units.
“Everything all right?” Frank asked.
“Yeah. Want some ice cream?” she asked, forcing a smile to her face.
“That would be great. You sure you’re fine?”
“Of course.” Hallie was more than a little tired of Frank’s concerned looks.
“Good,” he said with a smile that never reached his eyes.
Macy sat up and wiped her eyes with a sniffle.
“Frank? Can just me and Mommy go? We will bring you back some, too.”
Frank looked a little wounded. His mouth turned down and his eyes widened a bit.
“You two need some alone time. I understand,” he said, his words guarded. “I think it is best that I at least drive you there and sit in the car. How does that sound?”
Macy looked up at Hallie. Hallie understood Macy’s need to get out, get away from the house. The dangers were acute, but Macy did not know this directly. Hallie saw fear and sadness reflected in her daughter’s eyes.
Hallie smiled down at her.
“That will be fine, right Macy? We can both sit in the back seat there and have some girl talk.”
Macy nodded reluctantly.
Hallie looked back at Frank who appeared to be relieved. Hallie perceived that he disliked being the bad guy, but his duty was to keep them safe. Hallie knew that was his key purpose here. His duty was more than the false appearance of their “family” and a male influence in Macy’s life. Hallie’s new haircut, her blue contacts, the job cover of being a contract freelance writer, and Frank’s insurance business were all an exterior coat of reality ultimately to give them a veneer of protection from what Hallie and Macy were running: phantoms, imagined demons, and evil people with designs to change the world to their vision.
“I will get the keys and wait for you in the car,” he said. He turned to give them some privacy.
Macy glanced back out into the hall and waited for Frank’s footfalls to get to the bottom of the stairs.
Her eyes were brimmed with tears and fear when she turned her face up to Hallie.
“When can Frank leave?” Macy asked.
Hallie caught her breath, hesitating. She wanted to say so many things. Nothing she said, however, would assuage her daughter’s fears and concerns.
She softened her voice and held Macy by the shoulders.
“Honey, Frank will be with us for almost a year. That is his assignment.”
Something hard surfaced in Macy’s eyes and her lips pressed firmly together.
“Is that Frank’s assignment or is it Daddy’s?”
Hallie raised her eyebrows in surprise. She was taken aback. She struggled with the temptation to chastise her daughter.
“Both. Macy, I know it is difficult. Frank is a good man. We are going to get used to him before too long and when he leaves, I am sure that you will miss him,” Hallie reasoned.
Macy sniffled. She slid off the bed to the floor and walked to the door. She turned and looked at Hallie with red-rimmed eyes.
“I’m going to be strong because that is what you and Daddy would do. But, I will never truly like Frank. You can’t make me,” Macy announced with a stamp of her foot and a dramatic turn. She marched out.
Hallie could not contain the satisfied smile that came to her face. Her daughter was strong and independent.
Hallie understood that Macy was outwardly rejecting Frank because she felt guilty about liking the man. He was not her father and she felt untrue to Jake. Hallie sighed.
I may be projecting the same feelings toward that poor man , she thought.
She determined that she would show Frank more gratitude and dig down deep to analyze her feelings from now on.
Soon, they were on their way to the nearest Marble Slab Creamery.
Hallie allowed herself to smile at Frank, to thank him warmly, and even managed to laugh aloud when Frank commented on their “girl talk.” It made her feel better to see that he enjoyed their day out.
Hallie found that she appreciated his protection and watchful eye. She saw Agent McKinley in a new light. When viewed from a lens that did
“Everything all right?” Frank asked.
“Yeah. Want some ice cream?” she asked, forcing a smile to her face.
“That would be great. You sure you’re fine?”
“Of course.” Hallie was more than a little tired of Frank’s concerned looks.
“Good,” he said with a smile that never reached his eyes.
Macy sat up and wiped her eyes with a sniffle.
“Frank? Can just me and Mommy go? We will bring you back some, too.”
Frank looked a little wounded. His mouth turned down and his eyes widened a bit.
“You two need some alone time. I understand,” he said, his words guarded. “I think it is best that I at least drive you there and sit in the car. How does that sound?”
Macy looked up at Hallie. Hallie understood Macy’s need to get out, get away from the house. The dangers were acute, but Macy did not know this directly. Hallie saw fear and sadness reflected in her daughter’s eyes.
Hallie smiled down at her.
“That will be fine, right Macy? We can both sit in the back seat there and have some girl talk.”
Macy nodded reluctantly.
Hallie looked back at Frank who appeared to be relieved. Hallie perceived that he disliked being the bad guy, but his duty was to keep them safe. Hallie knew that was his key purpose here. His duty was more than the false appearance of their “family” and a male influence in Macy’s life. Hallie’s new haircut, her blue contacts, the job cover of being a contract freelance writer, and Frank’s insurance business were all an exterior coat of reality ultimately to give them a veneer of protection from what Hallie and Macy were running: phantoms, imagined demons, and evil people with designs to change the world to their vision.
“I will get the keys and wait for you in the car,” he said. He turned to give them some privacy.
Macy glanced back out into the hall and waited for Frank’s footfalls to get to the bottom of the stairs.
Her eyes were brimmed with tears and fear when she turned her face up to Hallie.
“When can Frank leave?” Macy asked.
Hallie caught her breath, hesitating. She wanted to say so many things. Nothing she said, however, would assuage her daughter’s fears and concerns.
She softened her voice and held Macy by the shoulders.
“Honey, Frank will be with us for almost a year. That is his assignment.”
Something hard surfaced in Macy’s eyes and her lips pressed firmly together.
“Is that Frank’s assignment or is it Daddy’s?”
Hallie raised her eyebrows in surprise. She was taken aback. She struggled with the temptation to chastise her daughter.
“Both. Macy, I know it is difficult. Frank is a good man. We are going to get used to him before too long and when he leaves, I am sure that you will miss him,” Hallie reasoned.
Macy sniffled. She slid off the bed to the floor and walked to the door. She turned and looked at Hallie with red-rimmed eyes.
“I’m going to be strong because that is what you and Daddy would do. But, I will never truly like Frank. You can’t make me,” Macy announced with a stamp of her foot and a dramatic turn. She marched out.
Hallie could not contain the satisfied smile that came to her face. Her daughter was strong and independent.
Hallie understood that Macy was outwardly rejecting Frank because she felt guilty about liking the man. He was not her father and she felt untrue to Jake. Hallie sighed.
I may be projecting the same feelings toward that poor man , she thought.
She determined that she would show Frank more gratitude and dig down deep to analyze her feelings from now on.
Soon, they were on their way to the nearest Marble Slab Creamery.
Hallie allowed herself to smile at Frank, to thank him warmly, and even managed to laugh aloud when Frank commented on their “girl talk.” It made her feel better to see that he enjoyed their day out.
Hallie found that she appreciated his protection and watchful eye. She saw Agent McKinley in a new light. When viewed from a lens that did
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