Memory Share: Richard Strand

[nobasisinfact]

The room is soft in pastels of yellow and blue. The pictures on the wall seem more child-oriented than anything else. Your sister decorated it – she'd overruled your choice of a pleasant dark green and a more adult-like decoration. 'growing girls don't want their rooms to look like a stuffy scholar lives there' she'd said. You still don't agree, but at least you were able to get your way about the books. She needs something more substantial than 'Goodnight Moon.'

The weight pressing against your leg, wiggling a little is light, but it's still amazing how much heavier she was then even a few weeks ago. She's growing so much, and the thought of it is almost frightening. What are you going to do when she starts school; or when she starts to look at boys? Cheryl can't stay with you forever, and this is all new territory for you. You can barely handle an adult girl let alone a tiny one that you'd managed to create.

“Dad?” The tiny voice is calm but questioning — a girl's voice. When you turn to her, there's a little girl there, sitting on your lap with a questioning look in her deep blue eyes. She looks like you, it's strange, but there isn't very much of the woman who had her there. Just you; or maybe you only see what you want to.

“You wanted 'The Deranged Cousins' right?” You can't help smiling about that. Cheryl hated that you get her Edward Gorey, but she loved it. She also liked it when you read Greek myths and ancient books to her – Cheryl had banned those while she was visiting though. There was also an increase of traditional children's books showing up in her room. You'd have to sell them once she left.

Opening the book, you begin to read. There are pictures, and the young girl looks at them with rapt enjoyment as she listens to you carefully and rhythmically reading the words. “Seventy-nine years ago there were three cousins whose names were Rose Marshmary, Mary Rosemarsh, and Marsh Maryrose. They lived in a house covered with roses on the edge of a marsh ...”

As you continue, the girl reads with you, as if she knows the book by heart. She does. This is a book you've read to her several times. It's her favorite. There's a soft clink as a mug of tea is set beside you, and both you and the girl look over to see a woman settling herself into another chair, sipping from her mug. “You're gonna make her weird, Richard.” It's said with rolled eyes as the girl crinkles her face at the comment.

It's an old argument. Be a normal dad, read her normal things and make sure she has a normal life. Charlie isn't normal. She's extraordinary, she's your daughter, and you plan on making sure she knows just how smart she is, just how extraordinary she is. “If anyone thinks that then they aren't worth her time. Right, Charlie.” Your voice is both soft and strong with conviction.

The girl nods then she taps the book. “I wanna get to her killing her cousin.” It's a demand that you can't say no to, so you keep reading even as Cheryl sits back with a small smirk on her face. Only you would read something like this to an almost three-year-old girl, and only your daughter would enjoy it.

Comments

[nobasisinfact]

It's not endearing to know someone pushed their own child away.

[The words are hollow.]

[11calls]

Richard, you didn't push her away. She left because she was angry when you couldn't fine Coralee. You searched for her, and couldn't find her. It's not your fault. You know it's not your fault, Richard. You don't need me to tell you. She did already.

[nobasisinfact]

The facts remain the same.

[He takes his glass, drinking from it as if the topic is closed.]

[11calls]

[Alex's frown just grows at him as she takes a small sip of her scotch, knowing that he's digging his heels into the ground of this being closed. And of course he has to know because she's Alex, he's going to lose that firm ground that he's trying so hard to stand on.]

Yeah, they do. But how you read them is different than how other people do. Including Charlie.

[nobasisinfact]

I think I know Charlie's interpretations better than you. Even after twenty years.

[11calls]

It's still not your fault you couldn't find her psychically, Richard. Even if you were a physic, something could have been blocking you. You're a good investigator, but it took sixteen years, me and a team of interns to find her. It's not exactly like you could have done that.

[nobasisinfact]

[Except that it's his fault that she didn't want to be found. That when she escaped, she didn't come back. If it weren't for him, maybe she would have at least come back for Charlie.]

It doesn't matter.

[11calls]

[Alex would argue that considering she's the one who had been hired to watch him and all of that, that it wasn't his fault. But she knows that he's not going to agree.

And she doesn't want to fight. So, instead she just sighs softly, and rubs her hand over the back of his cheek with a small sad frown.]

[nobasisinfact]

Speaking of memories, it seems you've been saved from this round of idiocy. I'm jealous.

[11calls]

Well, I mean, it's still early in the month. It could happen.

[She's expecting it to happen, honestly. It's there in her voice.]

[nobasisinfact]

[He just shrugs and drinks more of his scotch.]

[11calls]

[Alex just shrugs back.]

Well, hopefully it's not something that you can use against me later. I think I've just managed to get you to stop making comments about phone sex and your eyes.

[nobasisinfact]

Or I'm saving it for an opportune moment.

[11calls]

[And there's that sigh that she saves only for him, the first part of her that definitely had 'Dr. Richard Strand' written all over it.]

Oh, god damn it.

[nobasisinfact]

[He can't help smirking at that. He'll just file it away for the opportune moment.]

[11calls]

[Alex is just going to poke his gently gently:]

Like I don't know what that look is, my love.

[nobasisinfact]

I could be faking it.

[He's not, but they both know he could be.]

[11calls]

[And she's just going to scoff at that.]

You're not.

[nobasisinfact]

No, I'm not.

[11calls]

At this point I'm pretty sure we're going to be old and gray and you're going to forget all sorts of things, but you're never going to let me forget how I found your sexy voice and sexy eyes.

[nobasisinfact]

You forget that I'm already greying.

[At least in places.]

[11calls]

You know what I mean, Richard.

[Didn't he already blame her for that?]

[nobasisinfact]

You're implying I'll go senile as well.

[11calls]

Well, we're going to go senile, actually.

[nobasisinfact]

I would prefer not to.