The Time Capsule by Lurlene McDaniel Read Free Book Online Page B

walking,” Adam said. He and Sawyer exchanged high fives across the table.
    “Keep your fingers away from my body, buster,” Tessa growled.
    “You’ve been warned,” Alexis said, smiling.
    “Why are you all picking on Wade?” Kelly asked, bewildered. “He’s just trying to be helpful.”
    Adam said, “You’re right. We should cut him some slack.”
    “Why?” Sawyer wanted to know. “Wade’s cool about it, aren’t you, Wade?”
    “Doesn’t bother me,” Wade said.
    “But it’s bothering Kelly,” Adam said.
    Alexis rolled her eyes, and Adam warned away any of her comments with a look. “Okay,” she said, suddenly all business. “Let’s plan our agenda for the day.” She pulled out a map of the Magic Kingdom and spread it out over the breakfast plates. In no time, she had prepared a list that included everybody’s choices.
    “What if we finish and have time left over?” Adam asked.
    “Disney isn’t the only attraction in Orlando,” Alexis said. “We have cars. We can get to others.”
    They were in agreement, but when they all stood to leave, Adam took his sister’s elbow and pulled her aside. “Other attractions? You’re really sticking it to Dad, aren’t you?”
    “He could have brought us and controlled spending.”
    Adam’s eyes narrowed. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
    She didn’t meet his gaze, because the image of her father with the other woman jumped into her mind, and although she knew it was impossible, she was concerned that Adam might see it in her eyes. “Nothing,” she said. “Come on. Let’s go have some fun.”
    They spent the day hitting every ride in the park, including the ones targeted at small children. Kelly refused to consider another roller coaster, and even got queasy riding the teacups. She insisted that Adam ride the coasters without her, but he stayed with her while the others rode, which irked Alexis. She didn’t think it was fair that he should have to skip what she knew were his favorite rides because of Kelly. “She’s my girl,” he said to Alexis when she told him as much out of earshot of the others. “I like being with her, even if it means not riding anything at all. She can’t help it if some of the rides make her sick.”
    Alexis wasn’t sure, but she kept her opinion to herself.
    When they came to It’s a Small World, Adam balked.
    “Come on,” Alexis urged. “It’ll be like when we were little.”
    “I don’t think so, Ally. You made us go on it six times when we were little. I’ve never recovered.”
    Alexis turned to Sawyer, who backed away. “I don’t mind sitting this one out myself, babe.”
    “Party poopers,” Alexis said with a toss of her head. “Anyone coming with me?”
    There were no takers, so she climbed aboard and went by herself. The ride was boring, but she enjoyed the sense of nostalgia she experienced. As she had during the time capsule ceremony weeks before, Alexis recalled simpler days, before Adam got sick and before her parents were constantly at odds. She closed her eyes, conjured up the photograph of her family from the bulletin board in her room. In a moment of remorse, she’d dug it out of the trash and taped the pieces back together. Yet try as she might, she couldn’t hold on to the image; reality nudged it aside. The happy smiles dissolved into angry scowls. Adam morphed from a soft-cheeked child into a gaunt preteen, bald from chemo treatments. Her own expression went from delighted to fearful.
    She opened her eyes and stared hard at the scenery surrounding her. The puppets looked tired and trite, and the music began to grate on her nerves. It had been a mistake to go on the ride. She wasn’t nine anymore. The magic was gone.
    Sawyer was there to meet her when the ride ended, and she fairly jumped out of the seat and into his arms when the carts stopped. “Wow— this is cool. Did you miss me that much?” he asked, a silly grin on his face.
    “Longest ten minutes of the