by Rae Knightly
Ben sighed and sat up, dropping the document beside him. “No, it’s ok. I can handle it.”
She hoped he would open up more, but since he didn’t add anything, she said, “I know it’s hard, starting over. Especially in a new school with new friends. Just hang in there while I get us back on our feet again, ok?”
He shrugged. “Actually, it’s not too bad. They’ve been pretty friendly so far.”
Laura nodded. “Same here. I’m beginning to like this town.”
“Me, too.” Ben’s brief smile disappeared.
“Is something the matter?” she asked, reading his face like it was her own. She touched his left arm, but he pulled it away and she thought she saw him wince.
“I’m fine.”
She noticed he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“It’s just,” he hesitated, searching for words. “I’m not sure where I belong.”
“I know,” Laura said, staring at the floor. “I feel the same.” Their eyes finally met. “It’s normal to feel like that, at your age,” she added. “But our situation obviously doesn’t help.” She patted his leg. “I promise I’ll find us a place where we can belong.”
His eyes lowered. “Look at me,” she said. He did. “I promise you,” she insisted. “Do you believe me?”
He nodded, but his eyes had drifted away again.
As she descended the stairs, Laura found Mesmo and Thomas bending towards each other, concentrated on a deep conversation. When they heard her approach, they distanced themselves, and the frown on Thomas’ brow disappeared. He broke into a grin and he clapped his hands. “Come on, dinner is getting cold!”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Gift
A week later, Ben found Ms. Evans with a smug smile on her face. He glanced around at the rest of the students as he organized his pens and books on his table. Several of them were grinning.
Did I miss something?
He figured they had been telling a joke before he arrived, so he ignored them and sat at his desk.
“’Morning, class,” Ms. Evans greeted them.
“’Morning, Ms. Evans,” the students chanted back.
Still smiling, Ms. Evans glanced in Ben’s direction. “I don’t think Ben knows our tradition yet. So how about we put some extra effort into it?”
Ben stared around the classroom in bewilderment.
What’s going on?
“Ready? One, two, three! Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”
They all chanted extra loudly, while Ben’s face flushed in surprise.
When they finished singing, Ms. Evans handed a card to him, saying warmly, “Happy thirteenth birthday, Ben. Everyone signed a card for you. We always sing when it’s someone’s birthday so you’ll be hearing this a lot this year.”
Ben grinned as he accepted the card. He turned around to survey the back of the classroom, but Kimi wasn’t there. She had been absent ever since the crow incident. He whispered to Max, “Is Kimi sick?”
The round-cheeked boy shrugged. “’Dunno.” He glanced at Ben’s backpack hopefully. “Did you bring cupcakes?”
Later, after school, Ben came home to a delicious smelling house.
His mom stepped out of the kitchen with a broad smile. “Happy birthday, Ben!” she said, hugging him. “Did you have a good day?”
He showed her the birthday card. He had never gotten this much attention from his classmates before, so this day had turned out to be quite special. He started telling her about it, but loud grumbling burst from the kitchen.
“Are you all right in there, Thomas?” Laura yelled from the living room.
Thomas appeared in the doorway. “Darn onions!” he said, wiping his eyes with a kitchen towel. Then he spotted Ben and his face brightened. “Hey, kiddo! Happy birthday!” He squeezed Ben, then lifted him up.
Ben squirmed. “Put me down!” he protested, laughing.
Thomas put him back on his feet and pretended to have a fist-fight with him. Ben copied him, dancing from one foot to the other, launching fake punches at the man, then ended up on the couch with Thomas tickling him in the ribs. Tike ran from one to the other excitedly.
“Stop it!” Ben laughed until his eyes watered.
Laura grinned. “That’s enough kids! Our meal’s going to burn!” She pointed her index finger at Ben “You’re not allowed in the kitchen, is that clear? Thomas is making a pot pie and I’m baking a cake.” Her face twisted as she admitted, “At least, I’m trying to.”
Thomas released Ben with a contagious laugh, then headed back to the kitchen.
