Song, Unheard

6. A Trip, Requested

She returned to bed and dozed, and when she awoke, she sought out the child. Then, she prepared breakfast and talked of plans for the day. Groomed and dressed, she left the house and found him by the little jetty, watching the morning mist dissipate. He appeared lost in thought.

"We'd like to go into town," she said with a smile.

He spun to face her. "You scared me." He put a hand to his chest and cocked an ear toward her. "I was in a dream world. What did you say?"

"We want to go to town. Drive us in?"

"Town?" he said, eyebrows raised. "Why? I thought we were spending the weekend here."

"We are," she said. "That doesn't mean we can't leave the premises though. Or are we prisoners?"

He smiled, his eyes untouched by the action. "I just thought we'd be sticking around. Relaxing." His hand went to the back of his neck. "What's in town?"

"Ice-cream," she said grinning.

"Ice-cream?" he said, brow furrowed. "It's October."

"We know. "

He paused. "Are you sure? I can think of a hundred things we can do without driving to town."

"Certain," she replied. "We've been talking about it all morning. I can't disappoint her now."

"No," he said, "I guess not." His fingers drummed silently upon the leg of his jeans. "Just give me a couple of minutes, to take in the view."

"Okay," she said. "We'll be waiting in the car."

***

The streets of the town were lightly populated so early in the day, and the atmosphere had a melancholic lilt to it. Humans and animals alike appeared to recognize the approach of the coldest months. Soon there would be snow and the lake would be solid and the town would take on the haunted feel of winter. Perhaps it was this instinct that prompted him to seek a spot outdoors.

They found a cafe and sat on the street, under the comforting glow of a propane table heater. It whispered above their heads and warmed them gently as they talked and ate. She ordered warm apple pie with a single scoop of melting vanilla ice cream, and for the child, she requested three scoops of ice cream and a cola. On another day she might have objected to the dual dose of sugar, but today the idea felt cruel.

He sipped hot, black coffee and appeared tense. She wondered if his anxiety would benefit from a prescription of some kind. She made a mental note to raise the suggestion with him out of the little one's earshot.

As she ate she watched the child, oblivious to her mother's thoughts or eyes upon her. The features were all his; the rounded nose and the symmetrical outline of the face. She looked at her little eyes, one impaired and cocked, and felt love and sadness and desperation all together. She gazed at her tiny lips and the little mute tongue that darted between them playfully. She thought of her getting older, liking boys, wondering why they did not return her affections, and she wanted to cry right there at the table. She shook away the urge and smiled and reached for the little one's hand and savored it.

When he had paid the bill, they started out home again. On the road out of town stood an old toy-store. The place had been there for as long as she could remember and sold the kind of toys that attracted as many adults as children. They were almost past the place when she spotted it.

"Pull over here!" she said.

He braked the car and pulled them into the gravel lot in front of the store at speed, skidding to a halt.

"More warning would have been appreciated."

"Sorry," she said smiling. "Come on. Let's go."

He craned forward and looked at the sign above the old wooden store. He grimaced. "I'll wait here."

"Come on in. Just for a few minutes."

"No," he said. "You go ahead."

"Oh, come on."

"I will wait in the car." he enunciated dryly.

"Just come with us."

"No!" he snapped.

Her eyes widened. She appeared stung, sat motionless, regarding him silently. After a few moments she nodded slowly. "Okay," she said. "We'll go alone."

He sighed and dropped his forehead into the palm of his hand. By the time she opened the child's door he had turned to face her and his features had softened. "Sorry I lost my temper."

"I don't see what the problem is." she said. "Just don't shout like that in front of her," she said. "You scare her."