A Taste of Candor

Chapter 22

~Tahlia.

A cruel irony it was in my mind that the very night my grounding ended, a series of aggravating circumstances intervened, thrusting me back into a sort of isolation all over again. Going on a nice, friendly outing with Keene wouldn't be possible because of the unresolved issue between us. Declan also was off limits to me by my mother's prohibition. And though I had been invited to a few tea parties with local ladies, I declined each one. I knew their shallowness, and I was hardly in any mood to look over Gab magazine's picks for the "Top 10 Handsomest Men Alive" and debate which one outshined all the others.

In all fairness, my family's company remained at least somewhat comforting. Though at many points, I eyed my father with suspicion and my mother with veiled displeasure, my brothers clearly did what they could to keep my spirits high. Not that they completely succeeded, but they did try. Accompanying them on bike rides, beach walks, and their favorite—trips to the arcade—did some good, and I appreciated the time to bond with them.

So one fairly sunny afternoon found me curled up in bed with a rather thick novel in my hands. It wasn't one of the romances I read regularly, and not even a story of school drama that would entertain me with its twists and turns. Instead, the book was one Mother had bought me years ago to distract me from the fact little ten-year-old me missed her dad. A fantasy novel about a boy who could talk to animals—it admittedly was based on a laughable premise, but it was the escapism that drew me to the book again and again.

When too much stress and too many questions came my way at once, I would often take refuge in my bedroom and read about the animal-whispering boy and his adventures. The utter lack of any ties to reality within the pages assisted this Paige in avoiding her reality.

Then reality called me back in the form of a sharp rap on my door. I sighed as I slipped a bookmark between the pages I'd been reading and called for the person knocking to come in. If it were my brother Andrew asking for specifically one of my pens again, I would have no choice but to wring his neck.

But instead, Father's broad form filled the doorway. He stepped in with what struck me as a careful smile. Like a zookeeper approaching an agitated animal, perhaps.

He didn't speak at first, just bent over to me and smoothed my hair back to plant a kiss on my forehead. After a second's hesitation, I craned my neck to peck his rough cheek.

"I missed you at breakfast this morning." Father finally spoke, "I shouldn't have been so late, but I had an urgent report to send out to my commander, and 'I was eating breakfast' would't have quite cut it."

I nodded and flashed him a compassionate smile. "It's fine. I'm sure it's nice to serve from the comfort of home instead of out on the front lines."

A distant look crossed his eyes for a moment. "Certainly. Anyway, I'd like to make up for the time I didn't spend with you this morning, Tahlia. You wouldn't turn me down for getting a bite of ice cream together, would you?"

"Of course not! I'd love that."

"I'll meet you downstairs, then."

I returned my father's grin as he stepped out of the room. Then I wasted no time in getting dressed and making a quick stop in the restroom to check my hair. Satisfied with that, I hoisted my purse over my shoulder and reconvened with Father on the bottom floor.

After saying our farewells to the rest of the family, Father's stately blue sedan welcomed us inside its leathery interior. Stuttering to a start, the engine gradually crescendoed to a full roar, and then eased into a hearty purr. Father waited for a few cars to pass before easing out, away from the curb and onto the street.