Still grinning, Ben picked himself up and was heading upstairs when the doorbell rang. He opened the door, only to find there was no-one there. A whiff of ice-cold air smacked him in the face. Tike scurried outside.
“Tike!” Ben called, grabbing his scarf and wrapping it around his ears and mouth as he followed the dog. Tike tailed a person who walked away hurriedly with hunched shoulders.
“Kimi!” Ben yelled, recognizing the long, black coat.
He ran after her, trying to ignore the biting cold. He reached her and touched her shoulder. “Kimi?” he said again.
Only then did she stop and look at him.
“Hi!” Ben said.
She hid her face behind her long bangs, seeming embarrassed at having been discovered. “Hi,” she said shyly. “I didn’t mean to disturb. I’ll come by some other time.”
“No, no, that’s ok. Can we go inside, please? I’m freezing!” He stuffed his hands in his pockets.
She was obviously reluctant to accept, but she nodded and followed him back to the house. He took off his scarf, noticing that she didn’t move from the front door even though he had closed it. She seemed to want to be able to head out again at the slightest chance.
“You weren’t at school all week,” Ben noted. “Have you been sick?”
She shook her head, her eyes hiding behind the strand of hair sticking out from under her black beanie. “I had to help my mom,” she said vaguely. “She hasn’t been feeling well.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” An awkward silence fell over them, until he ventured, “Er…is there something we can do to help?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. It’s just that, I was wondering if I could borrow your notes.”
Ben’s face brightened, finally understanding the reason for her visit. “Of course!” he smiled encouragingly. “Do you want to hang your coat here?”
She started taking it off when she noticed the nicely laid table. Her eyes widened. “Oh! I didn’t realize you were going to have dinner! Maybe I should go…”
At that moment, Laura stepped out of the kitchen. When she saw Kimi, she glanced at Ben in surprise.
He gestured towards the girl. “Mom, this is Kimi from my school…”
Laura’s face broke into a smile. “Hi, Kimi. That’s so sweet of you to come by for Ben’s birthday!”
Ben and Kimi exchanged a lightning glance. Kimi’s face went crimson. “I…I had no idea!” she stammered. “You should have told me it was your birthday,” she scolded. “You obviously have plans. I’ll come back another time…”
But Laura put her hands on her hips. “Now wait a minute! Ben hasn’t had any school friends over since we arrived! Why don’t you stay for dinner? We’d love to have you!”
“Mom!” Ben exclaimed, the blood rushing to his cheeks, then he refrained from saying anything more as he realized he didn’t dislike the idea. He glanced at Kimi to see how she would react.
The girl resembled a small bird caught in a trap. Ben could see her brain scrambling for an excuse. “I don’t know…” was all she came up with.
“I’ll tell you what,” Laura offered “Why don’t you guys head on up and start your homework. You can think about it and decide later, Kimi. How’s that sound?”
Kimi replied in a small voice, “Um, ok.” She apparently liked the delayed decision better.
Ben smiled excitedly. “Yeah! Come on up! I need hel
p with the literature assignment.”
Kimi hung up her jacket this time, though she kept her beanie hat on. “Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?” she hissed as they climbed the stairs.
“Because you weren’t at school, dummy!” he teased. Kimi punched him in the side and he laughed. When they reached the landing, he turned to her, saying, “Hey! How did you know where I lived?”
She shrugged. “Everybody knows where Thomas lives.”
***
Laura struggled with the icing pipe; the frosting she had made was too runny and oozed down her fingers instead of on the cake. She squealed when the doorbell rang again and stuffed the sweet goo into her mouth before it fell to the floor. As she opened the door with her sticky hands, she heard Kimi clambering down the stairs behind her.
A woman with waist-long, black hair stood in the dim light.
“Hi,” the woman said. “I’m Maggie, Kimi’s mother.”
“Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Laura,” she replied. “Sorry I can’t shake your hand; mine are full of icing.” She let Maggie in, suddenly realizing that there was a furious look on the woman’s face. It was directed at Kimi.
“Kimimela!” Maggie said sharply. “Where have you been? I’ve been looking all over for you!”
“I was doing homework!” Kimi snapped. “I missed school, remember?”
