It was an unseasonably warm day for a Minnesota spring. She had talked him into pizza in the park. He had to admit that it was a good idea now. He was stretched out on a blanket, leaning against a tree soaking up the last bit of afternoon sun. Relaxing. She was settled in front of him absorbed in her sketch pad. Her pencil was moving furiously and was the sound was the only thing that was keeping him from actually sleeping. He shifted and his eyes opened when she shrieked at him.
"What are you doing?" she cried. "Don't move!" He frowned a bit as he watched her. She had a look of desperation and determination on her face. Her body was tight and wired. Her movements jerky and tense. He had noticed the change a couple of days ago and had mentioned something to Gina. She had just rolled her eyes and nodded. Maggie groaned in frustration and flipped the sketch over, picked up a different pencil and started drawing again. She threw the pencil down when the lead broke and searched through the pile next to her for another one. Jim frowned and sat up to help her. She was breathing so hard and fast…almost panicking. He grabbed her hand and held it firmly for a moment waiting for her to look at him. When she didn't he picked up the sharpener and quickly sharpened a pencil. Wordlessly he slipped it into her hand. She looked at the pencil and sighed happily.
"Oh……thank you," she breathed. Never looking at him she returned to the rapid sketching on the pad. He sat back worriedly and watched her.
"Maggie…" he said softly.
"I told you not to move," she retorted. She frowned at the pad and then threw it down onto the blanket. "Look what you did! You moved!" She stood up from the blanket and glared down at him. Jim was dumbfounded as she let out a stream of obscenities directed at him. She turned and stalked toward the sidewalk. He stood up and went after her. It had to be a joke.
Maggie was muttering and ranting as she paced quickly down the sidewalk in the park with Jim right behind her. She was oblivious to other people in her path and he apologized for her when they were forced off the sidewalk. He finally caught up with her and wrapped his arms around her from the back. He nearly fell over when she started to kick and scream.
"Stop it, Maggie!" he ordered. "It's me!" She only screamed and struggled louder.
"Don't touch me!" she yelled. Jim panicked but didn't let go. He struggled to turn her around to face him and wrapped his hands around her face. She was looking everywhere except at him.
"Maggie….baby…." he crooned as he moved his face to be in her line of sight. "It's me. It's me, sweetie. Jimmy…" Their eyes finally connected and she began to relax. In fact, she melted against him. He slipped an arm under her's and turned her back toward their blanket. She was weeping and he grinned self consciously at people who were watching them from the park.
"Is everything all right?" A man she had forced off the sidewalk just moments before was concerned as they passed him. Jim nodded and supported her as they made their way back to their blanket. He drew her down into his lap and held her there – like a baby – as she wept.
"I want to go away, Jimmy," she said finally.
"Okay. I'll take you back home," he said as he brushed her hair away from her face. She looked up at him and then pressed her face back into his damp tee shirt.
"No…." she sobbed. "I want to go away. Really go away from here….."
"Where would we go, Maggie?" he crooned. "We both have jobs. You have your classes."
"I need to go away…." she cried. "Please. Please take me away."
"Shhhh….." he crooned as he held her. "It's okay." He held her there until the sun set and she fell asleep in his arms.
When the sun was down the night air chilled quickly. He settled her on the blanket and quickly gathered up her drawing materials. His frown deepened when she saw the last two pictures in the sketch book. His face. Something weird and different in his eyes. Demons. He glanced at her and ripped the sketches from the book, folded them and slipped them into his pocket.
Jim settled the sketch book and pencil bag in her lap and carefully lifted her in his arms. He carried her toward the parking space and his motorcycle. He roused her enough to sit her in the bike and slipped her helmet on her head. He folded the blanket and tucked her pad and pencils in the middle before slipping it into his saddle bag. He fastened his helmet on his head and settled himself in front of her on the motorcycle. She melted against him as he drew her arms around his waist and patted her hands. He could feel her tired sigh against his back and he turned the key and kick started the bike.
He was sitting on the front steps of the porch smoking a cigarette when Gina came looking for him. He had carried Maggie into the house and settled her on her bed. The two of them worked silently as they stripped her down and slipped a worn tee shirt of his over her head. Eddie had pressed a kiss to her forehead as he pulled the threadbare quilt up around her. He watched her close her eyes and nestle into the warmth of her bed before he left the room. Gina sat down on the steps next to him and took the cigarette he offered her. He lit it and then watched as she took a long drag.
"What happened?" she asked finally.
"I'm not sure," he said. "She was drawing. A pencil broke and then she fucking fell apart." He pulled the sketches from his pocket and unfolded them.
"What do you make of this?" he asked. Gina took the pictures from him and studied them. A smile crossed her face and she chuckled.
"I have a collection of those myself," she said as she handed them back to him. "I don't bother to save them any more." Jim studied the pictures again.
"They don't mean anything, Jim," she said softly as she put her hand on his arm. "She loves you."
"Why doesn't her family talk to her more?" he asked. Gina sighed.
"Can't you guess?" He shook his head and crumbled the pictures in his hand.
"Naw…." he said as he stood up. "I can't guess. If I loved someone….really loved someone….nothing could make me turn my back on them." He threw his cigarette to the walk and ground it out with his foot
"I'll come by before work tomorrow and check on her," he said. Gina nodded and watched him head toward his motorcycle. She waved as he turned the bike toward the street and left. Gina sighed and took another drag on the cigarette before she tamped it out on the walk and headed back inside.