by Perrin Briar
Cassie was surprised to find her father’s limousine parked outside their ten bedroom villa on the outskirts of town. She was surprised because he was never home early. He most often returned long after she had turned in for the night and she only really ever saw him at the weekends. She didn’t mind. It was how she had grown up.
Rosetta, her father’s assistant and driver, smiled at Cassie as she approached. She was stern-faced most of the time but had a soft spot for Cassie.
“Hey Cass, what’s up?” Rosetta said.
“Nothing much,” Cassie said. “Is father home?”
“Yes,” Rosetta said. “He’s inside. He wants to speak with you.”
“Speak with me?” Cassie said.
A tremor went through her. The last time her father needed to speak with her it was after he had discovered she’d been skiving off school Wednesday afternoons to go shopping. The problem was, unless he was clear about what she had done wrong right off the bat she was likely to end up revealing something different to whatever sin he thought she’d committed. She decided she would act calm and innocent until he revealed what it was she had done.
“Do you know what about?” Cassie said.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to speak to your father about that,” Rosetta said.
Cassie knew through hard experience Rosetta would never tell her any more than that. It would have been easier to get blood out of a stone.
“Your new arm looks good,” Cassie said, turning toward the house.
“Thanks,” Rosetta said. “It’s from your father. It’s top of the line.”
Cassie opened the heavy oak front door of their house, which muttered a deep foreboding groan. She could hear her father’s voice from the direction of his study. He was on his cell phone. Of course he was. He was on his cell more often than she was, and she herself was an Olympic-level user. Business acquaintances often remarked that they had known her father for more than ten years and felt they had only ever had one conversation with him.
Cassie peeked her head into his study, waiting until his voice pointed away from her. He always paced while on the phone. She saw him in profile. He looked more frazzled than usual, and kept tripping over his words, as if he wasn’t sure what to say next in the conversation. It was not an expression Cassie had seen on her father’s face often.
Cassie turned and headed toward the living room-cum-kitchen. She dumped her bag on the floor, picked up the TV remote and turned it on. A game show was on. The presenter said something vaguely funny and the audience laughed. Gotta love canned laughter.
Cassie took out a loaf of bread from the bread bin and began making a ham sandwich. She added a dollop of mayonnaise and moved to the island.
Bryan, still on his cell, came into the living room – a first. He never brought work into the rest of the house. He caught Cassie’s eye, covered the handset with a hand and said, “Be with you in a minute.” Then he turned back to the phone. “I know, I know. But I’m not sure if I can provide you with those documents right now. We’re still going through the analysis phase. I’ll let you know closer to the time. Yes, all right. Bye.”
He hung up and joined Cassie in the kitchen.
“You’re home early,” Cassie said.
“I wanted to speak with you about something,” Bryan said, switching the TV off.
Cassie’s heart rose into her throat, but she acted nonchalant.
“Do you want something to drink?” Bryan said.
“Martini on the rocks?” Cassie said.
Bryan gave her a flat look.
“Orange juice, please,” Cassie said.
Bryan poured two glasses and set them on the large kitchen island. He put hers on the oak beam through the middle – forgetting the coaster – which he always did, so Cassie slid one under her glass. Bryan downed his orange juice in one go and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. He sat his glass down on the table, but for once Cassie did not tidy up after him. He was frazzled and distracted.
“What’s up, Dad?” Cassie said.
“‘What’s up, Dad?’” Bryan said. “Don’t you mean ‘What’s up, Doc?’”
He smiled with a child’s grin. He was nervous, Cassie realized. Maybe it wasn’t anything she had done after all.
“I…” Bryan said, before looking at his shoes.
“What?” Cassie said.
She had never seen her father this way before. She was beginning to get nervous.
“Is it the company?” Cassie said. “Is something wrong?”
“No,” Bryan said. “It has nothing to do with the company.”
“What, then?” Cassie said.
He looked up at her, his eyes searching her face, reading her expression.
“I can’t tell you,” he said.
“Then what did you want to see me for?” Cassie said.
Bryan didn’t answer. Cassie stood up.
“I’m going to go change,” she said. “I’m meeting friends tonight. That’s if you think you’re okay to be alone tonight?”
“I’ll be fine,” Bryan said.
Cassie left, shaking her head. Just what was going on in the world?
6
“Get the placemats and cutlery ready,” Zoe said.
While Aaron dressed the table, Zoe stirred the vegetables, simmering in tomato sauce, and turned the hobs off. She drained the water from the noodles and then dished some out onto two plates using a pair of tongs. Then she spooned some of the sauce into the middle of the noodles, adding meatballs that she cooked in a separate pan. She took a deep breath before carrying the plates over to the dining table.
“Looks great,” Aaron said.
“Bon appetite,” Zoe said.
They dug into their meals, Aaron going first for the meatballs, while Zoe took another sip of her wine to gird her spirit. The moment of truth.
“We have a good life, don’t we?” Zoe said.
“I guess so,” Aaron said, winding the noodles around his fork.
“You guess so?” Zoe said.
“School’s hard sometimes,” Aaron said.