“What’s gotten into you? You don’t go to people’s houses on a whim like that! These people obviously have better things to do!” Maggie retorted.
“Fiiine!” Kimi said in exasperation as Ben joined the group. She grabbed her jacket, glaring at her mother. “Let’s go, then!”
Thomas materialized out of the kitchen. “Maggie!” he bellowed. “Is that you? I don’t believe it! It’s been ages!” He rushed to the woman with his arms outstretched and a big smile, oblivious to the unfolding drama. He placed both hands gently on the woman’s shoulders and kissed her on each cheek.
“This must be my lucky day!” he continued enthusiastically. “You won’t believe what I’m making! I’m trying out your famous pot pie recipe and failing grandly at it! You’re just the person I need! Please, please, help me. I need to know which herbs you use…” He chatted away, leading Maggie into the kitchen before she could object.
Laura, Ben and Kimi remained in the hallway, staring at each other uncomfortably.
Laura jumped into action. “Ben, grab an extra set of chairs. Kimi, could you add a couple of plates to the table, please? Dinner will be ready in five minutes, and we’ve got plenty of it!"
Everyone pretended nothing had happened only a moment earlier. Kimi hung up her jacket once more, then helped Laura with the dishes while Ben brought two chairs from the upstairs bedrooms.
Aware that Thomas was trying to lighten the mood, Laura noticed he gave Maggie and Kimi no chance to leave the house. He kept Maggie in a constant conversation until, unexpectedly, they were all sitting at the table, admiring Thomas’ steaming pot pie and Laura’s fresh spinach salad.
Only Mesmo’s seat was empty. Laura figured it was best to set a plate for him, explaining that her husband, Jack, was working late. Maggie accused Thomas of making Ben’s dad work too late on the boy’s birthday, to which Thomas replied that Jack had no reason to complain: he was working in the warm Canmore Air hangar while he himself had just come from a three-day trip way up in the Inuvialuit Region.
Laura glanced at Thomas in surprise, wondering what Thomas had been doing so far North of the Arctic Circle. She had become used to Thomas’ frequent absences, as he was hired as a pilot to fly to remote locations. She hadn't realized he had to fly that far away and made a mental note to question him later. She stood up, saying she would bring something to drink for this special occasion.
In the kitchen, she took a bottle of red wine from a cabinet, opened it, then found three wine glasses for herself, Thomas and Maggie. When she turned around, Thomas was standing right behind her.
“Oh!” she gasped, almost dropping the bottle.
Thomas had a bleak look on his face which caught her off guard. “Not that!” he whispered urgently, taking the wine bottle away from her.
“Hey! What are you doing?” she objected.
Thomas put a finger to his lips, indicating she shouldn’t speak so loudly.
Laura lowered her voice. “What going on?”
Thomas said in a quiet, serious voice, “Maggie can’t handle alcohol.”
Laura’s eyes widened. Very slowly, she let out a long, “Oh!” Carefully, she placed the wine glasses back on the kitchen sink, then turned around to face him again. “I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I had no idea.”
Thomas nodded sadly. “Juice would be better,” he said, then headed back to the dining room where she heard him say joyfully, “Who wants seconds?”
When Laura sat down again, Thomas was asking Maggie to tell them stories about the people of Canmore, most of whom she had known for years. Both Thomas and Maggie took turns telling funny stories about the neighbourhood, making them all laugh.
When it was time for dessert, Laura switched off the lights and brought in the cake she had baked for her son. They sang Happy Birthday, then Ben blew out the candles after Laura encouraged him to make a wish. When she switched on the lights again, Mesmo was standing in the kitchen doorway, startling them.
Recovering swiftly, Laura shouted, “Surprise!”
Ben said, “Hi, Dad!” with a crooked smile on his face.
Laura cleared her throat, then introduced him. “This is my husband, Jack.” She turned to him, adding, “You made it home just in time for the cake, honey!” She moved a chair aside at the table so he could sit with them without having to shake Maggie and Kimi’s hands. Laura presented the guests to him while she cut the cake.
