Don't Forget
“Who are you?”
*June 10, 2002*
Mia drummed her nails against the arm rest beside her. John put his hand on her's to stop it. It was starting to piss her off. Dear-old-dad didn't care for mess in any shape or form. Mia wasn't allowed to play her music too loud. Her clothes had to be approved by him before she could buy it. If her bathroom had any spots or stains it was to be cleaned with in twenty-four hours. The list went on and on and if she didn't comply he wouldn't stop talking to her about it until she never wanted to mess up again just to not hear his lecture. She was starting to wonder if there had been a third option aside from living with her father and all these rules or the hell she was rescued from. Now he was curtailing her anxious habits. Mia rolled her eyes.
They pulled up on the side of the road up on the side of the road in front of the Butler front yard. "Your brother has a different last name than you?"
"He's not that kind of uncle." John said getting out of the car.
Ever since she got out of the child protection office he never let her open her own door. This time she purposefully opened her own door and stepped out. She smoothed her hands over her yellow spaghetti stringed sundress. She felt awkward in such light fabric. With mom if she needed clothes she stole what she deemed not needed by her mom's boyfriend of the time. Usually her clothes were loose and heavy. These frilly dresses her dad bought made her feel dainty and delicate, but at the same time, it felt like the wind could steal her clothes at any moment. She was thankful for the thin cotton after shutting away the cool interior of John’s Ford Focus, into the sweltering humid heat of the summer after noon.
Mia lead the march up the gravel path to the front door. She rang the doorbell as John stepped up onto the porch. Mia crossed her arms. She already wanted to go home.
The door opened after a few moments. A tall woman with her auburn hair pulled back in a high bun smiled at her, “Oh my look at you.” She gasped at Mia, “You’re gorgeous” She reached out to touch Mia’s shoulder and Mia swatted her hand.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Mia!” John said incredulously. Mia rolled her eyes. John sighed, “Hello Sylvia,” John said he stepped forward and kissed Sylvia on the cheek.
“Hi John it’s perfectly fine.” Then she gave Mia the look. The look everyone gave her when they knew her story already. Like she was more of a frightened animal who didn't know any better than a person. Mia wanted to go home. “You guys arrived just in time.” Sylvia said cheerfully. She stepped aside so they could step into their air conditioned home. In this type of weather this was all one could do, shuffle from one air conditioned place to the next, “Mia,” She said her name as if Mia was four, “Could you do me a big favor and go get Connor? His room is up stairs it's the only door that’s...decorated…”
“Uh...OK…”Mia said she eyed the adults through slitted eyes.
They wanted her to leave so they could talk about her. It felt like all her dad ever did was tell people about her problems. Mia stomped up the stairs and found a door painted black with yellow caution tape crossed over it. Mia rolled her eyes. Could the young Butler be any more 90’s after-school special? Mia knocked on the door. There was a clunking sound.
“Fuck!” A male voice said on the other side, “Hold on a sec,” He opened the door, “Is,” His eyes got wide and then his eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't expecting company for dinner. Mia concluded, “Dinner ready?” He finished after a beat.
He was taller than her and shirtless. His body was lean, his muscles toned as if they were made of chiseled and cured marble and not actual flesh. He quickly closed off the door to his room to hide the piles of clothes and trash. Mia didn't know boys came in his size. Hello...
Mia blinked as she realized he had asked her a question, “I dunno your mom told me to come get you.”
“Who are you?” He asked.
“Mia,” Mia stuck out her hand and he took it in his. He kissed it. Mia shivered. He smirked and went back to leaning on his door. Focus Mia...Focus…. She decided to keep her eyes on his face. His eyes weren't any less distracting. They were blue like a freshly frozen lake and he didn't blink.
“I’m Connor.”
“Connor Butler.” Mia liked how his name tasted. She decided she’d been standing there a little too long, but didn't know how to leave, “Yeah… bye…” She waved before turning and walking away.
Mia heard him close his door behind her. She made her way back down the stairs. The wall was lined with Butler Family Photos. One of them before the Grand Canyon, another with them in hats and heavy parkas surrounded by snow covered trees. Pictures of Connor at various ages. She noticed he had to grow into his ears.
“The kitchen’s that way.” Connor said at the top of the stairs making Mia jump.
She looked up at him. He was wearing a sweatshirt now. For some reason Mia thought it made him look even more dangerous.Mia walked the way Connor pointed. She was so nervous. When John first explained Connor, Mia was expecting someone dough-ier, bespectacled, maybe prematurely balding. Not this...guy… She rubbed the sweat in her palms off on her dress.
“Mia, I was just about to go after you.” John said from his seat at the table not far from the large kitchen. At the head of the table was a man with Connor’s eyes. Mia assumed he was Mr. Butler. She couldn't remember the name her father had given her before coming over.
