Summer Diaries
Stevie's Journal:
July 20000
"Of all of the bars ice cream parlors in the world, he had to walk into mine.
OK, it's not my parlor, but he's always in my way; right in front of me, or behind me. We're married, attached, glued. I am indivisible from the whole of the Raven/Stevie gimmick.
"Hi Stevie," He says; what am I supposed to say for that? "Hi, Scott, thanks for popping back into my life at an awful time, how are you?"
"Hey, Scott." I say. I'm too jovial. Mylida's hands gripped my thigh; I looked down and Amanda's eyes were huge, fearful.
"Your kids?" He asks.
He didn't know, of course. "My sister's."
"Lisa?"
"Yup..."
"She didn't..."
"Yes." We're speaking in code, because of the kids. Scott's aware of Lisa's former drug problem; I watch him infer the worst.
"This is Mylida," I say, patting her shoulder, "And this is Amanda."
"Are you a wolf?" Amanda blurts out, staring up at Scott.
I'll give him credit, he knows how to save the mood of a room. "Only half," He says, "Part of me is Sea Monkey."
They became engaged in a conversation about Sea Monkeys and how they should be properly fed and cared for; I took this opportunity to drift the counter and pick up our usual order. I get a chocolate shake, Amanda has a cone of Coffee smothered in chocolate sprinkles, and Mylida gets a chocolate ice cream sandwich.
I carefully carry the food to the back of the room, where Scott and Amanda are talking animatedly. Mylida sat silently between them. I handed out cones and decided that this might be a good time to make our escape.
"Girls, how about eating outside?"
"No!" Amanda shouted in her ever-persuasive way, "I want to eat with Scotty."
"Scotty?" I ask, raising a brow. That happened to have been my pet name for him several lifetimes ago.
Scott gave me his Mona Lisa smile.
Mylida, of course, said nothing to contradict her sister.
That was the most painful chocolate shake I'd ever consumed. I was thrilled when it was over and I taught Amanda how to throw her garbage away "like a big girl" in the garbage can.
"Will I be seeing you around?" I asked Scott cautiously.
"Nah, I'm blowing through town."
I wasn't about to pretend that I didn't feel relief. "That's too bad." I lied.
"Yeah...By Stevie...Oh, I like your haircut."
I wince. It was storyline dictated, and I hated it. "Thanks...I like your highlights. See you." I say, grabbing Amanda by the hand and picking up Mylida.
"Will we see Scotty again?" Amanda piped.
"I'm afraid not, Sweetums." I say.
"Why? I like him!"
"Because he's just passing through town."
"Oh." She expressed stoically. We paused at a crosswalk and I took that opportunity to admire her. So much like my sister, but without her faults yet. I could prevent her from Lisa's folly.
Mylida's narrow gray eyes took in every storefront as we headed to the beach front property I had rented. Poor Possum, she barely made a noise.
Since my push started, I have enough money to really spoil the girls, so our home is no exception to the recent festival of splurging. It's a two-floor cottage, with eight rooms; we would be sharing half of it with some unknown single gentleman.
I placed Mylida on the rented couch and took a good look at our home; it was so simple, but so comfortable. Amanda ran upstairs to check out her own room while I readied the kitchen, putting away groceries.
"Uncle Stevie! Uncle Stevie!" Amanda cried, and I heard her feet clomp down the stairs (odd, they sounded heavier than usual). "I found something in my room."
"Is it a mouse?" I asked, already at the defense.
"No, but I can fake it. Give me some cheese to squeak for."
"Shit!" I muttered, dropping a can of tomato puree on my sandaled toe.
"Would you like my help with that?" Scott asked me.