by Raven Snow
Once the food had been eaten and the table cleared, a fire was lit in the den. A family movie was put on, something the kids could watch and the adults might enjoy as well. Not that the kids were too focused on the television. They were far more interested in roasting marshmallows in the fireplace. Since Lydia was busy with that, Rowen stepped in to do the dishes. Eric and Rose helped her. Between the three of them, the work was going rather fast.
“What were you and Margo talking about outside?” asked Rose, going on tip toe to put another clean stack of plates away.
“Not much.” Rowen wasn’t sure she should relay the short conversation they’d had to Rose. Then again, she didn’t see any harm in it. “She likes the kids. I think she wants Lydia to keep them.”
Rose chuckled. That hadn’t been the reaction Rowen had expected from her. “Everyone keeps talking about them like they’re pets.” Rose shook her head and gave a long, bemused sigh. “Yeah, I guess I hope she keeps them too.”
“Really?” Rowen was genuinely surprised to hear that Aunt Lydia had so much support in all of this.
Rose nodded. “Yeah, well, I can’t wish them away in good conscience or anything. I mean, I was adopted too. She was always a great mother to me. I don’t want to deny those kids the kind of upbringing she could give them.”
“Fair enough.”
“They might still find family willing to take them in,” Eric reasoned, using the rough side of a sponge to scrub at the crock pot in the bubbly, soapy sink.
“I don’t know.” Rowen had one of her gut feelings that that wouldn’t be the case. She didn’t know why she felt that way precisely. She only knew that was how she felt and that those gut feelings of hers tended to be right.
Rose turned like she was about to say something when there came a knock on the door. Rowen turned her head and mentally ran through a list of names. Who wasn’t here already? Why would they come now? Shaking the water from her hands, she turned and ventured toward the doorway. “Was Ben stopping by or something?” she asked Rose without looking back at her.
“I don’t think so,” Rose said. “He’s helping out on patrol tonight. Doesn’t want any homeless people dying from exposure, you know?”
Rowen nodded even though her thoughts were on the door. She felt like it had something to do with her. Tiffany had a way of interrupting family gatherings like this one. Was that what this was? Was her mother showing up at just the right time to make things awkward again?
Rowen didn’t answer the door. She watched and waited as her aunts and uncle went past. They must have the same feeling she did. Lydia and Nadine were all smiles, but Norm’s brows were drawn together in a way that suggested he was wary. Rowen found herself sympathizing the most with Norm this time around.
The door opened. Lydia didn’t even bother to ask who it was on the other side. She didn’t speak immediately, though. That was a bit odd. “May I help you?” asked Lydia, indicating that she didn’t recognize the person. That was doubly odd.
“Don’t tell me you don’t remember me.” The voice belonged to a man. Rowen still hadn’t seen the guy, but the voice was one she didn’t remember ever hearing before. It was a deep and pleasant voice, spoken from the diaphragm so that it carried. “Lydia, Nadine… I think I even see Norman back there. What are the odds I’d catch all of you here at once?”
“Desmond?” Lydia spoke the name like a question. It was odd to hear her so hesitant. Usually, Lydia was more than happy to see just about anyone, but she sounded somewhat wary about the fellow in the doorway.
“You remember!” The man named Desmond laughed. “How’s it been going for your lot?”
“Wonderfully,” said Nadine, her soft voice still perfectly polite. “What about you?”
“Good, good… I noticed a lot of cars outside. Is Tiffany here?”
“No,” said Norm. “Rowen is, though.”
“Rowen?” Desmond repeated. “Ah… Well, I came here looking for Tiffany right now. Do you have any sort of way to reach her?
“No,” Norm said again. “She comes and goes. You know how it is.”
“I do,” Desmond said with a chuckle. “We’re kindred spirits, Norman.”
Norm grunted then, like that wasn’t how he had meant his statement. “Either way, we don’t have a clue when she’ll be back this way again.”
