Mom had the car parked right by the entrance, so thankfully we didn't have that much further to walk. She was already seated in the passenger seat, knowing my Dad would want to drive and had the back door open so Dad could easily give me a hand up to jump in the back, right next to Brynn.

Brynn grabs my hand as soon as I was seated next to her and my Dad closes the door and jogs to the other side. When he climbs in he chuckles looking at my Mom, "Guess we get to double date after all."

I groan, Mom giggles, and Brynn just gives me a sympathetic grin.

This was not what I had in mind. I spent from the moment she said she'd go out with me planning a special night with Brynn, which got sabotaged by her negligent father and so I was willing to settle on a few hours and now this.

"Why the long face?" Brynn whispered to me while we were tortured by my parent's musical selections. My Mom currently is singing along happily to some Boyz II Men ballad. UGH!

I look at her and this isn't what I wanted. I'm happy that she's here but I just wanted to make this special, something to remember me by, just incase she does walk away someday or perhaps my plan is to treat her so well that thinking about tonight would make her realize she'd have to be crazy to walk away. I don't know... in all the times I pictured this in my head never it my wildest was I headed to the emergency room, with my foot throbbing and parents doing a duet to "I'll Make Love To You."

Really parents? Have a heart...and eww.

"I'll make this up to you, I promise," I tell her and she gives my hand a squeeze.

"I don't know what you're so worried about I'm having a brilliant time," she tells me.

I make a face at her, which I hope shows both my disbelief and belief that she is talking utter nonsense.

She laughs and it lightens my mood.

"No... really. They're pretty good," she says thumbing to my parents, in the front seat.

When a Nirvana song came on and my Dad turns it up saying, "This is my jam." I just gave her my "Puhleaze" look and she laughs again.

Thankfully it was a short trip to the ER and so the karaoke session was over. Now the real fun begins...NOT.

My parents sign me in having all the appropriate cards and information and Brynn and I take a seat to wait. If this is anything like my other trips to the ER and being involved in sports there have been many, this will probably take forever.

She takes a seat one away from me but before I can wonder why she reaches down and picks up my injured foot and places it on her lap. "It will feel better if its elevated."

Within seconds the throbbing is less. I smile. "So how is that you know so much about all this stuff?"

She looks down at my foot and back up at me, "My mom. Spent a lot of time in and out of hospitals, and taking care of her at home with my Gran."

That's why she hates hospitals. Way to go genius, any other painful memories you want to bring up... dead pets maybe?

"I'm sorry Brynn. I didn't mean to bring up..."

"I know you didn't and it's okay really. I have been dealing with it for a long time so truthfully it's not a painful memory anymore.... more like a dull ache," she says with a half laugh.

"Sometimes though, I get a little mad that it's all anyone can remember about her. Like somehow she lost her identity and became defined by the fact that she had cancer, becoming just another statistic for the medical books...when she was so much more than that."

I could hear the wistfulness and wanting in her voice, so I bravely asked, "What was she like?"

Brynn looked surprised by the question and then suddenly brightened. She looked almost excited. "Okay..." she starts, turning more towards me likes she's settling in to tell me the best story she's ever told, and I find her excitement contagious.

"She was like the COOLEST mom ever. You know how most parents are all about rules and regiment. Not MY mom. Some days she would wake me up and say, "Come on get dressed we're going on an adventure." She'd call me out of school, she'd load her car up with the necessary provisions and off we'd go."

"Where would you go?"

"Where the wind took us really... sometimes it was to the park and she'd have a scavenger hunt set up for me and we'd go exploring together until we found everything on her list. Sometimes it was a museum or a concert she bought us tickets to go see. Other times she would drive me to another city and we'd look up the ten best things to do there and we wouldn't leave until we did at least five of the things on that list."

It was funny she seemed so sheltered such a recluse but as she told me of the many adventures she had with her Mom I couldn't help but envy her. She's done more with her life before the age of ten then I had at eighteen, seen more of the world, in fact, her experience far outstripped mine and I began to wonder if I had anything really to offer her.

She was frowning at me and I wondered if I drifted and missed something she said.

"Your foot okay?" she asked concerned.

"Yeah, this is actually the best it's felt since I hurt it."

"Oh, you were just making such a face I thought maybe you were in pain."

I was just not the physical kind.

"It all sounds wonderful, Brynn. I was just thinking though... I haven't been anywhere, well... I've experienced the norm, family vacations down the shore or camping somewhere, amusement parks etcetera but no real adventures."

"Well... maybe we should plan one of our own."

This took me by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when your foot is healed up or maybe even before we can plan an adventure day, you and me, we just go off and explore somewhere..."

I can see she's excited about the idea and so I want to make this happen for her.

"Sounds perfect but planning an adventure... doesn't that take the surprise out of it?" It seemed the part she liked best when telling her stories was that she didn't know what was going to happen next.

"My mom always planned our adventures, Finn. Only I didn't know what we were doing, but she always put a lot of thought and effort into things... kinda like you, but we can both have fun if we use this..."

She pulled that wonderful Magic Eight Ball key chain from her pocket, and I felt my own excitement begin to grow looking down at it.

"We'll decide together the when and where and each come up with our own list as to what we will do for the day. Then we'll use this to decide which idea we do. Deal?"

I so loved the idea I jumped at the chance. "Deal!" And I can see by the look on her face she was jazzed by the prospect too.

"You know that's why she gave it to me."

"Who?"

"My Mom, this..." she said holding up the keychain. "She didn't want my adventures to end. She always told me the world was bigger then my backyard and if I ever get stuck or want something new to do, I should just ask the keychain and let it guide me what to do. But don't let it decide important decisions that could be dangerous and I should think those out for myself."

"Your mom sounds so awesome. I wish I could have met her."

"Me too," she says wistfully but although there's a sad note to her voice I can't help but feel happy that she'd wanted me to meet her mom. It was a real honor.

"You know I owe your mom my life?"

"What?" she says immediately shaken out of her sullen thoughts.

"Yeah, ... it true..." I say and regal her with the tale of how my parents got together. She was so happy to learn something about her Mom that she never knew. It was like a watching a kid open up a present at Christmas, her whole face changed. She practically lit up from within. God, she's beautiful.

I got caught gawking at her by my mom who looked like she wanted to snicker, most likely at the dopey, lovesick look, I no doubt have written so clearly across my face.

"Hate to interrupt but they are ready to take you back."

"Oh... okay," I say disappointed to have to leave Brynn.

"Your dad will take you back. I'll keep Brynn company until you get out of x-ray and then your dad will come back out and get us."

"Ready to go, kiddo?" Dad asked, showing up with a pair of crutches in his hand.

"Yeah, Dad." Brynn gently takes my foot off her lap and my mom gives me a hand up.

"Be back soon," I tell Brynn with a wink and she giggles.

"Good luck!"