Life Lost and Found

9: Thirteen Days of Hesitation

That Evening

Madeline pulled into the alley by the shop, parked her bike, and headed for the back door. But she stopped at the bottom step, reluctant to enter.

She did not want to talk to her father. In fact, he was one of the last people she wanted to talk to. He would make this difficult. And she couldn't let him do that. She couldn't let him interfere. Her resolve wasn't that strong—any interference might cause her to change her mind.

Besides, her plan wasn't really clear yet. She had to figure it out before she talked to him. But how long would that take?

And that's when Daniel Parker opened the door. "Lizzie!"

"Oh. Hi," she lamely replied.

Daniel dropped the sack and hurried down to embrace his daughter. "I am so glad you're back!"

"What the hug?" See, this is exactly what she had been worried about. When was the last time hugging had happened? She could already feel her resolve weakening.

And then it was over. "Oh! Take this out, will you?" He picked the sack up and shoved it at her. "I have to make a call before our supplier closes!"

"O-kay." She stood there a moment, tossed the sack in the dumpster, and considered just taking off right then and there. A stop by home to write a note, gather a few supplies—did she really need to write a note? Yeah, she guessed she did. She knew what it was like when someone vanished with no warning or explanation. He was her father. He deserved a note.

She was just about to climb on her bike when... she entered the shop instead. Because, apparently, she wanted to make this hard?

Her father was on the phone. "Yes, yes. No, forty of those. Okay. Right. Yes, that's fine." He put his hand over the receiver. He looked excited. Like, super excited. Had she ever seen him this excited? "I'm on hold. What took you so long? You said you'd only be gone a couple hours. It's been what, six?"

"Sorry. I was at the cemetery, and—"

He put up a finger and spoke into the phone. "When?... No, we need them in a week and a half at the latest... Well, that's fine as long as they get here... Hold on, let me get a pen."

Madeline, hands on her hips, sighed as she watched her father carelessly shove a large stack of mail clear off the counter in his frantic search for a pen. Most of the pile fell into a crack between the counter and the wall, which would make it tricky to retrieve. This place only stayed tidy when she was around. Which made her think—what was he going to do without her? No, no, no. She wasn't going to think about that. She couldn't.

Daniel Parker, now tangled in the phone cord, finally located a writing instrument and took down a bunch of notes. He thanked the mystery caller, hung up, and began working to untangle himself.

Madeline rolled her eyes. "We should get a cordless phone. This one's ridiculous. I'm just saying. Randomly, and for no reason based on personal experience."

"Good idea!" her father chimed happily. "Maybe we'll do that after we finish this enormous job we just got! I'm positive it's the biggest we've ever had." He rubbed his glasses on his shirt with excited energy. "I am so glad you're out of school! There's no way I could handle this by myself!"

"Oh," Madeline stated flatly, trying very hard not to look like she'd just been hit with a shovel. In the face.

"Yes indeed! We just scored the biggest wedding that Ackland has seen in, well, forever! And it's ours!"