“We all have things we find difficult sometimes,” Zoe said. “I don’t always like my job.”
“But at least you have a choice,” Aaron said. “I have to go to school.”
“Only until you’re eighteen, and then you can choose for yourself what you’d like to do,” Zoe said.
“I suppose,” Aaron said.
“It’s just been you and me for so long I was wondering if you’d considered what it would be like to have one or two more people around here,” Zoe said.
“You’re going to get some lodgers?” Aaron said.
“No, I was thinking of something more long-term than that,” Zoe said.
“You’re going to adopt?” Aaron said.
“No,” Zoe said. “I was thinking… what if we had some people come live with us for a while. We wouldn’t have to make a decision now, but we could think about it and meet them and see if we get on well, and if we do, we could make it permanent.”
“Permanent?” Aaron said. “Which people are you talking about?”
“People like us,” Zoe said.
Zoe put her hand to her forehead. She felt a headache coming on. She didn’t know if it was caused by the wine or the situation.
“You mean you want to house some refugees like the ones in Europe from Syria?” Aaron said.
“No, not refugees,” Zoe said. “People who we might share our lives with one day.”
The living room phone rang. Zoe debated about whether or not to answer it, turning toward her chair, before changing her mind and turning back to Aaron, before turning back to the phone again.
“One second,” Zoe said.
She got up and answered the phone.
“Hello?” she said.
“Have you told him yet?” Bryan said.
“You know, it’s customary to have a pleasantry or two when speaking on the phone,” Zoe said.
There
was a pause.
“Well?” Bryan said. “Have you?”
“No,” Zoe said. “You?”
“No,” Bryan said with a sigh. “It’s not as easy as I expected. She came home, we chatted for a bit, and I was about to tell her, when the words wouldn’t come out.”
“I was just about to tell Aaron,” Zoe said. “I cooked him his favorite meal to grease the wheels.”
“Favorite meal!” Bryan said. Zoe could hear him smacking his forehead with his palm. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Do you want to call it off?” Zoe said. “It’s not too late to go back.”
“No,” Bryan said. “Is that what you want?”
“No,” Zoe said.
“I face boardrooms full of CEOs and VPs every day and yet I’m afraid of speaking to my own thirteen-year-old daughter,” Bryan said.
“I know how you feel,” Zoe said. “I’m really not sure how this is supposed to go.”
“Me too,” Bryan said. “I haven’t been in the dating game for years.”
“It’s not the dating game I’m worried about,” Zoe said. “It’s the introducing-my-kid-to-the-new-man-in-my-life game I’m concerned with.”
“Right,” Bryan said.
“This was your idea,” Zoe said.
“I know, I know,” Bryan said. “What should we do?”
“We should act like adults and bite the bullet and tell them,” Zoe said. “Like we agreed.”
“But I’m not sure if she’s going to like it,” Bryan said.
“They’ll get used to it,” Zoe said. “We’ve been putting this off for a while. Maybe they won’t react as badly as we thought.”
“I hope not,” Bryan said.
“So, what do you want to do?” Zoe said. “Pull out? Carry on with the relationship we already have?”
“No,” Bryan said. “I want you, like I said. I’ll find the courage. I’ll tell her.”
“So will I,” Zoe said. “Good luck.”
“You too,” Bryan said.
Zoe hung up and returned to the kitchen. Aaron no longer sat at the dining table. He stood at the kitchen sink, rinsing off his plate. He sat it on the drying rack and wiped his hands on the dishcloth.
“Where are you going?” Zoe said.
“I’ve finished,” Aaron said.
“I thought we could talk for a while,” Zoe said.
“I’ve got lots of homework to do,” Aaron said.
“Do it later,” Zoe said.
“It’s due tomorrow,” Aaron said.
“Then I’ll give you a note,” Zoe said.
“A note?” Aaron said. “A note for what?”
“To explain why you couldn’t do your homework,” Zoe said.
“Why couldn’t I do my homework?” Aaron said.
“Because we were talking,” Zoe said.
“But we’re not talking,” Aaron said.
“But we’re about to,” Zoe said. “Sit down.”
Aaron frowned at his mother, his eyebrows drawing down into a straight line across his eyes like his father’s used to. Zoe shook her head, dispelling the image of her dead husband.
“Sit down, please,” Zoe said.
“This sounds serious,” Aaron said.
“It is serious,” Zoe said.
“I swear, I haven’t done anything wrong,” Aaron said.
“I know you haven’t,” Zoe said. “You’re a good boy. An adult. Which is why I’m going to treat you like one.”
“You’re going to make me get a job I hate?” Aaron said.
“What?” Zoe said. “No. And not all adults hate their jobs.”
“Most seem to,” Aaron said.
Zoe took a deep breath to score a line under the conversation and begin again.
“I have something to tell you,” she said.
“Oh God,” Aaron said. “This really doesn’t sound good.”
7
Cassie was an artist with makeup. She never put on too much, preferring to verge on having too little. She had a natural beauty that makeup only detracted from. She’d changed into a short navy blue dress and matching heels. As always, she looked fabulous. As she added eyeliner, she could see Bryan stepping into her doorway in her dressing table’s mirror.
