As we drove through town I kept expecting people to come running out and throwing rocks at the car. Such a drama queen, I thought. Most people were working or on vacation.
We were driving down towards the town council office where mom worked when we went past the paper clip.
“What the actual fuck?” Daddy started. I just groaned.
“It’s the World’s Largest Paperclip,” I said. “Seriously. It was a whole thing when I was a kid. Some blogger had a paper clip and was trying to trade up to see what he would get for it. As a publicity stunt, he eventually got a house here in town.”
Daddy looked over at me and grinned. “Seriously?”
“How on earth could I make up something like that? It was a whole thing for a few months. Hell, they still do a paperclip celebration once a year. Tragically, we’ve missed,” I said with a tone of voice indicating that it was far from a tragedy that we missed it.
“Damn,” he said, only half-joking. Giant Paperclip Days would be something he would love, I could just tell. We pulled up in front of the town hall, next to the paperclip, and I could feel my stomach clench. Daddy tried to distract me.
“Does he still live in that house?” he asked.
“God no. Moved out to Whistler last I heard,” I said. Deep breathes.
Daddy opened the car door, walked around, and opened the door on my side. Yes, it could be chivalry, but it prevented me from hopping behind the wheel and driving off. I slid out of the car, the air conditioning vanishing and the hot, still summer air slammed into me. I took his hand and held onto it like I was drowning.
“Off to face the Jabberwocky, snicker-snack,” he said quietly to himself. I couldn’t help but giggle a bit.
“You only think you’re funny,” I said.
“You do as well. It’s a limited audience that appreciates my genius, but I’ll take it.”
We walked into the building and there she was, my mom.
She’d aged a bit since I last saw her. There was more grey in her brown hair and she was wearing glasses, which was new. Her dress looked straight as if it came from the second-hand clothing stored we past coming here. I got my hair from dad, my height and my eyes from mom. From all the fights we had over the years, pretty much every aggravating personality trait I had – my stubbornness, creativity, addiction issues, and temper – came from my father. Or so she said. I can’t be sure, but I think she had some part to play regarding my temper.
“Ashley,” she said, as if I was a ghost who had just unexpectedly materialized in front of her.
Daddy squeezed my hand and reminded me to breathe. “Hey, mom. We’re here,” I said.
She pushed her glasses up her nose and I could tell if I had stayed here that was going to be a new tell on when she was annoyed with me.
“Yes, and late as well. We were expecting you last night,” she said.
Wait, what? ‘We?’ What we? But before I could say anything Daddy jumped in.
“Well, I’m afraid I have to accept the blame, Ms. Clarke. After the flight got in late last night, I asked if it was ok to stay at a hotel. Given what’s happened to me in the past, I’m not 100% comfortable driving at night,” he said. Then he let go of my hand and walked slower than usual towards my mom, leaning hard on the cane. He stuck out his left hand, which was weird. “I’m Ben. It’s nice to meet you.”
Mom looked like she had the wind knocked out of her sails and reflexively stuck out her hand for him to shake. I was momentarily in awe. He completely took her off her game. He was playing the sympathy card, which he never does. I mentally kicked myself. Just because he dragged me here didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take care of me. Of course, he would.
Then something weird happened between the two of them. I couldn’t exactly see what passed between them, but a sudden look of surprise crossed mom’s face. She quickly jerked back her hand. She then composed herself.
“You’ve managed to be both late and early. I have work to do until noon. I’ll meet you at the Cottage at 12:15,” she said and then vanished into an office, leaving me with a dazed look on my face.
Daddy walked back towards me with a grin on his face, took my hand and walked me outside.
“The Cottage?” he asked.
“Paperclip Cottage,” I replied automatically. “It’s a local place to eat.”
“Of course,” he said, shaking his head. “Shall we walk? Stretch our legs a bit.”
We started moving, although I noticed Daddy’s limp magically went back to normal, so it took me a few minutes before my brain kicked back in.
“What happened back there? I mean, I appreciate you coming to the rescue, but the weird handshake and it looked like she had a stroke when you shook her hand,” I said.
“You didn’t notice,” he said. I pulled his arm so that we were heading in the right direction. “You mom said ‘we’ were expecting you last night.”
“Yeah, that was weird.”
“I tested out a theory and shook her left hand. Most people don’t expect that. That’s when I felt the diamond press into my hand.”
“Diamond?” I said, still not putting it together. Daddy stopped and looked at me.
“Kitten, she was wearing a ring much like the one you have on your left hand right now. She’s engaged.”