. "Be the hero, Matty. Come on. You're supposed to be the hero now. The romantic lead."
"I know that, too," he said. Matt did not hesitate a moment longer. "Julie, I love you. I absolutely love you."
"Good," Celeste said, satisfied. "Now it's time to jump."