“Connor,” Sylvia smiled behind Mia. Jeez this kid needs a bell., “I see Mia has charmed you out of your room. “
“So far so good.” Mr. Butler said standing.
Mia wished she got the inside joke all the adults were sharing. Mr. Butler went to the seat on his right, opposite John, and pulled it out for her. Mia felt her face get hot as she took the seat Mr. Butler offered. She didn't really have a choice. She was only allowed one rude outburst in front of strangers with her father before he would pull her to the side to have a mini lecture similar to the ones she was getting at home. She wasted her outburst at the door.
“Connor set the table.” Mr. Butler said.
“But everyone’s already sitting,” Connor said, “Why can’t everyone just get their own dish?”
Thank you! Mia thought, “I don’t mind Mr. Butler, I can”-
“First sweetheart,” Mr. Butler interrupted, “You’re only allowed to call me Uncle Mark. Second, this is Connor’s job, he’s been complaining about it since he was seven.”
“It’s been stupid since I was seven.” Connor said going to the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen for plates and silverware.
“Would you like something to drink Mia? I already poured your dad a glass of wine.” There was a crash in the kitchen, “Dammit Connor!” Sylvia shouted at Connor. She stood and rushed to the kitchen to snatch the broom from him, “Pay attention. That was the last of my favorite glasses.” Sylvia pouted as she swept the glass.
“I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a new set.” Connor said to his mother. Then he looked at Mia. Mia looked away remembering the weird staring contest that had ensued last time, “Mia Price--As in John’s daughter? As in baby Mia?”
Baby Mia? Mia looked to her father who was smiling at her, “That’s right,” He responded to Connor, “Is that a problem?”
Connor carefully moved past his mother who was furiously sweeping the kitchen floor and started setting plates down on the table in front of them, “No, no it’s no problem. It was just a shock to see her after all this time.” He looked down at Mia and smiled politely, “You've grown into a beautiful young lady.” Suddenly Connor was in on the adult joke Mia was missing.
“You guys knew me when I was little?”
“I was the one who introduced your parents.” Sylvia said loudly tossing the glass into the trash can, “You and Connor might have been raised together if we'd stayed in Seattle.”
“Oh…” Mia looked at Connor. She didn't have any memories of him, but from the smirk on his face she knew he had memories of her.Oh…
Mia drummed her nails against the arm rest beside her. John put his hand on her's to stop it. It was starting to piss her off. Dear-old-dad didn't care for mess in any shape or form. Mia wasn't allowed to play her music too loud. Her clothes had to be approved by him before she could buy it. If her bathroom had any spots or stains it was to be cleaned with in twenty-four hours. The list went on and on and if she didn't comply he wouldn't stop talking to her about it until she never wanted to mess up again just to not hear his lecture. She was starting to wonder if there had been a third option aside from living with her father and all these rules or the hell she was rescued from. Now he was curtailing her anxious habits. Mia rolled her eyes.
They pulled up on the side of the road up on the side of the road in front of the Butler front yard. "Your brother has a different last name than you?"
"He's not that kind of uncle." John said getting out of the car.
Ever since she got out of the child protection office he never let her open her own door. This time she purposefully opened her own door and stepped out. She smoothed her hands over her yellow spaghetti stringed sundress. She felt awkward in such light fabric. With mom if she needed clothes she stole what she deemed not needed by her mom's boyfriend of the time. Usually her clothes were loose and heavy. These frilly dresses her dad bought made her feel dainty and delicate, but at the same time, it felt like the wind could steal her clothes at any moment. She was thankful for the thin cotton after shutting away the cool interior of John’s Ford Focus, into the sweltering humid heat of the summer after noon.
Mia lead the march up the gravel path to the front door. She rang the doorbell as John stepped up onto the porch. Mia crossed her arms. She already wanted to go home.
The door opened after a few moments. A tall woman with her auburn hair pulled back in a high bun smiled at her, “Oh my look at you.” She gasped at Mia, “You’re gorgeous” She reached out to touch Mia’s shoulder and Mia swatted her hand.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Mia!” John said incredulously. Mia rolled her eyes. John sighed, “Hello Sylvia,” John said he stepped forward and kissed Sylvia on the cheek.
“Hi John it’s perfectly fine.” Then she gave Mia the look. The look everyone gave her when they knew her story already. Like she was more of a frightened animal who didn't know any better than a person. Mia wanted to go home. “You guys arrived just in time.” Sylvia said cheerfully. She stepped aside so they could step into their air conditioned home. In this type of weather this was all one could do, shuffle from one air conditioned place to the next, “Mia,” She said her name as if Mia was four, “Could you do me a big favor and go get Connor? His room is up stairs it's the only door that’s...decorated…”
“Uh...OK…”Mia said she eyed the adults through slitted eyes.
