The Thin Wall
Page 27
Fiona shut off her phone as a massive chill radiated down her spine. The feeling wasn’t all bad.
Quite the interesting case indeed.
****
Fiona sat on a bench outside of the City Park Pavilion, a beautiful, grand gazebo that seemed to be prominently featured in the foreground of every Denver city skyline photo that she had ever seen. She arrived early, twenty minutes before she expected Kirk, in part to ensure that she had time to wrangle in her frayed nerves before Jacob saw her, in part because she feared that their fragile relationship could not withstand even one more instance of her not showing up for something when she was supposed to.
It was a perfect early summer evening. The colorful array of annuals were in full bloom all around her, signifying the new opportunity for growth that a change in the seasons can bring about. After years spent in the coldest, most desolate of winters, Fiona was hopeful that her season of blooming had finally arrived.
She kept her focus on the parking lot – her nervous energy waning with each deep breath that she took – until Kirk’s jeep finally came into view.
She stood up as he parked, then sat back down for fear of appearing too eager. After thinking about it, she promptly stood up again.
Damn it, I am eager, and I should be.
Kirk emerged from the car first. He wore a seersucker Oxford shirt, khaki shorts, and boat shoes. It was his go-to outfit for cool Seattle summers, and Fiona was happy to know that part of him hadn’t changed. It left her with a glimmer of hope that other things hadn’t changed either.
The instant Jacob emerged from the passenger’s side, Fiona burst into tears. He wore a crisp white polo shirt and gray shorts. It was a lot more than the casual outfit an eight-year-old would choose for a normal evening. This outfit was put together with care and planning. Whether by Jacob or Kirk, it didn’t matter. It showed that the meeting wasn’t only important to her. The gesture was small, its significance most likely not registering with either one of them. But to Fiona, it was validation. And at this point, validation was everything.
A Silver Ford Taurus pulled into the spot next to Kirk. The woman who stepped out looked very official, and very stern. The department badge she wore on the lapel of her suit jacket all but confirmed her status. She had a few words for Kirk before the three of them walked toward Fiona.
Jacob was the last of the three to notice her, and when he did, he stopped. Fiona’s heart sank as she assumed that the ultimate worst-case scenario she’d imagined for this moment had come to life. It would begin as hesitation, then second-thoughts, before ending with a tearful demand that his father take him home.
But then he started walking again. As he got a few steps closer, the smile appeared. Before Fiona could give her negative thoughts the proper burial they deserved, Jacob was running toward her. She started running too, matching the speed of his gallop step for step until their paths finally collided.
Fiona lifted him off the ground with one sweeping motion, twirling his formidable frame in the air like he weighed nothing. When she set him down, she brushed away a thick swath of hair and began covering his forehead with warm, wet, mommy kisses. At some point in the not too distant future, this kind of display would prove too embarrassing for a young boy who had moved on to matters more pressing than showing affection toward his mother. Thankfully, that day had not come yet.
Only when she was finished did she notice that Kirk and the CPS monitor were standing beside them. Fiona knew that she was a disheveled, emotional mess by now, and the woman’s sideways glance confirmed it. She didn’t bother to fix herself even the least little bit. This was how mothers who hadn’t seen their child for nearly a year were supposed to look. And if this heartless bureaucrat thought the look unbecoming, Fiona was fully prepared to tell her what she could do to herself.
For his part, Kirk looked content, and that was all she could hope for. Happiness, if that was in the cards for the two of them at all, would likely come much later.
He stepped to Fiona with a nod and gentle smile, which she reciprocated, then presented the woman for introductions.
“Fiona, this is Suzanne Grimes. She’s here to supervise the visit.”
Kirk’s tone sobered when he said that last part. It was subtle, but Fiona noticed.
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Graves,” Suzanne said with an overblown smile as she extended her hand.
Fiona shook it with the limpest grip that she could have while still touching her hand. “Nice to meet you too.”
“Well, I’m sure you read the packet from the court explaining my role here and the expectations for the visit. But if there’s anything you need me to clarify, just let me–”
“There isn’t.”