“Yeah, but you’re like…” Desmond sighed like he was frustrated. “Can’t you send out some kind of magical SOS or something? Tell her to get back here. Tell her it’s important.”
“What is it specifically that’s important?” asked Norm.
There was some silence then. It didn’t last very long, but it was there all the same. “I’d rather keep that between me and her,” Desmond said at last. “Anyway, do you think you could bring her here for me?”
“Maybe,” said Norman, immediately. He was intentionally speaking before Lydia could. That was a little unusual. Most of the time, it was hard to cut Lydia out of a conversation. “Do you want to come on in?”
“Aww, no. All those cars in the front yard. It looks like you have company. I was just passing through and thought maybe Tiffany was here too.”
“You sure?” Norm pressed. “I could grab Rowen. You two could sit down and have a chat.”
“No but thank you. It sounds like everyone is having a good time in there.” To Desmond’s credit, there was a lot of laughter coming from the den. It wasn’t just the kids either. “I’m staying at the hotel in town, though. I’m sure we’ll cross paths soon enough. Here.” Another brief pause. “That’s my card. Let me know if you hear anything from Tiffany. It was good seeing you all again.”
As soon as Rowen heard the front door close, she stepped out into the hallway. “Who was that?”
Norm, Lydia, and Nadine were still gathered in the foyer. They were exchanging furtive looks, speaking more quietly than Rowen had ever heard them speak. When Rowen raised her voice, they all turned their heads. Lydia and Nadine exchanged troubled looks. Both women opened and closed their mouths a few times, like they were searching for the best answer for her question.
At least Norm didn’t seem to have many reservations about just coming out with the truth. The man brushed his thumb across his stubble, stroking his chin like this was all as big a mystery to him as it was to her. “I don’t know why he’s here, but… That was your dad.”
The words hit Rowen like a wrecking ball to the chest. She had felt on an instinctual level that they were coming, but it was something else entirely to hear them said out loud. She moved toward the door but checked herself almost immediately. He hadn’t wanted to see her while he was here. It felt stupid and desperate to chase him down now. Rowen went to the window instead. She lifted a slat on the blinds and looked out.
It was too dark to make out anything besides a tall and wide-shouldered shadow. This was the first time Rowen had ever seen the man, at least to her knowledge. Maybe he had been around when she was a baby, before she could remember, before object permanence even. She had heard about him in passing a few times. Grammy had even promised to tell her about her father someday, but that had been before she died. No one else seemed to want to discuss the man. Her aunts swore that they didn’t know him all that well. Tiffany never really wanted to talk about him. To hear her tell it, he was the one who had been a bad parent. Rowen could believe it, even if it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Tiffany never did seem to date particularly good guys. She had a bad habit of dating murderers and serial killers. There had been at least one exception, but that was about it. Rowen hoped her own father was another exception to the rule.
Outside, the shadowy figure reached a car. The shape of it was sporty and sleek. He opened the door before casting one last look back at the house. Rowen quickly stepped away from the window. “So, he didn’t want to see me?”
“He didn’t want to wreck the nice night we’re having,” said Lydia, tucking some loose strands of auburn hair back behind her niece’s ears. S
he smiled. Lydia had great smiles. They were always so warm and reassuring. It reminded Rowen that she wasn’t so unlucky in the family department as she sometimes imagined herself to be. “If I had known you could hear everything, I would have asked what you wanted.”
“Be glad she didn’t,” said Norm. “You don’t want to talk to that guy. Trust me. He’s trouble. That’s all he’s ever been.”
Rowen found that a bit odd coming from Norm. It wasn’t like her uncle had ever been the best dad to Margo. He’d spent a lot of his time away or overseas. He’d never spent any time off the grid, so it wasn’t like he couldn’t have checked in regularly. No, he’d just been a conman until years of cheating and hustling folks finally caught up with him. He had come home then, just until he got back on his feet. By now, he’d been getting back on his feet for quite a while.
“He’s staying at the hotel,” said Nadine, stating the facts in that calm voice of hers. There was only one hotel in all of Lainswich. “It’s up to you whether or not you visit him.”