They wanted her to leave so they could talk about her. It felt like all her dad ever did was tell people about her problems. Mia stomped up the stairs and found a door painted black with yellow caution tape crossed over it. Mia rolled her eyes. Could the young Butler be any more 90’s after-school special? Mia knocked on the door. There was a clunking sound.
“Fuck!” A male voice said on the other side, “Hold on a sec,” He opened the door, “Is,” His eyes got wide and then his eyebrows furrowed. He wasn't expecting company for dinner. Mia concluded, “Dinner ready?” He finished after a beat.
He was taller than her and shirtless. His body was lean, his muscles toned as if they were made of chiseled and cured marble and not actual flesh. He quickly closed off the door to his room to hide the piles of clothes and trash. Mia didn't know boys came in his size. Hello...
Mia blinked as she realized he had asked her a question, “I dunno your mom told me to come get you.”
“Who are you?” He asked.
“Mia,” Mia stuck out her hand and he took it in his. He kissed it. Mia shivered. He smirked and went back to leaning on his door. Focus Mia...Focus…. She decided to keep her eyes on his face. His eyes weren't any less distracting. They were blue like a freshly frozen lake and he didn't blink.
“I’m Connor.”
“Connor Butler.” Mia liked how his name tasted. She decided she’d been standing there a little too long, but didn't know how to leave, “Yeah… bye…” She waved before turning and walking away.
Mia heard him close his door behind her. She made her way back down the stairs. The wall was lined with Butler Family Photos. One of them before the Grand Canyon, another with them in hats and heavy parkas surrounded by snow covered trees. Pictures of Connor at various ages. She noticed he had to grow into his ears.
“The kitchen’s that way.” Connor said at the top of the stairs making Mia jump.
She looked up at him. He was wearing a sweatshirt now. For some reason Mia thought it made him look even more dangerous.Mia walked the way Connor pointed. She was so nervous. When John first explained Connor, Mia was expecting someone dough-ier, bespectacled, maybe prematurely balding. Not this...guy… She rubbed the sweat in her palms off on her dress.
“Mia, I was just about to go after you.” John said from his seat at the table not far from the large kitchen. At the head of the table was a man with Connor’s eyes. Mia assumed he was Mr. Butler. She couldn't remember the name her father had given her before coming over.
“Connor,” Sylvia smiled behind Mia. Jeez this kid needs a bell., “I see Mia has charmed you out of your room. “
“So far so good.” Mr. Butler said standing.
Mia wished she got the inside joke all the adults were sharing. Mr. Butler went to the seat on his right, opposite John, and pulled it out for her. Mia felt her face get hot as she took the seat Mr. Butler offered. She didn't really have a choice. She was only allowed one rude outburst in front of strangers with her father before he would pull her to the side to have a mini lecture similar to the ones she was getting at home. She wasted her outburst at the door.
“Connor set the table.” Mr. Butler said.
“But everyone’s already sitting,” Connor said, “Why can’t everyone just get their own dish?”
Thank you! Mia thought, “I don’t mind Mr. Butler, I can”-
“First sweetheart,” Mr. Butler interrupted, “You’re only allowed to call me Uncle Mark. Second, this is Connor’s job, he’s been complaining about it since he was seven.”
“It’s been stupid since I was seven.” Connor said going to the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen for plates and silverware.
“Would you like something to drink Mia? I already poured your dad a glass of wine.” There was a crash in the kitchen, “Dammit Connor!” Sylvia shouted at Connor. She stood and rushed to the kitchen to snatch the broom from him, “Pay attention. That was the last of my favorite glasses.” Sylvia pouted as she swept the glass.
“I’m sorry. I’ll buy you a new set.” Connor said to his mother. Then he looked at Mia. Mia looked away remembering the weird staring contest that had ensued last time, “Mia Price--As in John’s daughter? As in baby Mia?”
Baby Mia? Mia looked to her father who was smiling at her, “That’s right,” He responded to Connor, “Is that a problem?”
Connor carefully moved past his mother who was furiously sweeping the kitchen floor and started setting plates down on the table in front of them, “No, no it’s no problem. It was just a shock to see her after all this time.” He looked down at Mia and smiled politely, “You've grown into a beautiful young lady.” Suddenly Connor was in on the adult joke Mia was missing.
“You guys knew me when I was little?”
“I was the one who introduced your parents.” Sylvia said loudly tossing the glass into the trash can, “You and Connor might have been raised together if we'd stayed in Seattle.”
“Oh…” Mia looked at Connor. She didn't have any memories of him, but from the smirk on his face she knew he had memories of her.Oh…