Canto One
What We Remember
Dan came into the house through the sliding glass door and dropped his tool box on the table with a heavy thud. The smell of fresh chocolate cake hung in the air, so sweet it was almost nauseating. His wife, Gemma, was standing at the stove, stirring a pot of homemade frosting. The unfinished cake was sitting on the counter next to her.
Gemma smiled at him. “How’s the project coming along? You finished yet?”
He sat down at the table. “Yep, just finished. She’d better appreciate it. That damn thing nearly broke me.”
“I’m sure she’ll love it.” She slid her arms over his shoulders. He gripped her forearm and rested his head against her.
“You think?”
“I know she will. She’s always wanted a playhouse.”
“Get a room, you two,” Peter said, coming through the door. He popped open the refrigerator and grabbed a soda.
Gemma turned toward Peter. “Hey, that’s for the party!”
“But . . .” Peter’s finger flirted with the tab.
Dan narrowed his eyes. “Do what she tells you.”
“Fine.” He put the drink back and grabbed a bottle of water instead. “You two still need to get a room.”
“Oh, but I love your father so much,” Gemma said, smiling. She began kissing Dan all over his face and neck, making the man giggle. Intentionally annoying their son.
“Gross,” Peter said. “Hey, have you guys heard about all the commotion on the news??”
“Nah, what’s going on?” Dan asked.
“Scientists are saying the stars are disappearing from the night sky. They have no clue what's going on.”
“Oh, I bet Ann finds that interesting," Gemma said.
“Who cares? Nerd shit.”
Dan ruffled his hair. “Hey. Language. Your sister might be smarter than us. Don’t tease her for it.”
He waved the comment off. “Nerds.”
Gemma smiled. “Be nice to your sister. This should be a big deal to her. Besides, it's kind of wild if you think about it.”
“Like I said, whatever. I’m out,” he said, leaving. The sound of his bedroom door closing echoed through the hall.
Gemma turned back to the stove. “Still mouthy, but he’s getting better. Teen angst aside.”
“Well, it’s been over a year. I think he was more upset about her giving me custody than her death.”
“Divorce is hard enough without their mom around. . .”
“She made his life a lot harder. That’s what selfish people do. She could have gotten help. She chose not to.”
Ann stepped into the kitchen, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the cake. “Is this my cake?”
“Antonia Teal, out. Now,” Gemma said, moving to block the cake from view.
The little girl smiled at Dan. “Talk some sense into her, Dad.”
“Uh-oh, don’t drag me into this,” Dan said. “You know when Mom breaks out the full name, it’s serious.”
He scooped her up and held her over the cake. The frosting read: Congratulations!
“Damn it, you two. This was supposed to be a surprise.”
“Surprise!” Dan grinned wide, trying to crack her resolve. She finally smirked.
“I don’t even think we needed a cake,” she said, beaming. “That spelling bee was easy. Vacuum—V-A-C-U-U-M. Vacuum.”
“Get outta here, kid,” Dan said, messing the girl’s hair. “She’s turning into a little smart ass, huh?”
“Yeah, clearly your daughter,” Gemma said, turning back to the stove. “You wanna stay up and watch the stars with me? If what they say is true, maybe we’ll see them go.”
“I could think of some things I’d rather stay up for,” Dan said, wrapping his arms around her.
“Hey! Watch it. Not near the stove.”
He kissed her and pulled away.
“Ann wants to watch from her window. I said it was fine. The boys say they’ll stay up too, but I doubt it—neither of them makes it past ten.”
“Yeah, she’s our little night owl. I wonder what kind of miscreant she’s going to grow up to be. Nothing good happens at night.”
“Weren’t you born at night?”
He gave her a goofy wink. “Exactly.”
“So, it’s okay?”
Glass bottles clinked as he rummaged through the fridge. “Looks fine to me.” He cracked open a soda with a loud hiss.
Gemma shot him a look. “Hey! That’s for the party.”
He turned it up and chugged it down.
Gemma leaned on the window sill and looked out as Dan threw his can away.
“Do we even remember what the sky looked like last night?” she asked. “Maybe we should take a picture or something. Just to compare.”
She glanced over her shoulder, but the room was empty.