“Or you can call him.” Lydia pointed to Norm. “He gave us his card.”
Norm shoved the card in his pocket. “Don’t bother. Just let him get tired of waiting around and leave.” Norm turned and headed back for the den.
“Do whatever you want,” said Lydia once he was out of earshot. “It’s not like you have to decide what to do here and now. Sleep on it.” Lydia and Nadine left the room as well.
Rowen was left standing in the foyer, too many thoughts mulling around in her head to really focus. She jumped when Eric laid a hand on her shoulder. After a deep breath, she reached up and patted it with her own hand. “You startled me.”
“Sorry.” Eric gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You okay?”
“Well, apparently I have a dad. So, there’s that.”
“You always had a dad.” Eric cleared his throat after saying that, like he was aware it had been the wrong thing to say. He was right. “I get that it comes as a shock finally meeting him, though.” That was wrong, too.
“I didn’t meet him. He didn’t want to meet me.” Rowen went to the window and peered out again. The car was gone. She hadn’t heard it pull away. The blood was pounding in her ears too loudly.
“Babe, you’ve never met him, and at no point during your life did he try to remedy that. Did you ever even get a birthday card?” Eric shook his head as if to answer that for her. “Who cares if he wants to meet you? Now, whether you want to force him to meet you is an entirely different story. We can make that happen if that’s what you want but don’t think for a second that his actions or opinions matter.”
That had been the right thing to say. Rowen turned and hugged her husband. He was right. She should have been used to this sort of thing already, given who her mother was. The more she thought about it in Eric’s arms, the less anxious she found herself getting.
“We can go home if you want,” offered Eric.
Rowen shook her head. Suddenly, she wanted to spend time with her family more than ever. “Thanks, but no. Let’s go see what movie they’re all watching.”
***
The night was fun. Rowen sat on the floor and roasted marshmallows with the kids. She showed them how to make s’mores without burning their fingers. Their mom might have been a conspiracy theorist hippie that loved camping, but she had also been very into health food. Teaching the kids the fine art of marshmallow roasting was a wrong that needed righting.
A board game was played. Another movie was watched. The kids insisted on camping downstairs when they started getting sleepy. Lydia brought out some sleeping bags. They passed out in them. Rowen saw her aunts and Reginald drifting off next. Philip woke them gently. They all seemed to take his point with only a few words exchanged between them all. Nadine stood and left for her bedroom. Reginald went to Rose and whispered something to her. Her eyes were drifting shut where she was curled up in her chair. She shook her head. He left the room and came back with another sleeping bag anyway.
Lydia watched all of this with a smile. Maybe she liked her husband showing her daughter a little favoritism. Rowen knew she liked it. It wasn’t like Rose had been raised by her birth parents either. If Reginald was willing to be a father to her, that was nice… Even if he wasn’t quite as willing to be the father of two sudden additions to the family.
Not to be outdone, Lydia brought more sleeping bags and more blankets and pillows than they could possibly need before retiring to bed herself. Norm got up not too long after that. “Don’t you try and go home in this weather,” he stopped to tell his daughter as he passed by.
Margo rolled her eyes. “Why? Are you scared I’ll get lost walking across the lawn?”
“You’ll get sick in this cold,” Norm said, plainly. “And your trailer isn’t warm enough for a night like tonight.”
“Whatever,” Margo replied. Norm threw up his hands and headed for bed. Rowen noted that Margo didn’t head out despite her stubbornness.
After the movie, there was some talk about where everyone would sleep. Eventually, it was agreed upon that they would just sleep in the den like they had while “camping out” indoors as children. Peony unzipped both sleeping bags and laid them out next to one another like an extra wide mattress. Willow divvied up the blankets, Rose placed the pillows. They were a lot bigger now. Rowen was half on the carpet, but she didn’t really mind. She was plenty comfortable once they had all settled in together.
“I’ll… just sleep on the couch,” said Eric.
