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“Absolutely crushed it.” Marge patted her shoulder. “We are doing this every year, no matter if someone wishes it or not.”
“No arguments from me,” Sylvie agreed, then she looked at me. “Doris? Did we accomplish your wish? Did you feel like you flew like a bird?”
Closing my eyes, I relived my feelings soaring over the world below. “Yes. Oh, yes. It was wondrous. Thank you, Sylvie. It was the perfect wish.”
“Follow me, ladies,” our guide said, gesturing for us to join him on the rope bridge suspended between our platform and another across the way. Though I was scared to walk on the narrow, swinging bridge, I’d already conquered enough fears on this trip not to argue and just go with it. With one deep breath to steady my nerves, I stepped on. It swung a little with my weight, but I kept moving, and we walked single file to the next platform, which had stairs leading us back down to the ground. When we arrived, Miguel was waiting for us.
“You ladies look like you had a great time!” He grinned, then pointed to a UTV with our bags that we’d left behind with him.
“We had a great time!” Sylvie hurried over and grabbed our bags, giving everything a quick once-over before handing them back to us. “It’s all here.”
Marge tapped her bag. “I’ll just keep our passports in here until we get back.”
“Maybe we should just keep them all in there for the rest of the trip,” Sylvie said. “You keep going on and on about how that thing is theft-proof. It’s probably safer than toting them in our purses where they could be stolen.”
Sylvie passed me my pink purse, and I peeked inside. Everything looked untouched.
“Works for me. I’ll guard ‘em with my life.” Marge gave a short salute and checked the strap of her cross-body bag.
“How do we get back?” Alice asked, scanning the jungle around us.
“There’s a bus that will take you the last half mile back to the parking lot.” Miguel gestured to the beat-up bus chugging out smoke behind us.
Alice pulled a face. “Damn it! I thought I was avoiding a bus by doing those zippy things. There’s still a bus ride?”
“You won’t catch cooties from public transportation.” Sylvie laughed and rolled her eyes.
“If you haven’t died from some rogue STD yet, I’m sure your immune system can fight off whatever viruses are living in that ancient upholstery.”
Alice lifted her middle finger, and Marge blew back a kiss.
Just as they were about to start arguing, we heard squeals of delight behind us. We turned around to see the splash of some people jumping off the edge of the small cliff beside the waterfall. They popped up in the churning water, laughing and splashing.
“Oh! Can we do that? Can we jump in?” Sylvie asked Miguel.
“Of course. There’ll be another bus in thirty minutes. Feel free to jump and swim, and you can catch the next bus.”
“I’m going in. Who’s with me?” Sylvie looked between us.
Marge raised her hand. “I’ll never say no to adventure. That’s the whole damn reason we’re here. I don’t have a suit, though.”
Sylvie’s face dropped. “Me neither. Dammit.”
“Most people just go in their clothes.” Miguel shrugged.
Sylvie tipped her head and looked at us, inching up her eyebrows. “I’m game if you ladies are.”
“Still in!” Marge grinned.
Alice huffed, then tossed up her hands. “If it delays getting on a bus, I’ll do it. Marge already ruined my outfit with the mud from her UTV race.”
I glanced at her simple shirt, still shocked that it probably cost more than my entire closet.
They looked at me, and that excitement that bubbled up inside me whenever they came up with some wild idea boiled right over the top. “Okay! I’ll do it!”
Sylvie clapped her hands, jumping up and down. “Let’s go!”
We grabbed our bags and hurried toward the edge of the water, listening to the bus chug away down the mountain. When we got there, I blew out a deep breath.