Mesmo nodded to them, then turned his attention to Ben. “Happy birthday, Ben,” he said, playing along. “There’s a gift waiting for you in the yard.”
Laura threw him a warning glance, but he ignored her.
“Really?” Ben said with genuine surprise.
Before Laura could react, Ben and Kimi were out of their chairs, dashing to the kitchen. The adults followed.
Laura heard Ben exclaim, “Wow!” as he opened the kitchen door and rushed out. Ignoring the freezing air, she spotted the gift immediately: a very well made, round igloo with a square opening.
“Terrific!” Kimi exclaimed.
Ben ran back, his eyes shining. Breathless with excitement, he said, “Thanks, Dad. I love it!”
Mesmo nodded. “I thought you would.”
A smile crept on to Laura’s face. She caught Mesmo’s eye and mouthed, “Thank you.”
***
Later that evening, Thomas insisted on driving Kimi and Maggie home so they wouldn’t have to walk in the cold. Laura was stacking dishes in the dishwasher by the time he returned.
“Where’s Mesmo?” Thomas asked.
“He’s still outside.” He’d been outside ever since the children had discovered the igloo.
Thomas headed for the wine bottle, pulled out the cork and filled up two wine glasses. He passed one to Laura and they gently clanked their glasses together.
“Here’s to a not-too-messed-up-cake,” Thomas said, winking at her.
Laura laughed. “Here’s to a scrumptious pot pie.”
They each took a sip out of their glasses.
“I had a good evening, Thomas!” Laura said earnestly. “I’m glad Kimi and Maggie decided to stay. It made Ben really happy. He needed some sense of normalcy.”
Thomas nodded. “I needed that, too. I mostly avoid town folk. They’re too nosy. But Maggie’s ok.”
Laura glanced at her wine glass thoughtfully. “Thank you for stopping me earlier. I had no idea Maggie had a drinking problem.”
Thomas placed his glass on the kitchen counter and began cleaning a pot in the sink. “I don’t think she was always like that, you know? Apparently, before her husband abandoned her, you wouldn’t have recognized her.
People say she was a hard worker. Her veterinary practice was the place to go if you had a sick animal. She’d take on a lot more work than she could handle because her good-for-nothing husband spent his days on the couch. I don’t know what she saw in him. They say he was never satisfied. He always expected more of her and she would try to keep him happy.” Thomas handed her a pot, which she dried with a kitchen towel, absorbed by his tale.
“Then one day he packed his bags, went out the door, and never came back. Maggie couldn’t get over it. She felt it was her fault he’d left. She’s been on a downward spiral ever since. She gave up on her practice, she’s given up on being a mother to Kimi...” He paused, thinking, then added sadly, “Basically, she’s given up on herself.”
Placing the dry pot on the kitchen counter, she observed Thomas while he spoke. With some surprise in her voice, she said, “You have feelings for her…!”
Thomas handed her another pot, looking her straight in the eyes. “I do,” he admitted. “I’m not ashamed of it. She’s a wonderful woman! She’s just forgotten it.” He scrubbed a pan mechanically, lost in thought. “If only she would remember who she was, maybe I wouldn’t be so invisible to her…”
Laura stared at him sadly, trying to find something comforting to say. Before she could reply, Thomas said half-jokingly, “What a sad pair we make, you and me!”
She stopped wiping the pot and frowned. “What do you mean?”
He stared at her in surprise. “Come now! You read me like an open book, Laura. Don’t think I haven’t been reading you, too!” He rinsed the pan, shaking his head with half a smile on his face. “Me, in love with a woman who barely knows I exist. And you, in love with an extraterrestrial. For goodness sake!” he snorted. “It couldn’t get more complicated than that!”
Laura had stopped drying the pot altogether, her mouth opened in protest, but when she realized he was onto her, her cheeks turned crimson, and she remained silent.
Thomas glanced at her and said gently, “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. These aren’t feelings you can control. They just kind of creep up on you until you can’t shake them off again.” He pulled the plug from the sink, then rested his hands against the side. “We’ve got to keep believing, Laura. Anything can happen. You never know…”
