Blackbird Flies

by Chynna T. Laird

  Then she left the kitchen.

  Payton paused. Why does she try so hard?

  He grabbed apples, carrot sticks and chips, filled a small container with dip, then went into the living room for the basket.

  Hippie parents.

  Intriguing.

  After filling it with his gourmet lunch, adding in some fresh lemonade, plastic cups and napkins, he closed it all up, then dialed Lily’s cell.

  She answered after two rings. “Hello?”

  “Hey! All ready to go?”

  “I guess,” she said, sounding apprehensive.

  “Well, you’d better be because I actually get to use my stepmom’s car today. And you better be ready when I get there.”

  Lily laughed. “It’s not like I’m a high-maintenance girl, doofus. I’m already good to go.”

  “You’d better be.”

  “Or what?”

  “You just better be.”

  “Get over here, then.”

  “See you in ten.”

  He hung up, grabbed the basket, shoved Katie’s keys into his pocket then sped-walked out the door.

  Okay, then, he thought. Let’s see what the day brings.

  * * *

  Payton pulled up in front of Lily’s house exactly ten minutes after they’d hung up. Just like he’d promised. He was going to just call her to come out, but thought that it would be better to go up to the door. Like the gentleman he was taught how to be.

  Ugh.

  He lumbered up to the door, then rang the doorbell. A handsome-looking man, a little shorter than Payton, opened the door. He had dirty-blonde hair with flecks of gray…a real jeans-and-t-shirt kind of guy.

  Payton cleared his throat. “Hi there. I’m here to pick up Lily.”

  “Oh, you must be Payton. Lily has told me a lot about you. Come on in. She’s almost ready, I’d think. But you know girls.”

  He gave a wink, then waved Payton in. He was apprehensive, but followed the man through the door. He stayed in the doorway area, even with the polite prompting of being invited into the living room.

  In the awkward few seconds of silence, her dad started up some small talk.

  Perfect.

  “So, Lil tells me you’re quite the pianist. How long have you been playing?”

  “Well, I started playing when I was about two, apparently. There are pictures of me sitting at the piano about that age with huge sunglasses on doing my thing.”

  Her dad laughed. “All Elton John-styled, hey?”

  Oy. “I guess you could say that.”

  Another awkward silence. Payton shoved his hands into his jeans pockets.

  Lily’s dad cleared his throat. “Well, I guess we should introduce ourselves. I’m Jim Joplin.” He stuck out his hand.

  Payton looked down at the man’s hand, then gripped it like he was taught. “Payton.”

  After a few seconds of shaking, Jim said, “Well, it’s nice to meet you. Lily hasn’t brought a lot of friends over. She’s been through a lot…”

  “Yeah. She’s shared a bit.”

  And I can relate.

  “It’s reassuring to know she has someone that can…well…look out for her a bit. It’s just me and her, you know…”

  “Yes, I do. More than you know.”

  Right then, Lily walked into the room, and froze. “Um. What’s going on here? Male bonding, or the third degree?”

  “A bit of both, I think,” said her father.

  “Perfect. Like this isn’t embarrassing enough.”

  Payton tried rushing things along. “Hey! So I got everything ready. My stepmom let me use her car today so we’re good to go. Are you ready?”

  She flashed her dad a look Payton couldn’t read, then said, “More than you realize.”

  Lily grabbed her sweatshirt from the coat rack, then opened the front door. “Bye, dad. See you later.”

  “Be safe, love.”

  “Always. As much as I can be.”

  Silence.

  Payton repressed a frown, then said, “Um, well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Joplin. I’ll bring her back in a couple of hours.”

  Jim smiled. “I’m not worried, Payton. It was nice meeting you too. And, please. Call me Jim. Don’t be a stranger.”

  The two teens walked to the car, Lily speed-walking ahead of Payton, then got in the vehicle. Before starting up the car, Payton wanted to say something, but wasn’t sure what he should say. Something is going on, he just wasn’t sure he had the right to know.

  Yet.

  “All okay?” he asked.

  She hugged her sweatshirt.

  “Well, seemed kinda tense or something there.”

  “No. He’s just worried and over-protective. I told you that yesterday, remember?”

  “Well, he might have a reason to be.”

  Lily whipped around to face him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  He put his hands up. “Hey, I was just trying to lighten the mood. Chill!”

  “Well, don’t try so hard.”

  Payton started the ignition, then said, “Look, it’s just a friendly picnic. What could happen?”

  She gave him a side-glance. “A lot.”

  “Well, ‘a lot’ ain’t gonna happen. Just two friends having an exquisite gourmet lunch on the grass at the park.”

  “’Exquisite’? Really?”

  “Hey I know a few big words, smart butt.”

  She laughed. “You are such a doofus.”

  “So you keep telling me. Maybe I’ll get a t-shirt made or something.”

  “Well, your b-day is coming up, right? Be careful what you ask for at this point.”

  Payton smiled, then pulled out towards the city park close to Lily’s house.

  I may be a doofus, but I know what I like.

