Secret Hung the Gold

Ariel slid into her car, her light blue jeans sticking to the back of her legs. Even though she had landed a spot in the shade, the sun still beamed down on her with a vengeance.
Her car started with a muffled grumble and warm air from the A/C blew in her face. As soon as she pulled off, her phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hey, honey,” it was her father’s voice. “How was the first day?”
E.J. popped into her mind. “It was good, daddy. How was your day at work?”
“Same.” There was a slight silence. “I am sorry I wasn’t there this morning.” Ariel rolled her eyes. “But I will be home for dinner. Matter of fact, get some stuff to make tacos or something- whatever you want. I’ll be home in time for dinner.”
“Okay, daddy,” Ariel said, with a smile. “I’m leaving school right now, so I’ll go right to the store.”
He chuckled. “Oh, and get some dessert, I gotta sweet tooth.”
Ariel smiled into the receiver. “Okay, daddy.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
With a new hope, Ariel drove right to the grocery store.

***********************

With arms full of groceries, Ariel walked into the house. Slowly she unpacked all of the ingredients, sitting them in a cluster and walked to the living room couch to wait.
After about thirty minutes, her eyes slowly began to close.
She was walking down the tracks, her short arms held out on either side as if for balance. Her bright yellow Converses were scuffed and browned around the toe area from regular play. Her smile was big yet snaggletoothed. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, which at the moment, had failed, leaving flyaway hairs to frame her face like the mane of a lion.
She loved to play on the tracks, as was seen by her wide smile and sharp laughter. She was by herself, yet laughed as if with friends. She was pretending to be a tightrope walker, which was her favorite thing since her mom and dad took her to the circus.
She spoke aloud. “Here is Ariel, the world’s best tightrope walker.”
She walked between the beams of the train tracks. Making her theme music with her mouth.
Her mother stood at the door. “Ariel, time for cookies!”
Without hesitation, Ariel ran to her mother, who held a plate of cookies, but the closer she got to her, the farther she backed away. Ariel was panting now, running as fast as her seven year old legs could carry her. She ran forever and when she finally reached her mother, her face was not bright and beautiful as was the norm. Now, it was wrinkled and frowning. Eyes yellowed and teeth as well. Her glow had faded.
“Ariel,” she spoke, “Have some cookies.” A fresh tray of cookies was held out to her, but when Ariel grabbed one, her mother turned to a pillar of ashes.
Ariel jumped out of her sleep, her chest heaving and covered with a layer of sweat. Tears fell from her eyes. She quickly stood up and made her way to the bathroom, splashing cold water in her face.
As she wiped off her face, she glanced behind her to the analogue clock that ticked loudly. It was seven thirty.
Ariel walked to the kitchen, to grab her phone. The screen lit up but there was no missed calls from her father. No text messages.
“He must just be running late,” Ariel said to herself, walking out of the side door to the outside. She stood with a perfect view of the tracks which, ever since she was a kid, almost dared her to cross. Ariel sat in the grass, as she did at seven, and peered into the sky. She lay flat on her back now, staring at the beauty above. Time continued to click and Ariel felt her eyes once again filling with tears.
Her mother used to sit beside Ariel and stare into the sky with her on a night like this. She would point to all of the stars and together they would name them. Ariel remembered their last night under the stars like it was yesterday.
“So which one is yours, momma? Ariel asked.
“Oh, I already have my fallen star.”
Ariel’s eyes filled with excitement. “Really? Where?”
“Well, about seven years ago, it fell right into my arms. I was pretty young then, but I still loved it with all of my heart. I still have it, you know?”
Ariel gasped. “Really? Can I see it?”
“You see it everyday. Here, I’ll describe it for you. She is small and bright. She has pure blue eyes and she is missing a lot of teeth.” Mom looked over. “Do you know who it is yet?”
Ariel shook her head. “No. Who is it?”
“Okay, let’s see if this helps. She loves it when I make chocolate chip cookies. She isn’t afraid of the dark. She loves to laugh and play. Her hair is long and brownish but she hates to have it done. Her name is...” Her mother looked at her with a wide smile. “...Ariel.”
Ariel looked at her mother, smiling her wide grin. “I’m your star?”
Her mother nodded. “Since the day I held you in my arms. It was like God gave me my own star to have and to raise forever”
Ariel smiled through her tears, her long brown hair spread around her head like a halo. Night had fallen now, the stars shimmering in the sky, but her father isn’t home. Ariel stood, dusting off the grass and leaves that clung to her.
She walked into the empty house, passing the groceries in the kitchen. The clock on the stove shone nine thirty. Ariel walked over to the window and peered outside. The the driveway remained empty, the street desolate.
Ariel shook her head, refusing to cry. With everything in her she walked to the kitchen and began to put away all the groceries.
She remembered all of the laughs shared at that island counter. All the good morning kisses, the bagged lunches, the blueberry muffins. She remembered all of the art projects that lined the refrigerator like trophies. The lively dinners, the happy desserts. Everything seemed to be a faded memory now, like a light that seemed to get farther and farther away.