Kyalin: Alone, together

3. Hitchhiker

On the day of their adventure, Kya pulled up to Lin's first thing in the morning in an old Volkswagen minibus with a baby blue body and white top.

Lin slung her rucksack in the back, which had ample seating and cushions, and hopped in.

"Nice hippy van. Should've guessed."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Lin smirked. "Means your ride is very charming."

Kya gave her side eye. "This my baby. I spent a lotta years living outta this thing."

"I thought it'd be the other way around."

Kya considered a moment and followed with a delayed burst of laughter.

"I get it. Because babies live inside their mommas." She shook her head. "That was a very bad dad joke."

Lin shrugged. "Wouldn't know. Never knew my father."

"Oh? Want to talk about it? We've got nothing but time."

"Not really."

"Fair enough." Kya wasn't one to force touchy subjects but she wanted Lin to know she was there either way.

They pulled onto the two-lane state route with orange groves stretching for miles and the occasional car passing by in the opposite direction. The sky was cloudy but not overcast, and the sun warmed the breezy air, a pure morning.

After a spell, Kya took one hand off the wheel and gripped Lin's. "It's all happening."

"By the way, continuing our baby talk..." Lin began.

Kya took her hand back. "Yes?" she said nervously.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to give you any ideas. Just curious – do you have any children?"

Kya shook her head. "No ma'am. Never wanted any, at least I thought I didn't. But you know, there's the point in almost every woman's life where, even if they didn't want kids, if they're hitting that age, then I dunno. Sometimes. Out of panic, I guess. How about you?"

"Uh uh. I'm not one of those women. Never wanted kids – don't even know how to act around them. In fact, that's what broke up me and my first love – he wanted kids, and I didn't. Later I realized it was more than that, but hey. The perks of getting old is more time to reflect."

Lin rolled down the window and the chill air blew her hair all higgledy-piggledy.

"Thing that bothers me," Lin continued, "is when people I hardly know ask me personal questions about my love life."

"Exactly. It's like, stay the hell outta my life! If I wanted a husband, a baby, a white picket fence, I'd have one already."

Lin's heart swelled. She had to control herself from leaning over and kissing Kya right then and there. Would have done it too if not for the driving.

"You get me. I never thought in a million years someone like you would get me."

Kya grabbed Lin's hand and kissed the back of it. "Again with the backhanded compliment, but I don't know – it's sort of endearing coming from someone like you."

Kya's kiss sent a shiver down Lin's spine. Even though they just started driving, she couldn't wait until they were done for the day so she could snuggle up next to her.

"Touché."

They pulled up to a gas station, and Kya filled the tank while Lin went inside and bought sandwiches from the deli. They sat at a bench with their paper map spread out on the table, eating sandwiches and loosely plotting their course. The map kept blowing away, so Lin grabbed a couple of nice stones and placed them at the edges.