staying out back,” I said.
Still, she said nothing. I led her to the front doors, rang the bell, and then disappeared to anyone but Charley.
A neatly dressed woman answered the door, with a toddler hoisted high on one hip. “Yes? May I help you?”
Tell her, you’d like to see the room for rent.
Charley heard my words but paused, her forehead creasing for a moment before she spoke. “Y-yes, I’d like to see the room you have for rent, please.”
The woman smiled as she placed the child on the floor of the tiled entry. “You go play, Justin,” she said, then turned back to Charley. “Come in. Come in.”
Justin tagged along behind us as his mother led the way through the palace-like home. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name,” the woman said as she pushed open a door at the end of a long hall.
“Charley.” Charley stepped past the woman and into the more than spacious room.
“Hey, Mister, what’s your name?” The toddler whispered, with a tug on my hand.
I lifted a finger to my lips and the little boy smiled up at me with winking eyes.
The woman followed Charley into the room, offering her tour speech, but Charley seemed fascinated with the sliding glass doors. I leaned in the doorway, watching.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” the woman asked.
Charley’s chest heaved as she struggled with the latch. She turned as the woman stepped around the end of the bed. “What is this place?” Charley pointed to the enclosed garden on the other side of the glass.
“It’s a butterfly sanctuary. I’m sorry, I didn’t list it in the advert—” The woman gasped when Charley took one of her hands, met her gaze.
“She’s out there. I see her! Please help me, Monica.” Charley released Monica’s hand and once again, set about yanking on the locked door.
With trembling fingers, Monica flipped open the latch and though shaking, she aided Charley’s desire to slide open one of the doors. Justin giggled, and again, I beckoned him to be quiet, not to give me away. As Charley stepped into the atrium, Monica stood back with a bewildered stare, the toddler now clinging to her leg. “She likes butterflies!” Justin gave a delighted squeal and, with a burst, raced out into the garden to join Charley on one of the wooden benches.
Monica continued to stare, unblinking, for the longest time before feeling the air for the bed behind her. Her legs hit the mattress and she sank to the edge of the bed, still staring into the atrium, her eyes rimmed with moisture.
After a good ten minutes, Charley returned from the mock paradise, a toddling Justin, fist wrapped tight in her skirt, a bold violet and black-streaked butterfly in her hand. She held the creature close to her chest and smiled. Nothing in this world compared to seeing Charley happy. My insides wrenched a little tighter. Papa, please…don’t take her now that she’s happy, just a while longer.
Charley talked incoherently to the butterfly in her grasp before settling on the edge of the bed and lifting her face to Monica. For a brief moment, she smiled, then thumbed the tears off her daughter’s cheeks. “Don’t cry, Monica. I found her.”
Monica reached up and tucked the hair behind one of Charley’s ears. Butterfly safely cupped in her hands, Charley lay back on the bed, closed her eyes. “I found her, Monica.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “And, she’s beautiful.”
“Daddy?” Tears flowed freely as Monica threw herself over Charley and wailed.
No matter how many times I’d helped a charge enter the beyond, I hated this part. I tried blinking away the moisture clouding my vision but to no avail. Charley wasn’t only one of my charges, though; she was my friend. Insides a mix of anger and something oddly resembling peace consumed me. Unable to bear the influx of confusing emotions gracefully, I turned to leave.
“Mister?”
I felt a tug on my hand. Wiping my face, I met the gaze of the young boy at my feet. “Why is mommy
Still, she said nothing. I led her to the front doors, rang the bell, and then disappeared to anyone but Charley.
A neatly dressed woman answered the door, with a toddler hoisted high on one hip. “Yes? May I help you?”
Tell her, you’d like to see the room for rent.
Charley heard my words but paused, her forehead creasing for a moment before she spoke. “Y-yes, I’d like to see the room you have for rent, please.”
The woman smiled as she placed the child on the floor of the tiled entry. “You go play, Justin,” she said, then turned back to Charley. “Come in. Come in.”
Justin tagged along behind us as his mother led the way through the palace-like home. “I’m sorry. I didn’t catch your name,” the woman said as she pushed open a door at the end of a long hall.
“Charley.” Charley stepped past the woman and into the more than spacious room.
“Hey, Mister, what’s your name?” The toddler whispered, with a tug on my hand.
I lifted a finger to my lips and the little boy smiled up at me with winking eyes.
The woman followed Charley into the room, offering her tour speech, but Charley seemed fascinated with the sliding glass doors. I leaned in the doorway, watching.
“Are you all right, ma’am?” the woman asked.
Charley’s chest heaved as she struggled with the latch. She turned as the woman stepped around the end of the bed. “What is this place?” Charley pointed to the enclosed garden on the other side of the glass.
“It’s a butterfly sanctuary. I’m sorry, I didn’t list it in the advert—” The woman gasped when Charley took one of her hands, met her gaze.
“She’s out there. I see her! Please help me, Monica.” Charley released Monica’s hand and once again, set about yanking on the locked door.
With trembling fingers, Monica flipped open the latch and though shaking, she aided Charley’s desire to slide open one of the doors. Justin giggled, and again, I beckoned him to be quiet, not to give me away. As Charley stepped into the atrium, Monica stood back with a bewildered stare, the toddler now clinging to her leg. “She likes butterflies!” Justin gave a delighted squeal and, with a burst, raced out into the garden to join Charley on one of the wooden benches.
Monica continued to stare, unblinking, for the longest time before feeling the air for the bed behind her. Her legs hit the mattress and she sank to the edge of the bed, still staring into the atrium, her eyes rimmed with moisture.
After a good ten minutes, Charley returned from the mock paradise, a toddling Justin, fist wrapped tight in her skirt, a bold violet and black-streaked butterfly in her hand. She held the creature close to her chest and smiled. Nothing in this world compared to seeing Charley happy. My insides wrenched a little tighter. Papa, please…don’t take her now that she’s happy, just a while longer.
Charley talked incoherently to the butterfly in her grasp before settling on the edge of the bed and lifting her face to Monica. For a brief moment, she smiled, then thumbed the tears off her daughter’s cheeks. “Don’t cry, Monica. I found her.”
Monica reached up and tucked the hair behind one of Charley’s ears. Butterfly safely cupped in her hands, Charley lay back on the bed, closed her eyes. “I found her, Monica.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “And, she’s beautiful.”
“Daddy?” Tears flowed freely as Monica threw herself over Charley and wailed.
No matter how many times I’d helped a charge enter the beyond, I hated this part. I tried blinking away the moisture clouding my vision but to no avail. Charley wasn’t only one of my charges, though; she was my friend. Insides a mix of anger and something oddly resembling peace consumed me. Unable to bear the influx of confusing emotions gracefully, I turned to leave.
“Mister?”
I felt a tug on my hand. Wiping my face, I met the gaze of the young boy at my feet. “Why is mommy
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