Where The Raven Sits

WTRS Chapter 10

It'd been a few weeks since Kadie and her dad had seen or talked about Gale. She had begun to think they'd never hear from him again, and she was very all right with that. It was hard putting what they learned from the cursed boy out of her mind, but thinking about her car helped. For a few days, Kadie had been able to hide the car's absence from her mother. She said it was in the shop or parked around the corner because the neighbor's collage aged son was lurking about. It was when she told her mother that a friend was borrowing it that things began falling apart. Throughout most of her life Kadie was under the impression that her mother paid very little attention to her daughter's life. Her mother could sit quietly in the room while Kadie sobbed over something and never ask what the problem was. Kadie was positive her mother didn't know the names of her friends or what color her nails were. But the moment her mother heard the lie, she snatched up the phone to call all of the girls in Kadie's class and demand the car's immediate return. That's when Kadie came clean.

I should have done that from the beginning. Kadie reached up and touched her cheek. She could still feel the sting where her mother had slapped her. I should avoid her until she calms down. She glanced toward the basement door. She hasn't talked to me in days.

Outside, the sun was rising quickly. Kadie needed to shower and dress for work, as much as she didn't want to. The uniform she was required to wear was...tragic. It resembled the dress a doll from the forties would wear, but the skirts were pants with a big, brass buckled belt. For the theme of the dated antique shop the outfit made sense. But it was ghastly and Kadie wished there was a room at the store she could have changed into instead of leaving the house in the costume. Adjusting her top, she crept out of her room and peeked into the kitchen. Her dad had to drive her to work, but Kadie hoped to grab a piece of toast and jump into the car before her mother saw her. She couldn't deal with the look of utter disappointment or cold silence full of contempt. Inhaling, she could smell coffee and something cooking. Kadie's heart sank. Not only was Kadie's mother in the kitchen, but she was making her own breakfast.

"Stop coddling her," her mother was saying as Kadie entered the kitchen. "You're a rotten father."

"I don't think that's true." Her dad sipped his coffee. "I'm just looking out for our child. She isn't ready – do you want her out sleeping on bus benches until she wins the lottery?"

"If that's what it takes for her to learn how to be an adult. Adults don't get their cars towed. Adults don't lie. Adults don't live and mooch food and livelihood off their parents."

Her dad burst out laughing, chocking on his drink and spitting on the magazine in his free hand. The shaking mug spilled all over the table. His wife's face turned red.

"Come on now with that!" Kadie's dad cackled. "You have a messed up idea of reality, you know that? I get why you don't leave the house. Just because you have a preference of what a perfect person, family, or husband is doesn't mean that's how the world works. Keep closing your eyes if you want, but you've made your own share of mistakes that we've all ignored. If I have to be honest, Kay is closer to a perfect person than you are."

"Marrying you was my biggest mistake!" her mother snapped.

"You were the one who idealized doctors. You should have backed out when I mooned your dad on our first date."

"It's not too late for me to back out now." She stormed out of the room.

"Perfect people don't get divorced!" he called after her.

Kadie felt nauseous. Were her parents going to get divorced? A shiver ran through her body and she clutched her top. Was she going to be responsible for breaking them up? Her parents had a pattern of quippy little spats and disinterested periods where they wouldn't speak to each other, but this seemed different. Her dad had never once said the word 'divorce' that Kadie could remember. It was a strange and terrible sound in his light and whimsical voice. And her mother raising her voice.... The entire house suddenly felt very unfamiliar. Every inch of it felt like it was holding some cold secret about her parents' marriage that she didn't know.

They're not going to separate.... Kadie stared at her hands. They've been married for almost thirty-seven years. You can't get divorced after that long.

"What are you doing, Kay?"

Kadie jumped. Her dad was standing above her with his damp magazine and coffee stained hands. There were stains on his shirt as well.

"N-nothing, Dad." She looked around guiltily, straightening out her clothes. "Just getting ready for work."

"Looks like you were about to cry. That's what you get when you eavesdrop." Her dad offered his hand, pulling his daughter to her feet. "You can't hide in that outfit. You stand out like a shark dressed as a fire truck."

"Dad...I can't process your analogies right now. Are you and Mom going to be okay?"

"When you're older, I have a big secret to tell you about the state of our marriage. But for now, we need to get you to work."

"Dad, I'm nineteen! Just tell me what's it is!" Kadie felt herself panicking. "Are you guys separating? Can you fix it?!"

Her dad pulled her into a hug. "Calm down, Kay. You mother and I aren't going to separate – we're too stubborn to live in different houses. She just wants to kick you out because she's angry. As interesting as it would be to see you dressed as a bag lady, I don't think you'd survive a night out alone. Let her be mad and serve up another set of divorce papers, but nothing will come of it."

"A-another? You've nearly been divorced before?"

"Weeeell, sure. Let's go with 'nearly'."

"Dad!"

"Hey, what are you doing after work?"