Rose laughed and tossed him a pillow. Rowen handed him a blanket. They shared a kiss before Rowen settled down once more and fell into a deep and comfortable sleep.
Chapter Two
Morning was loud and abrupt, just as it always was in the Greensmith household. Rowen found she still had a strange talent for sleeping through it. She didn’t fully wake up until one of the kids tripped over her. Rowen opened her eyes to see Roswell sprawled out beside her. He looked back as he got to his feet again. “Sorry.”
“Go upstairs,” said Lydia.
“But.”
“I told you to stop running twice now. No buts. Go upstairs.”
Rowen heard Roswell whine and stalk away. Rowen yawned and sat up. To her left, Willow was still snoring. From the sound of it, everyone else was up. There was a lot of sound coming from the kitchen, and Rowen could smell pancakes. That got her moving.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Lydia said with a smile. “I was wondering if you would ever get up and grace us with your presence.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost eight thirty.”
“Does that count as sleeping in?” Rowen stood and stretched. Eric wasn’t on the sofa anymore. He must be in the dining room as well.
Lydia looked down at the mess of sleeping bags and pillows with a sigh. “You were all so cute camped out in here. I wish I could have gotten a picture.”
Rowen cringed. “I’m glad you didn’t. That sounds creepy.”
“It’s not creepy, it’s… Well, you’ll understand when you’re older.” Lydia motioned her toward the dining room. “Go have some breakfast before it all gets cold.”
Rowen wasn’t sure she would understand. At any rate, she was glad that there wasn’t a picture of last night that would be hanging on the wall anywhere. There were plenty of old embarrassing pictures on the walls as it was.
“Hey, Babe.” Eric stood up from the table as soon as Rowen entered the room. He was mostly surrounded by Rowen’s uncle and step uncles at the table. He had probably gotten roped into “guy talk.” His eyes said he was thankful to have her there as an escape plan. Rowen’s cousins looked to all be in the kitchen having a conversation of their own.
“Do you want us to make room for you?” asked Nadine, looking to Rowen as she motioned at the syrup and pancakes.
“That’s all right,” Rowen assured her. She reached over them to make herself a plate before heading into the kitchen. She didn’t really fancy the idea of getting s
tuck at that table either.
“Hey,” said Willow. She was sitting up on the kitchen counter, drinking a glass of orange juice. Peony and Rose were to the left and right of her. It looked like Margo might have gone back to her trailer after waking up. That wasn’t a surprise. It was rare that you saw Margo during the daytime without a nice outfit and full face of makeup.
“Good morning,” said Rowen before shoving a forkful of pancakes in her mouth.
“Not really,” muttered Peony. Rowen looked her way, full of questions but unable to speak them.
“It’s okay.” Rose said quickly, looking up from her phone with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Enjoy your breakfast. It’s just a news day that’s… sort of depressing. We can talk about work after.”
Rowen finished chewing and sighed. She couldn’t exactly take a second bite and enjoy it now. “Just tell me.”
“Well, Ben called this morning. You know how I told you he and the men were on patrol just in case there were people on the streets that didn’t make it to adequate shelter?”
Already Rowen was imagining people shivering on the streets while she sat in front of a fire roasting marshmallows. “And there were casualties?”
“It’s too soon to really say, but… Well, someone did die, yes.”
“So, it’s not too early to say.” Rowen’s fork was still hovering over her plate.
“It’s kind of an odd case, though,” Rose said quickly, as if Rowen had it all wrong. “This person actually died indoors. It was an old lady. She didn’t have her heat on, and… These things happen, I guess.”
“Do they?” Rowen decided to go ahead and polish off her pancakes regardless of the news.
“I think these things happen in other parts of the country. I don’t suppose they happen too often in Lainswich… I’ll probably write something up on it from here. The roads are still icy. Ben doesn’t want me trying to head into work. More than anything, he said they dealt with a lot of wrecks last night. Apparently, one of his men even got into a fender bender with someone.”