“Are you ready to tell me whatever it is you wanted to tell me before?” Cassie said.
“Sit down,” Bryan said. “I have some news for you.”
“I’m already sitting,” Cassie said. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m going out to meet friends now.”
“It’ll only take a few minutes,” Bryan said. With any luck.
“Go on, then,” Cassie said, folding her arms.
She looked just like her mother when she did that, especially with that expectant expression on her face.
Bryan shook his head.
“Come through to the front room a minute,” he said.
“You said this was only going to take a minute,” Cassie said.
“It is,” Bryan said. “Just take a seat.”
Cassie sighed. She followed Bryan through to the living room.
“All right, here goes,” Bryan said, shutting his eyes. “I’ve met someone.”
Cassie shrugged.
“So what?” she said. “You meet people all the time at work.”
“No, I mean I’ve met someone special,” Bryan said.
“You mean, like, with a mental handicap?” Cassie said.
“Are you deliberately being difficult?” Bryan said.
“Are you being deliberately mysterious?” Cassie said. “Why don’t you just tell me?”
“I’ve been working with someone, from another company, and we get on really well,” Bryan said. “We’ve been dating.”
He closed his eyes and tensed up, preparing himself for the inevitable explosion heading his way.
“I’m assuming it’s a woman?” Cassie said.
“Yes, of course it’s a woman!” Bryan said.
“How long has this been going on?” Cassie said.
“A few months,” Bryan said.
“A few months and you never told me?” Cassie said.
“I never told you when I went out on any dates,” Bryan said.
“You’ve had other dates?” Cassie said.
A shiver went through her body.
“Of course I have,” Bryan said. “But this is the first serious one. She’s kind, smart and beautiful. I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level. And that means meeting you.”
Cassie was silent a moment before letting out a deep lungful of air.
“Thank God for that!” she said.
“You’re relieved?” Bryan said.
Cassie put her hand to her chest.
“Of course I’m relieved!” she said. “My heart was beating a mile a minute! After all your talk about introducing someone and new relationships… I was starting to think you were getting into crossdressing or something, or about to introduce your boyfriend. Not that that would have been a problem. The boyfriend part, I mean.”
“No, no,” Bryan said. “Nothing like that.”
“You nearly gave me a heart attack!” Cassie said. “All I can say is, it’s about time.”
“You’re not angry?” Bryan said.
“No,” Cassie said. “Why would I be angry? I think it’s good you’re meeting someone. It’s been a long time since Mom left and you deserve to be happy.”
“I must say, you’ve taken me by surprise,” Bryan said.
“Why?” Cassie said. “Don’t you think I’d want you to see someone else?”
“Actually, no,” Bryan said. “I didn’t.”
“Then I’m pleased to disappoint you,” Cassie said. “You only live once. You should be out there, living it up.”
“Thank you,” Bryan said with a chuckle. “So, we’re cool?”
“We’re super cool,” Cassie said.
Bryan got up and hugged Cassie.
“Careful of my dress,” Cassie s
aid.
“You know, I’ve been stressing out about telling you this all day,” Bryan said.
“Well, you shouldn’t have,” Cassie said.
“I thought we could meet up some time soon,” Bryan said. “We’ll go to a restaurant, chat over a meal so you get to know each other a bit.”
“Sounds great,” Cassie said.
“How about tomorrow evening?” Bryan said.
“Fine,” Cassie said. “Can I go now?”
“You most certainly can,” Bryan said, scratching his head. “Uh, be back by ten.”
“Will do,” Cassie said, heading out the door.
Bryan smiled to himself and stretched his arms out wide in victory. He fell back onto the sofa.
“Yes!” he said.
He felt like an innocent man who had been vindicated with unexpected new evidence. He wondered how Zoe was getting on.
8
Aaron’s mouth hung open, his eyes wide with shock one moment, and then slitted and downcast the next. He was processing the information, but none of it was making sense to him. Finally, he looked up at his mother.
“Are you serious?” he said. “But you’re still married.”
“Your father’s been gone for seven years,” Zoe said. “The authorities assured us he was swallowed by a sinkhole.”
“His camp was,” Aaron said, “but he might still be around. He might have escaped.”
“It was minus five outside and the sun was beginning to set,” Zoe said. “It could only have gotten colder. And there were no jet ski marks heading away from the camp.”
“It might have snowed, covering his tracks,” Aaron said.
“There were no weather reports about snow in the area that day,” Zoe said.
“That doesn’t mean there weren’t any,” Aaron said. “Forecasters have been wrong before. And it snowed the day before. Maybe Dad left the camp then, and it snowed and covered his tracks and then he never went back.”
“The investigators interviewed the surrounding villages and towns,” Zoe said. “No one had seen him, and there’s no chance of him not being recognized – your father had introduced himself to all the locals the moment he had arrived.”
Aaron jutted out his jaw.
“I know he’s still alive,” he said. “I just know it.”