  * * *

  Even with the slight chill in the breeze, it was a perfect picnic day. They found a spot under a group of oak trees, spread out the blanket then emptied the basket. Not much conversation went on, but that was fine. They were there early enough that not many other people were around so that suited him just fine. Blue jays called to each other, a squirrel tried coming up to steal a sandwich, and Lily sat eating her lunch while staring at the man-made lake with a tiny fountain beside them.

  “Water is so calming,” she said.

  “Yeah. I sorta know what you mean.”

  “I’ve always loved the water. Waterfalls, the sound of it coming up to the shore, river music…”

  In that moment, she seemed to make his heart warm. There was definitely more depth to this girl than he thought.

  “’River music’? Now who’s being cheesy?”

  She faced him, cocking her head. “I called you a doofus, not cheesy.”

  “Actually, you did call me cheesy. And isn’t that about the same?”

  “No. A doofus is being a dork, and being cheesy means you’re being mystical or romantic.”

  “Hey, I’m fine with being a doofus-dork. Are you saying you’re being mystical and romantic, Miss Lily?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

  Her face crimsoned. “You wish.”

  They ate the rest of their meal in silence, listening to the sounds of the water fountain, then packed up.

  “Wanna go for a little walk before heading home?” Payton suggested.

  She shrugged. “Guess so. But I gotta be back soon or my dad will call in the military.”

  “Hey, that’s fine. I’m pretty much ‘in’ with those people.”

  He picked up the picnic basket, and started walking toward the lake. Oddly, he was a water person too. His mother always loved the sounds of nature and running water. Her family had a cabin and he vaguely remembers the sounds of the lake ebbing up against the shore while he splashed away in his mini pool on the dock. It was always so comforting, somehow. And it had the same effect on his mother.

  His mother.

  He shook his head to remove the thoughts, then guided Lily over to a bench right in front of the lak
e. She seemed mesmerized. Or deep in thought. He couldn’t tell, being the ‘ladies’ man’ he sure as heck wasn’t.

  “So, what are you thinking about, Miss Lily?”

  She stayed silent for a few seconds, then said, “My mom.”

  An icy chill exploded in his stomach when he remembered he’d had the same thoughts earlier. “What about her?”

  “The last thing we did before she died was come here…just like this. We had a picnic, talked about stuff, then sat here just like this…feeding the ducks.”

  Payton had no idea what to say. Right then, he totally felt like the doofus she thought he was.

  “I…I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or anything.”

  She grabbed his hand. “No. You didn’t. Honestly. I mean, the reason I was a bit nervous coming out here was because I was afraid of the memories. But you know what? It was a good thing. It’s…nice to remember her.”

  She kept her hand on his while they looked out at the fountain for several minutes.

  “I miss her, Payton.”

  “I know. I do too.”

  “You miss her too? Your mom?”

  He had to think for a few seconds, then said, “Yeah. She had problems but…we all do, right?”

  “Guess so.”

  After a few more minutes, Payton rubbed her hand with his thumb, then nodded in the direction of the car. She gave him one of her famous half-smiles, squeezed his hand and got up. He watched her walk away from him.

  Wow.

  Then he picked up the picnic basket, pulled his hood over his head and followed her.

  He had a feeling things would start getting better.

  Or, truly hoped they would.

  Eleven

  He called her the next morning. “How are you doing Miss Lily?”

  “Really? It’s not even eight in the morning…on a Saturday.”

  “And…?”

  “Are you trying to keep me sleep deprived or something?”

  “I think you’re tough enough to handle it.”

  “Doofus.”

  “Butthead.”

  “Hey! That’s just hurtful.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Okay, let’s get something straight. I need my beauty sleep. No phone calls before ten, at least.”

  “You’re already beautiful, so I am going to call you no matter what time because it won’t matter. As long as you answer.”

  After a short pause she said, “I’ll always answer.”

  “And so will I.”

  “’Kay, well, I should get up and get going here, since some wonderful person woke me up and all.”

  “What a jerk! But lucky for me I can take you for a field trip now since you’re up. Up for it?”

  She laughed. “Field trip? Really? I guess. Give me about an hour.”

  “I thought you were low-maintenance. You need an hour to get ready?”

  “Shut up! I may not need that much time, but a shower and food would be nice.”

  “I’ll feed you.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine, what?”

  “Fine I’ll be ready in an hour. What are we doing today?”

  “Oh, Miss Lily. You just wait and see.”

  “I hate surprises.”

  “I know. That’s why I am giving them to you.”

  “Doofus.”

  “Butthead. See you in an hour.”

  They hung up, then he gathered his M3P player, and grabbed some granola bars and juice boxes. A little kid-like but, hey.

  A guy’s gotta work with what he has.

  * * *

  Payton went over to Lily’s place, chatted with her dad for a bit, then off they went. He had a special surprise for her.

  “Alright, so where are we going?” she asked. “You gotta give me some idea. I hate when people do this to me.”

  He chuckled. “I know. But I’m not just any ‘people.’ And I know you and what you like so don’t worry. You’re pretty much safe.”

  “I dunno. Sometimes I wonder.”

  “Ouch. Hurtful.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Okay, we’re almost there.”

  “Where?”

  “Where we’re going.”

