Wrestling the Kraken

Barbara

Barbara

Checking the address one more time, Barbara walked up the steps. A gust of wind blew, but it was warm enough. She adjusted the coat in her arms and knocked on the door. Dante stood in the doorway. There were deep lines on his face and his eyes were glazed over, but for the briefest of moments, she could sense a sigh of relief. It was gone before she could confirm whether it was real or her imagination.

"Hi, thanks for meeting with me." She said, walking in. "When did you move here?"

"I didn't. It's my father's place." He answered. Then he showed her into the living room of the townhouse.

"Oh, wow, so he's settling here in Fox Hollow? Odd, but isn't everything? I mean you get so accustomed to odd, you know-"

"You said you needed to see me? About what?" He said, interrupting her.

"Well, not necessarily needed, more like wanted really. Anywho, I came by to give you this." She handed him the coat she was holding. "It was found when we were putting things away into storage. I remember you wanted me to find her something, a spot in the circus, before she...before she was..."

"Killed." Dante said for her. He looked at the blue knee length coat in his hands, remembering when he found her snooping in the office. He thought maybe he could use her as an ally, someone else who was on his side.

"Why give this to me?" He asked.

"I don't know, really. Just figured you should be the one to decide what becomes of it. It didn't feel right to make that call myself."

"Thanks." He said and tossed the coat onto the sofa. "Was there anything else?"

"No, that was it."

"Alright, well I'll see you out."

He led Barbara toward the door, but she turned around to face him.

"You know, if you guys are sticking around in Fox Hollow, I could too. If you ever need anything, not just work related. I thought maybe-"

"No need." He said, interrupting. "You should probably find something better. You... deserve better."

"I think it would-"

"It was great to see you, Barbara. Thank you for the coat." He said, ushering her out the door.

"Ok, sure." She said, stepping outside.

"And good-luck." He said, a bit softer, watching her head down the steps. A small pang was felt somewhere deep inside, but it vanished before it could reach the surface.

♦

Arriving at the storage unit, Barbara saw Charlotte was still sifting through boxes. The idea of having to let this family go had been gnawing at her the whole ride over. Was this really the end of it all?

"Did you find it yet?" She called out, reaching the unit.

Charlotte lifted her head from a box she was rummaging through in the far corner. "No, not yet. I was sure it would be here."

"Here let me help. Which photo are you looking for again?"

"It's the one with all of us together. Dante and I were kids."

"Oh! You mean the one taken for your sixteenth birthday."

"Yeah, that's the one. Dad had the circus put on a special show and pulled me in from the audience."

Barbara walked over to a set of boxes labeled "Admin" with a black marker. She pushed a few aside, trying to reach one on the bottom. Finding the one she was looking for, she opened it and started digging through it.

"Aha! Here it is." She said, bringing the photo to Charlotte.

"Oh you're amazing Barbara, really. I asked Dad, thinking he had it in his things, but he didn't seem to know what I was talking about."

"It used to be, but when Vivianne helped redecorate his office, it got put away. I took it out and hung it up on the admin trailer. It was too precious not to, with Dante so young dressed up in a fine suit like that." Barbara let her smile fade, remembering that her final moments with them were happening right now. It would all soon be just a memory.

"You know, I begged Dante to go back to Paris with me. He's hardly seen Richard or Bobby. Anyway, he's set on staying a while longer. It would sure be nice if he had someone to look out for him. He didn't seem too good last time we talked."

"I offered, but I get the impression he'd rather be alone. With everything he's been through...all of you have been through, I wouldn't blame him. I just don't think he wants me around right now."

"Still it would be nice to have someone nearby for him to reach out to, whenever he's ready. You've always been like family to us. I know it's a lot to ask."

"No, it's not. I would love to. I didn't really have any plans anyway. Maybe head to my sister's, but that can wait."

"That would give me one less thing to worry about, thanks Barbara." Charlotte said and looked down at the photo. Her mother and father holding hands, with Dante all dressed up, one arm wrapped around her shoulder.