“I’ll be here at three to pick them up,” Terrence states with an angry frown. He points a finger at Simone and presses his point home. “Three ‘o’ clock. No later! I expect you to have them waiting and ready to go.”
Simone gathers her youngest daughter into her arms and nods in agreement.
“I get it, Terrence. Three ‘o’ clock,” Simone responds. Her expression is one of complete resignation. “I’ll have them ready.”
Terrence offers Simone a cruel sneer and swivels to leave. He heads for his Ford SUV with a confident swagger. Confident in the knowledge that Simone must abide by his rules; or lose her very limited rights to their young daughters. He is halfway to the vehicle when he trips and goes down hard; yelling expletives on the way down.
Simone hears Terrence’s exclamation and turns just in time to see him struggle back to his feet; wiping at his expensive pants. Simone covers her mouth so that the girls will not see her laughing at their father. Terrence shoots her another angry stare and continues to his vehicle. He does not even put on his seat belt before peeling away from the curb and tearing off down the road.
Simone’s oldest daughter, Darlene, grabs her mother’s hand and jumps up and down. Simone looks down at Darlene in amusement and slight annoyance. Darlene is such an energetic child. Always bouncing around and seeking new adventures. Getting herself into all kinds of trouble. Not unlike her mother.
“Come on, Mom. I want to show you my new game,” Darlene says. “It’s basically the same idea as ‘The Walking Dead’…Just with like animals and stuff.”
Darlene tugs on Simone with all of the strength her nine year old muscles can muster. April, who is only four, plays peekaboo with Simone. Giggling after every opening and closing motion of her tiny hands. Simone shifts April to her hip and follows Darlene into the house.
-
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Later that same afternoon
“Don’t go too far, honey,” Simone says as she fills the reusable pool in the backyard.
Darlene is scraping in the dirt under a large oak tree, with a trowel and wide-toothed paint brush. The precocious youngster is pretending to be an archeologist. April sits near Simone, playing with her dolls. Like before, she is giggling uncontrollably; at times lying on the ground and covering her face with both hands. Simone watches her play and smiles inwardly. Such innocence.
Darlene’s raised voice causes Simone’s head to snap upward and she whirls to see why Darlene is upset. Darlene stands underneath the shade of a large tree. She is holding something in her hand and staring at it intensely.
Simone scoops up April and heads for where Darlene is standing. Darlene reaches out as her mother approaches; a stunned expression on her youthful face.
“Mom…I found this under the tree,” Darlene says with excitement. “What is it?”
Simone takes the item from Darlene’s hands and draws in a sharp intake of breath. She recognizes it immediately. It is an artifact from Crank’s implement belt. The crest is that of the Clan of Cha’tal; Crank’s esteemed great-grandfather.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Simone turns the artifact over in her hands many times. How could it have gotten there? Are there hunters nearby? Should she flee with the children?
A sudden movement catches Simone’s eye and she glances in the direction where she believes it came from. Beside a tree in the distance, she is certain something is there. Something obscured by shadow. Or maybe by a cloaking device. Squinting to see better, Simone watches as a figure briefly appears and then just as quickly dissolves back into thin air. This time, there is no denying what she has seen. Simone hugs April close, and the young girl squeals with joy—leaning forward and kissing Simone on the forehead with tiny moist lips.
“Mommy…I love you,” April says.
Simone kisses April’s nose and then lightly squeezes it between two knuckles. The young girl shakes her head and laughs loudly, her face turning red with the effort.
“Got your nose,” Simone says and buries her face in April’s neck. “Oh, noooo! Mmmmm! Num Num—.”
Darlene watches their play with her hands at both hips, disappointed that her mother is not paying any attention.
“Mooommm! I asked you about that thing! What is it?” Darlene says impatiently—tapping a foot on the ground.
Simone shakes her head energetically. She briefly cuts her eyes away from Darlene, while struggling to contain her excitement.
“I’m not sure, hon…” Simone answers truthfully. “But I don’t think we should play with it. I’ll put it away until I can find out what it is. Okay?”
“Okay,” Darlene says, already losing interest. She shrugs and takes hold of Simone’s free hand.
“The pool is almost ready, Mom. Let’s go swimming. Come on,” Darlene demands—nearly pulling Simone forward.
Simone chances a glance back in the direction of the distortion she witnessed. A smile builds on her lips. Suddenly, Terrence’s hard spill onto the pavement doesn’t seem so strange.
“Yeah,” Simone says with a wistful laugh. “Let’s go swimming.”
-
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Later that evening
The girls have gone home with their father. Simone sighs deeply and gathers toys from the floor. One toy, a particularly large teddy bear, draws her attention to the opposite side of the room. She crosses and picks up the large bear, holding it tightly to her chest.
“Mommy loves you, baby,” Simone says quietly, speaking to her youngest child as if she is standing right there—instead of two cities away. She cradles the bear for a moment more, and then returns to her task of cleaning up.
-
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After an afternoon of splashing around in frigid water, the warm spray of the shower is welcoming. Finally finding the courage to stop crying, and leave the comfort of the shower, Simone reaches for her towel on the rack. At first, her fingers grab empty air. Reaching out further, her fingers touch the soft material. She dries her hair with the towel and uses her other hand to shut off the water.
Climbing from the shower; Simone kicks off her shower shoes, dries her feet, and then shoves her feet into a pair of fuzzy slippers. She wraps the towel around her moist body and reaches for another towel to wrap around her head.
An arm enfolds her middle and Simone grows rigid. The light pressure of Crank’s head on her left shoulder draws a low sigh from her lips. Crank deactivates his cloak and reaches for the second towel. He grips it in one hand and offers it to Simone. She takes the towel, but drops it to the floor. Tilting her head to peer into Crank's golden-brown eyes, Simone grins toothily. She cups his face with a damp hand and kisses the skin of his cheek. The short prickly hairs, at the edges of Crank’s scalp, brush the side of her face.
Simone is beside herself with emotion. She reins in her temptation to turn and release all of her pent up frustration, and desire, on her returning lover. A part of her realizes that Crank made the right decision. He hadn’t left her out of ill-will. In the end, desire wins. She remains just where she is, choosing to let Crank do all of the work.
Crank’s other arm embraces her and Simone closes both eyes. All of her fears and anxieties melting away in a single instant. She leans further into his embrace.
“Hello, Simone,” Crank says softly. He stares at their faces which are reflected in the mirror.
“Hello, yourself,” Simone says in reply.
THE End of the Story……
OR IS IT?