Madison had always been a very quiet town. The biggest events to occur over the past decade or so had, in fact, been the DWIs of Anita Greenwood. Other than that, the town was placid, friendly, static. Why now, suddenly, was everything changing?
"Nothing makes any sense," I said, staring at the single hairline crack in the ceiling of Eric's room. "You saw how Celia acted right after the incident. She was cold and aloof and then she showed up last night at my door asking for my forgiveness. She looked like she was about to cry."
Eric hummed in agreement, his pen still flying across the page of his notebook. It was one in the afternoon the next day, a Saturday, and I was laying on Eric's mattress-bed contemplating while he sat beside me, writing in his journal. I didn't know which category of his journals he was writing in, but the sound of his pen scratching across the paper was oddly pleasant to
I thought a lot about my mother that night. Her eyes, her hands, the lines by her mouth when she smiled. I tried not to think about her like that too much, in memory of the smallest things about her. The things that made her my mother, the things that made her Helia, named for the sun.Things that she possessed only for me and other things she possessed only for the rest of the world. I never wanted to think of these miscellaneous things because they made her seem so devastatingly real. They made it seem like she could appear any second, walk into the room any day; like I could wake up in the morning and smell her cooking anytime or await her goodnight kisses any evening. It is terrifying to think this when I know she is departed from me.I spent a decade with her in my life. Shorter than that, really, since my memories as an infant are too hazy to truly recall. After her death I never r
The walk to City Hall was quick, and I nodded to the receptionist before stepping into my father's office. I could see the park out his window. There were some dogs playing in the grass with their owners sitting on a bench and a family having a picnic, even though the storm had barely passed. My father sat behind his desk, one hand to his forehead and the other around a crumpled piece of paper.I shut the door and he looked up. "Luna, thank God. I could really use your help.""Is everything okay?" I asked, sitting in the seat before his desk."Not quite, I'm very stressed, as you can tell. I thought you might be able to help me go through some of these papers. They're about my campaign funding.""Sure, no problem. Happy to help."He handed me a stack of papers and I started going
The next few days passed painfully slowly. I avoided everyone, feeling like I was bursting at the seams with the secret my father had entrusted in me.I spoke to Eric only on the phone a few times and only for short intervals. I knew if I saw him in person I'd want to tell him everything, and I gave my father my word that I wouldn't. So I spent those few days staring at the blank pages of my journal and watching television, hoping my dad would decide to make his announcement soon.After five days, I decided to ask him about it. It was past ten o'clock at night, and he was in the kitchen, scooping vanilla ice cream into a bowl."Hi," I said and he turned, smiling at me."Hey," he said. "How was your day?"I sat at the kitchen table, resting my chin in my palm. "
Genevieve did not go out early the next morning like she usually did. Instead I walked downstairs at nine o'clock to find her stirring sugar into her coffee, the television on. She wore her hair in a French braid and light makeup around her eyes, a blank look upon her face.I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat across from her."Morning."Her gaze snapped over to me, her eyes focusing. "Luna. Good morning.""Are you alright?"She smiled. "Yes. In fact, I've done some thinking and I have figured out what we're all going to do about this campaign situation."I furrowed my brow. "What?""Your father isn't going to drop out of the election. He's going to lose it on purpose. That way he'll retain his credibility and reputation.""How a
I watched the snow fall for some time. It could have been a few minutes, or an hour, I don't know. A soft blanket of flurry graced itself upon the street and the houses, tickling the leaves of the trees and shrubs lining the manicured yards. The sky was grey and gloomy, a great contrast from the peaceful white continuum of the world below.My phone rang, shattering the peaceful silence I had created around myself. I slid my finger across the screen and answered."Didn't I tell you it would snow?"Eric's voice made my spirits soar and I sat up straighter, smiling. "How do you know? Are you home?""Yes, I got back about five minutes ago. I thought it was necessary to call you and say I told you so."The wind picked up outside, sending the steadily falling snow into a frenzy, swirlin
"I don't understand," I said to Eric on the phone later that night, my voice hushed as I watched fresh snow fall on the darkened backyard. "He didn't seem very happy about us being together.""He was mad you told me," Eric responded. I could tell he was writing from the hint of distraction and daze in his voice. "You didn't keep your word and that's why he was angry and said those things.""I don't know," I said. "He told me he hired you to tutor Nova, not to be with me.""Too bad," he replied. "I'm excellent at multitasking."I fought to hide a smile. "Be serious, please.""Alright, alright. Look, Luna, it's okay. It's not like we're sixteen and infatuated and I'm asking you to elope with me to the Bahamas," he said and I laughed lightly. "We're adults and I think we can handle o
Eric appeared between the trees, angst in his eyes and his breathing uneven. A hint of relief flashed through his features before urgency overtook them again and he spoke, his voice battling his loss of breath. "Luna, thank God. I thought I'd never find you."I furrowed my brow, walking over to him. "What's going on?"He was still out of breath. "Something's happened. You've got to come with me, quickly, you've got to get home now.""Why? What is it?" My heart pounded faster, my pulse hammering among my veins as if it wished to escape through my skin.Eric swallowed, eyes meeting mine. "It's your father."Fear sliced through me like a blade, and worst case scenarios began running through my brain like a teleprompter, each thought more terrifying than the next.
When I awoke I was somewhere unfamiliar and I heard a storm raging outside.It was too hot and I felt constricted, covered in blankets. I blinked to look around the dark room.I didn't recognize where I was and my senses were hazy, slowly coming back to me. The feeling of fabric of soft blankets covering me above soft clothes, warm flesh pressed against my own.Crash of thunder, flash of lightning. The room came into focus.Outlines of bookshelves against one wall. Dark windows. The unmistakable outline of evergreen trees outside. A warm body next to me, soft blankets, no bed frame.I sat up rapidly, my eyes adjusting to the darkness as everything came back to me, my father's death, someone had shot my father, my father is dead.My breathing wa