  “You are seriously frustrating.”

  “So I’ve been told, and point made.”

  They drove for a few minutes in silence, then pulled into a parking lot.

  Lily wrinkled her brow, then asked, “Where are we?”

  “This is the Muttart Conservatory. You’ve lived here all your life and didn’t know about it? Seriously?”

  She looked at him wide-eyed. “I…I knew about it, but we’ve never been here.”

  “It’s okay. Let’s go,” he said with a smile. “You need this.”

  The Muttart Conservatory in Edmonton is a place with four pyramid-shaped, glass buildings. Each building had a different environmental setting. Inside each pyramid, are year-round displays. A fourth pyramid housed creative feature displays, changing up to eight times a year. This time was something special, that he knew she’d like.

  They parked, then went into the main office to pay to get in. Lily seemed a bit on edge at first, but eased after they got through the entranceway.

  “Let’s go this way first,” Payton said, taking her hand.

  He led her to the Arid pyramid first. There they were surrounded by cactuses and other types of dry-land plants.

  “Wow, this is amazing! I mean, I’ve never been a fan of these kind of plants, but it’s beautiful.”

  “Hey, I’m someone who can kill cactuses so…yeah.”

  Lily laughed.

  It was nice to hear her laugh.

  Next, they went to the Temperate pyramid. There they had plants familiar to Alberta. It was mostly marshy plants and bushy stuff. There were a lot of ponds and stuff, so she was happy.

  Next, they visited the Tropical one. Payton found the place a little humid, but Lily seemed to like it. The environment was much more humid and warm, being seemingly, better, for her inability to maintain warmth.

  He saved the best for last. At that time, they had a feature on lilies…her favorite. She breathed in deeply when she walked in, then stood still. He wasn’t sure what to do at first, but wanted her to experience everything the way she wanted to.

  She stood there for a few seconds, just breathing in and out. Then she said, “This is beautiful. Truly beautiful.”

  The first thing she did was walk up to a lily, grasping it in her palms and smelling it. Then she walked over to a small waterfall, and knelt. She put her hands on the rocks around it, and closed her eyes.

  “This is the most fantastic place I’ve been to in a long time. Thank you.”

  His heart warmed. He allowed her to sit there like that for several minutes. For some reason, she seemed to need it…being a ‘water person’.

  She turned to him, tears pooling in her lower lids, and said, “How did you know?”

  “Because I’m the type of guy that pays attention to stuff. You like lilies and water. Where else would we be?”

  She turned her head back to the waterfall. “My mom would have loved this place. It’s so…calming.”

  “I know. My mom would have too.”

  He put his ear buds in her ears, Mozart playing, and allowed her the time she needed to take it all in. He did the same thing the first time he went there. She bowed down, hugging her knees, and cried. Payton didn’t say anything at first, allowing her the space she wanted.

  Do I hug her? Rub her back?

  He decided to wait for her cue.

  He understood.

  Lily sniffed, and sat up, taking the ear buds out and handing him back his MP3 player over her shoulder, staring at the waterfall. “You have no idea how much it means to be here.”

  “Yeah, I think I do.”

  “No, you don’t. I mean, you probably do, but I never got to do anything like this with my mom. Did you?”

  “Yea
h.”

  “That’s why you brought me here?”

  “Yeah.”

  She didn’t speak for several seconds. Then said, “Why did you do this for me?”

  “Because you needed to experience this. Sometimes…you just need something to bring you back, you know?”

  “I guess…”

  “We both have music, but there are earth elements we connect to that bring us back to reality and keep us grounded.”

  Lily turned to him, tears running down her face, “Fortune cookie.”

  “Shut up. Here…” he handed her a tissue. “The first time I came here, I needed a few too.”

  She blew her nose, still watching the waterfall. “Who taught you to be so insightful?”

  “Big word for a small girl.”

  “Really? Do you always have to be so stand-offish?”

  “Always.”

  “Try not to be. Just this once.”

  He paused, then said, “My mom. I mean, my grandparents were awesome, but my mom was always very…’earthy.’ I think she learned it from my Grandpa. But she was a hippie chick, you know?”

  “Yeah…I do. Mine was the same way. She taught me that all this earthy stuff was to be appreciated, and I needed to turn to it when things were crappy because they were…healing. Especially water.”

  He closed his eyes, listening to the water spilling down the rocks, and whispered, “I know.”

  They stayed there in silence, for several minutes, then Lily wiped her eyes on her sleeve and stood up, saying, “You have no idea how much this means to me. Seriously. I…I have no way to repay you for this.”

  “You don’t need to. I told you. This was a surprise. A gift. You being happy is all the repayment I need.”

  Lily teared up again. “Why are you being so good to me? No one has ever done anything like this for me.”

  “That’s why. Simply because you deserve it. And because you’ve never been given it.”

  She closed her eyes, then ran to him and hugged him. “Thank you, she whispered. “On more levels than I can express.”

  He hugged her back. “No thanks needed. I’m here.”

  After a scrumptious meal of veggie burgers and fries with gravy, Payton drove her back home. They pulled up in front of her house and he parked the car, still running.