Status: Thinking of you...
Letters From a Spirit
Resolve
Dinner was a talkative affair, with the chattering of Cassandra and the gurgling of the baby as the background music to the conversation that Cathy's husband tried to propel her into. The sounds were normally a comfort to Cathy, but tonight, when the air was heavy from the fog that was Daniel, they grated against her sensitive nerves. "What's wrong, Cathy?" Lucas asked as he speared a bite of steak and rubbed it against the plate, soaking up the juices.
"Nothing that concerns you." She snapped, and the chattering stopped.
"You're in a mood tonight. I'm really not fond of it." Lucas put his fork down slowly, the sound of the silver against the china, clinking in the silence.
The baby gurgled and broke the spell.
Cathy took in a deep breath and she lost her stiffed-spine look. "I'm tired. You're putting the baby to bed tonight?" she raised her eyebrow as she pushed back her chair, stacked her plates, and sighed.
"Me? Put the baby to bed?" Lucas laughed as he wiped off his mouth with his cloth napkin and tossed it on top of his plate. "I don't think so. You can do it on your way up. I've got some things to do."
Cathy watched Lucas walk out the front door, lighter in hand, and soon the top of a cigar glowed bright against the dark outline of the trees. She closed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen, she needed concentration. She needed attention.
Cassandra yelled from the diningroom.
She needed peace.
Cathy slammed the plates into the sink and they shattered. She rolled her eyes when she realized that she had just made more work for herself.
"Are you alright?" Cassandra asked from the diningroom.
"Take the baby up to the nursery, will you, Cassy?" she asked as she lifted the sharp shards of glass into the waste bin at the end of the counter.
"But Mama--" Cassandra started to complain.
"I won't ask you again, Cassandra Marie. Take the baby up to the nursery." her voice was cold, sharp, like the glass in her hands. It was too much. Too much pressure. Too much noise. Too much of everything.
Except Daniel.
There would never be enough Daniel...
Her eyes closed and she took another breath as she laid the shards of the dishes in the sink. "Luke," she whispered and looked out onto the porch. "Luke, I need a favor." her voice was louder this time, more forceful.
The tip of his cigar was bright and hot against the cool, summer night. "What is it?"
"I'm leaving for a while." she said as she untied the strings of her apron.
"Leaving? Where?"
Cathy stepped out onto the porch, truck keys in her hand, her bare feet padding across the warm dirt. "I'll be back." She grabbed onto the door handle, jerked it open, and climbed smoothly inside. Pushing the key into the ignition, she quickly started the motor, slammed the gear shift into reverse, and pushed down the accelerator.
As the dirt flew up behind her, the sound of her husband yelling, a sense of resolve came into her...
"Nothing that concerns you." She snapped, and the chattering stopped.
"You're in a mood tonight. I'm really not fond of it." Lucas put his fork down slowly, the sound of the silver against the china, clinking in the silence.
The baby gurgled and broke the spell.
Cathy took in a deep breath and she lost her stiffed-spine look. "I'm tired. You're putting the baby to bed tonight?" she raised her eyebrow as she pushed back her chair, stacked her plates, and sighed.
"Me? Put the baby to bed?" Lucas laughed as he wiped off his mouth with his cloth napkin and tossed it on top of his plate. "I don't think so. You can do it on your way up. I've got some things to do."
Cathy watched Lucas walk out the front door, lighter in hand, and soon the top of a cigar glowed bright against the dark outline of the trees. She closed her eyes as she walked into the kitchen, she needed concentration. She needed attention.
Cassandra yelled from the diningroom.
She needed peace.
Cathy slammed the plates into the sink and they shattered. She rolled her eyes when she realized that she had just made more work for herself.
"Are you alright?" Cassandra asked from the diningroom.
"Take the baby up to the nursery, will you, Cassy?" she asked as she lifted the sharp shards of glass into the waste bin at the end of the counter.
"But Mama--" Cassandra started to complain.
"I won't ask you again, Cassandra Marie. Take the baby up to the nursery." her voice was cold, sharp, like the glass in her hands. It was too much. Too much pressure. Too much noise. Too much of everything.
Except Daniel.
There would never be enough Daniel...
Her eyes closed and she took another breath as she laid the shards of the dishes in the sink. "Luke," she whispered and looked out onto the porch. "Luke, I need a favor." her voice was louder this time, more forceful.
The tip of his cigar was bright and hot against the cool, summer night. "What is it?"
"I'm leaving for a while." she said as she untied the strings of her apron.
"Leaving? Where?"
Cathy stepped out onto the porch, truck keys in her hand, her bare feet padding across the warm dirt. "I'll be back." She grabbed onto the door handle, jerked it open, and climbed smoothly inside. Pushing the key into the ignition, she quickly started the motor, slammed the gear shift into reverse, and pushed down the accelerator.
As the dirt flew up behind her, the sound of her husband yelling, a sense of resolve came into her...