Will & Indie

5.

Life is fragile,

Don't let it slip from your hands and break

Before you're ready

Indie heard a chorus of meows coming from outside her bedroom door. She reluctantly opened it, and both of her cats came rushing in all at once.

"Magnus, Violet, what are you two doing?" Indie asked.

Magnus, the black cat, jumped up on Indie's bed to lay down, while Violet, the white cat, jumped up on Indie's bed to attack Magnus.

"Alright, you two troublemakers, up and out!" Indie said, standing up from her desk chair and walking over to her bed. "Shoo! Goodbye!"

Violet fled the scene, and Indie closed the door behind her. Magnus hissed in Violet's direction before getting back into his sleeping position on Indie's bed.

Indie sat down on her bed and mindlessly pet Magnus's soft black fur as she surveyed her dusty bookshelf. Her classic novels sat there, practically untouched since the day she'd lined them up there. It reminded her of the first day she met Will, and how much she wished she could see him again.

Indie heard her mom's classic triple-knock on her bedroom door. Indie smiled. "Come in," she said softly.

Mae Argyle was a dedicated but exhausted mother, with ever-present eye bags and messy ginger curls after unexpected night shifts at the hospital. She sat down next to Magnus after planting a small kiss on Indie's forehead.

"How were classes today?" Mae asked.

"A boring blur, as per usual." Indie shrugged, glancing down at her laptop that leaned against her dresser. "But it's no biggie. I always finish them fast, that way I can work on my crochet patterns sooner."

Mae smiled. "You've always been my creative sprout."

"I don't intend on changing that anytime soon," Indie replied. She looked into her mom's tired blue eyes, studying her pupils. "How was work?"

Mae sighed, rubbing her eyes. "Same ol', same ol'." She shrugged. "I wish I could stay here and be with you while you're doing your schooling, but that's just... not in the cards for us right now."

Indie gently placed her hand atop her mom's and gave her a smile. "I understand, mom. I appreciate everything you do for me."

Mae pulled Indie into a hug, trying to suppress her tears. "Thanks, sunshine." She whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

Indie felt her heart sink. She held her mom just a little bit tighter. "I don't know what I'd do, either."
All of a sudden, Indie's phone vibrated from the other side of her bed, bringing them both back to reality. Mae pulled away from their embrace and grabbed her phone.

"Was that you or me?"

"I think it was me," Indie grabbed her phone and looked at it. To her delight, it was Will.

Will: Hey, Indie! I miss you. Want to go out for coffee with my sister, her friend and I later today?

Indie couldn't help but smile as she read the message over and over again, almost forgetting that her mother was sitting right beside her.

Mae raised a brow. "Whatcha smilin' at, sunshine?"

Indie feverishly typed back a message as she replied, "Just a text message."

"I see." Mae nodded. "Might it be from the boy you met at the park last Saturday?"

Indie felt her cheeks get warm. "It might," she practically whispered.

Mae smiled, leaning back on Indie's pile of pastel colored pillows. She gave Magnus a quick love pat. "You remember the Three Date Test Drive, right?"

Indie looked down, laughing quietly. "You've made it awfully hard to forget, mom."

"I'm telling you, girlie, this is the best trick in the dating biz! Three dates is the perfect amount to get to know one another, talk about goals and dreams, and to see if they haven't gotten tired of you yet." Mae winked.

"Mom..." Indie shook her head.

"I'm serious! It works! How do you think I knew your father was the right one for me?"

"I've heard this story a hundred times-"

"Because I went on exactly three dates with him." Mae nodded proudly as if she'd just disclosed the meaning of life. "On the first date, you're both really nervous and, let's face it, awkward... so it's kinda hard to tell what the person is really like when you're trying to see past butterflies." She continued. "On the second date, you start to get more comfortable around one another. That's when you start examining their personality past the first date charm. And, of course, on the third date, you ask them the tough questions and talk through the important things together." Mae concluded. "If they can still stand to be around you after thorough testing like that, they can withstand a lifetime of husband-hood with you by their side." She said with a wink.

Indie laughed. She had known about the Three Date Test Drive ever since she was a little girl. She'd always heard her mom and dad joke about it together, as well as her grandmother walking her through it a million times, just like her mom did. She couldn't help but wonder how many years the method had been passed down.

"I only wish dad could have stuck around a bit longer... you know, for the husband-hood part." Indie murmured. Waves of memories crashed to the shores of her mind.

"You and me both," Mae flashed a weak smile. "Unfortunately, God's timing is different from ours. I think He needed Lewis back in heaven more than we needed him here on earth." She shifted to a more comfortable position. "Don't forget, though: we'll always see him in the stars."

Indie nodded, but she still wished she knew the reason why her dad had to go so soon. She felt incredibly selfish because she wanted him back, badly.

Mae planted a final kiss on Indie's forehead as she stood up from her bed. "I love you, sunshine."

Indie smiled. "I love you too, mom."

"Don't forget about the method, ok?" Mae said with a wink.

"I don't think that's possible."