Room On Fire

Room On Fire Chapter 15

Duncan

   I lounged around the house all of that day, trying my best to avoid Vanessa. I went out to mu car and climbed safely inside, locking all the doors behind me. I yanked all of Abby’s mix CD’s from the stereo system and turned on one of my own. “Hippie, Hippie, Hoorah” by the Black Lips wafted from the speakers at an earsplitting volume, but at the point, I couldn’t care less.

   “Where are you Abigail?” I mumbled to no one in particular. What if she was hiding out there somewhere… waiting for someone to find her? What if she expects me to come looking?

   I started up the car engine and pulled backwards out of the driveway. I saw Vanessa’s face in the kitchen window as I turned the corner and pulled out onto the highway. I couldn’t think of Vanessa right now, I had to think only of Abby.

   As I drove, the steady beat of the music seemed like a slow march to my death. What if I never found her? Then this would be a pointless journey. My first stop was the amphitheatre where we had our first real date seeing a Strokes cover band. They were horrible, but we stayed and sung along to every word anyways.

   “I don’t wanna waste your time!” Abby sung in her melodic, music-box voice.

   “We worked hard, darling; we don’t have no control,” I sang out of tune. “We’re under control!” We sang together. That was when I kissed her for the first time.

   I shuddered at the memory that seemed too far away. I reluctantly retrieved her favourite CD off of the floor of the car and put it in. Of course, “Evening Sun” was the first to play. I pulled out of the parking lot and went down the street to the tiny park where we used to sit and imagine our future.

   “If I ever have children, I’ll make sure they come here every day.” She said, smiling at a little girl playing in the sandbox in the shape of a dinosaur.

   “If you ever have children” I chuckled, “I don’t think those hips could bear it, darling.” She scowled at me.

   “I want children… at least one would be nice. Two can be complete without the rest of the world.” I recognized the Strokes reference instantly.

   “This is why I love you.” I murmured, kissing her delicately on the cheek. “You’d make a wonderful mother.”

   I sat with tears in my eyes. I couldn’t possibly leave the car or else I’d have a meltdown. Our child could have played here… maybe they will. These memories got my imagination flowing which ended up greatly calming my nerves.

   “I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl.” I thought aloud. “She’d probably want to name her something like Eden… Not Eden specifically, but something that reminds her of her little sister. If it’s a boy she’d give him a cute name…” Eventually my daydreams were cut short by a knock at my window.

   “Sir,” The cop said as calmly as he could manage. “I must ask you to leave. I’ve gotten a few complaints from mothers that you’re acting suspiciously.”

   “I’m sorry.” Was all I could manage and I quickly pulled out of the parking lot and back onto the busy stream of cars. I glanced down at the clock on my dashboard and it was already one in the afternoon. Guess I was sitting there longer than I realized.

 

Eden

   I went to work the next morning happier than I had ever been. As I walked to the bookstore, I couldn’t help but feel like a huge weight had been lifted from my nimble shoulders. Abigail and I had spilled our secrets and my assumption that something was different about her turned out to be accurate.