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It was the stupid sign that set Al off.
He was with Beth, visiting one of her friends who lived in the area, with their youngest, Polly, tagging along. Al, bored out of his skull while the women gossiped and his daughter eagerly listened in, was studying the inside of the friend’s house.
On the colorful dark red walls of the living room, there were some hokey decorations up, including a dried bouquet of flowers (a first date gift?), an elaborate wooden cross, and a sign, one of those printed-on-canvas deals. The sign said, “A fond memory written upon the heart is the road map that will always lead you home.”
When he saw that, Al thought of Sam with a pang. It had been six months since their final fateful meeting in that bar, where Sam rambled on about nonsense before the Imaging Chamber shut down. Why didn’t this friend allow smoking? Al longed to sneak outside and be alone with a cigar and his thoughts.
The Project was on its last legs those days, with the government determining the value of everything so it could all be auctioned off. Meanwhile Al was pulling strings to find a job in the area, so they could stay while Polly finished school. And there was Sam, with apparently no fond memories in his heart to help him get home!
“Al? Are you all right? I’m sorry, you know how it is, with Sam still missing.”
“No, Beth. I’m sorry.”
“Do you want to sit outside for a bit while we wrap up?”
Al nodded, gratefully. He went out to the front porch and collapsed into one of the white Adirondack chairs. Not seeing an ashtray, he reconsidered the cigar idea. But it was good to sit out in the cool fall air.
The Project was on a skeleton staff now, with people lining up their next contract. Donna had already found one at the Air Force Academy, and she and John would move as soon as everything was done with the project. In the meantime, she had Al and his family on hand here for babysitters. What would she do, without them? How would John deal with growing up without his father around?
They had been trying at the Project, truly, but even Ziggy was frazzled at this point. There were a few times where they’d managed to get a lock on Sam, only for him to leap out minutes later. And the one time Al had gone into the Imaging Chamber to talk to Sam, Sam wouldn’t acknowledge him. How could a Project be centered around a ghost as a leader, a ghost who acted like they didn't exist?
Beth and Polly came out then, having said their goodbyes. They walked a few blocks back to their house and Beth made dinner. Having noticed that Al was still in a funk, Beth made sure Polly was busy with her schoolwork then took Al outside. “Okay, what’s on your mind?”
“That sign in Mary’s house, that stupid one. ‘A fond memory…’”
“…will always lead you home,” Beth finished. “And that made you think of Sam?”
“Yes. I don’t know if we’ll ever find him again enough to have a good conversation with him about the Project. I wanted to leap too, find him, but all the higher-ups said hell no, we’re not losing another one to this experiment."
Beth rubbed his back then leaned her head on his shoulder. “He’ll find a way. You know he will.”
“I know, but damn it, did he have to leave us out of it?! And what will Donna and John do?”
“We’ll be there for them. You have flight contacts, right?”
“Yeah, Colorado Springs isn’t that far from here by plane.” Al looked up at the dark November evening sky, most of the stars visible. “Too bad I don’t even know what star to look for Sam on.”
“If Sam doesn’t have his memories to lead him home, then you can keep them alive for other people, at least. Like John.” She pushed a cigar and lighter into his hand then got up. “I think you need this. I’ll go check on Polly.”
Al smiled as he unwrapped the cigar. What would he do without her? More so, what would he do without Sam? He trimmed the cigar then lit it, thinking as he took an inhale.
He would be there for Sam’s family. His family could do that, at least.