Kyle gets back just as Eli and I are heading back into the building from our quick tour of the ferry. Uncle Jerry is coming out of the office wearing his captain’s hat and offers me a purple lollipop with a wink. In the past half hour the weather has cleared even more and as I look out over the Straits of Mackinac, I see two other ferries steaming across the water towards us. I know that the island will be nice and quiet by the time we get there, with only the locals and overnighters left. I remember from my prior life here that watching the last ferry steam away at the end of the day was one of my favorite things. I loved being a local, a member of a special club.

The wind whips my hair into my face again and I rub away the goose bumps that spring up on my arms. Eli walks over to me...

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