Kirk looked uncomfortable. He dealt with it by turning his focus to Jacob. “Hey bud, your mom told me that she’s never been to this park before. Fortunately, you know this place like the back of your hand. Why don’t you show her some of your favorite spots?”
“Yeah, I guess I can do that.” He turned to Fiona with an eager smile. “There’s a really neat playground right over there. You wanna go check it out?”
“I’d love to, honey.” Show me the way.”
When he grabbed her hand, she nearly melted into the ground.
“It’s right this way.”
He started to pull her away when Suzanne stopped them.
“Could you guys hold up a second? I just need to grab my pad.”
Fiona, Jacob, and Kirk looked on as she fished around in her oversized work bag until she pulled out a steno pad and pen.
“Sorry I wasn’t more prepared.” She said this with an easy smile that she assumed everyone would reciprocate. When no one did, she put it away.
When Jacob looked at Fiona, the bright gleam in his eyes was gone. Fiona was prepared to express her heartbreak at this development in inappropriately harsh terms, but Kirk spoke up first.
“Um, Ms. Grimes? Would you mind stepping over here for a minute? There are actually a few things in the packet that I don’t quite understand. My lawyer couldn’t figure it out either. Would you mind walking me through it again?”
Suzanne looked confused. “I’d be happy to go over it with you, Mr. Lawson. But I’m not sure if now is really the best time.”
“It’s actually the perfect time,” Kirk insisted.
Suzanne looked at Fiona, then back at Kirk. “Well, I’m afraid I don’t have one on me at the moment.”
“I do. It’s right here in the car. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll grab it.”
“But I think Ms. Graves and your son–”
“Please, Ms. Grimes. These questions can’t wait.
Suzanne appeared irritated, but she gave in. “Fine, but only if it doesn’t take too much time.”
“It won’t.”
Kirk gently led her by the shoulder to his car, briefly looking back at Fiona and waving his hand. When he mouthed the word “Go”, she quietly led Jacob by the hand. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go find that playground of yours.”
Fiona followed closely behind as he sprinted toward the large sandy pit that had every manner of playground apparatus imaginable.
“Can you push me on the swings?”
“Of course.”
Jacob jumped on the nearest one, gripping the chain handles tightly. “Just so you know, I like to go up really high now.”
“Oh really? And when did that change? You used to be scared to death of these things.”
“A lot’s changed, mom.”
A heavy lump settled in Fiona’s throat. “I know.”
“But don’t worry, there’s plenty of time to catch you up on everything. Isn’t there?”
When Fiona looked behind her, she saw Kirk and Suzanne at his car. It didn’t look like his ‘questions’ would be answered anytime soon.
“Fortunately, we have all the time in the world, honey.”
“Good. Now start swinging!”
He let out an ear-piercing gig
gle as Fiona pushed him high into the air.
“Higher mommy! Higher!”
When Jacob’s flight finally reached its apex, Fiona stepped away, closed her eyes, and slipped off her sandals. The warm sand felt perfect on her toes. The only sound she heard was Jacob’s giddy laughter, the same laughter that she imagined would lead her to that sandy, sun-filled beach, and that perfect life, where everything was always as it should have been; the place that she would be able to call home.
Life may not have been perfect, and it probably never would be. But she knew one thing for sure as she felt the grainy sand in between her toes and the warm sun shining down on her face.
She’d made it home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thank you so much for reading THE THIN WALL. It was the novel idea that inspired me to become a fiction writer (quite a few years ago), and I couldn’t be prouder to finally bring it to you.
If you have a spare moment, would you mind scrolling over one more page to post a short, honest review on Amazon? These reviews are the lifeblood of a novel’s existence, and they’re the best way to attract more potential readers. It is very much appreciated.
I’d also love to hear from you personally. Email me at authoremp@gmail.com or through my website http://authoremparker.com to tell me your thoughts on the book, or to simply say hello. Interacting with readers is the absolute joy of my professional life – aside from writing of course!
Thank you again.
Warmest regards,
E.M. Parker
And be on the lookout for more stories from the infamous Corona Heights apartment complex. They are coming soon…