True North
By Jaclyn Parker
"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live."
-Flora Whittemore
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Thursday was their last full day in California and since Lee's convention was over by lunch time, they spent the rest of it down at Molly's house in Santa Monica.
It was a gorgeous single family home with 3 bedrooms and a full bath in a picturesque neighborhood. It came with a wrap around porch and small secluded backyard with sunken hot tub that kids immediately put a claim in for later that night. Molly had set up a grill, picnic table, and a hammock to complete the ideal backyard escape. The full stainless steel kitchen and airy open feel to the house made it more than a steal for the price she had bought it for, even in today's housing market.
But with no argument, everyone's favorite feature was the less than 5 minute drive to the beach and pier. And after a quick trip to the grocery store to stock up for the barbeque they would have later that night, the beach and pier was where they camped out for the rest of the day.
As if knowing that it was their last day in the place known as the Sunshine State, Mother Nature had cooperated by having the temperature usually high at 75 degrees and a not a cloud in the sky. Despite the fact that the beach had many more people on it than one would expect since it was a work day, Molly assured them that it was no where near as packed as it normally got on the weekends or in the summer.
It was late in the afternoon when Parker paused from where Brayden was showing him, Mattie, and J.J. how to skim board along the surf and looked around.
Abigail was further away from the water helping Sage build an impossibly large and detailed sandcastle. Lee was unconscious with a car magazine over his face, snoring softly regardless of the sounds of the hundreds of laughing people around him. Molly and Carly were glancing over at him every so often as they talked low with each other.
Parker frowned as he watched them converse, their hands moving often to emphasize a point one or the other would make. His mom and Molly had been having a lot of private conversations the past couple of days and something in his gut told him that whatever they were talking about, it was very important.
"Hey, Yank. Whatcha thinkin about?" Mattie said, startling him from his thoughts.
"Nothin." Parker said, looking over at her.
"Uh huh, right. And I'm the Queen Mum." Mattie said, rolling her eyes.
"Whatever you say, your Majesty." Parker said and received a slight slap on the shoulder for his joke. "Ow! Okay, okay!"
Mattie smiled and then tilted her head to look at him closely. Something was on her best friend's mind and she could tell that it wasn't sitting well.
"So, my body thinks I should take a break from trying to destroy it on that skim board. I was thinking of taking a walk along the water. You wanna come with?" Mattie said, casually glancing down along the surf.
"Yeah, sure." Parker replied and then turned towards Carly and Molly. "Hey, Mom, we're gonna take a walk okay?"
Carly looked over at them for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, just don't go too far. We're going to head back soon to get ready for dinner."
Parker waved in response before turning and starting down the beach with Mattie.
"Hey, where are you going?" Sage asked, running up to them.
"We're just going for a walk, Shorty." Parker said and ignored the small frown that Sage gave him at the nickname.
"Can I come?" She asked and Parker exchanged a glance with Mattie.
"Hey, Sage!" Abby said, jogging up next to them. "Way to leave me hanging on our castle."
"I'm done with it. I wanna go with Parker and Mattie." Sage said. Abby looked at Parker and Mattie's faces before looking back down at Sage.
"Oh, well, okay. But I was getting bored too and thought I'd go check out the hermit crabs on the pier again." Abby said, shrugging.
At the mention of hermit crabs, Sage's eyes got wide. Ever since she had seen them when they first visited the pier, she had been begging her mother for one. Carly had taken one look at the crawling creatures and adamantly said no way in hell was one coming into her house. However, Sage was confident she would be able to change Carly's mind before they went home.
"Do you think they'll still have the big one with the purple glittered shell?" Sage asked and Abby shrugged again.
"I don't know, maybe." Abby said and Sage grabbed her hand.
"Come on!" The little girl cried, dragging Abby towards the pier. Abby laughed and after shooting a wink at the two teens, she had no choice but to follow Sage.
Parker and Mattie thought they would have a similar problem with J.J. but it turned out he was perfectly happy to continue to skim board. In fact, he had gotten the hang of it rather quickly and was now attempting to do spins and jumps like Brayden could.
Mattie followed Parker's lead for a while and just stayed silent as they walked, until he let out a small sigh.
Glancing over at him, she frowned. "You're worried about your mom. Why?"
Parker looked at her and smiled softly. He was no longer surprised at how well Mattie could read him but sometimes it was just down right uncanny.
"Yeah, I am." Parker admitted, nodding. "I can't explain why though. It's just…I don't know. I know something's wrong, but at the same time I get the weird feeling that something's right too."
He paused, realizing his words made no sense and shook his head. "Never mind."
"No, it's okay. I get it." Mattie said and placed a hand on his arm. "Is it like the time your mom was sick?"
"Nah, it's not that." Parker said, shaking his head again. "And besides, after everything that happened, she would tell us if she thought she was that sick again."
Parker had no doubt that what he had just said to Mattie was true. That whole time was one of the lowest for their family and he knew that despite some crazy things that went on in her mind, his mom would never do something like that to him or his siblings again. Even during the moments when he and Carly drove each other crazy, the thought of losing his mom made Parker's blood turn cold. Just thinking about it, caused him shiver in the warm California sunlight.
Once again Mattie picked up on his train of thought and spoke up. "Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do."
"Yeah," Parker said, the wheels of his brain still turning. "It's just that, as cool as it is when my mom and Molly are together, trouble usually isn't far behind."
"So you've told me." Mattie nodded, thinking back on all of the crazy stories he had told her. Then, deciding to change the subject, she gave a small smile. "Speaking of Molly, I think she likes my Uncle Lee."
"What?" Parker asked, properly distracted from lingering thoughts of his mother in danger. "Molly barely tolerates being in the same room with him unless everyone else is around."
"Trust me!" Mattie laughed. "Haven't you seen the way that Molly keeps looking at Uncle Lee when she thinks no one is watching? And the way that she keeps trying not to laugh when he tells all those stupid jokes of his?"
"Lee's jokes aren't stupid. They're freakin' hysterical." Parker said and Mattie rolled her eyes.
"Yeah…not so much, Yank." Mattie said then grinned. "Okay, what about today when we got to the beach? Molly brought magazines with her including a Road and Track. Molly doesn't seem to be the type to have that just lying around her house. Vogue, Glamour, Cosmo...yes. Road and Track...nah uh."
When Parker frowned, Mattie tossed her ponytail over her shoulder knowing that she had proven her point. With a small skip she bounced in front of him so she was now walking backwards. "A girl knows these things."
"What? And guys don't?" Parker asked and smirked at her. "For your information, I think Lee likes Molly, but I didn't want to say anything."
"Oh yeah, where's your proof?" Mattie asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Um, how about the way that Lee keeps watching Molly too when he thinks no one is looking? Or the fact that when he and I went to get lunch for everyone, he brought back orange soda?"
"So, what does that have to do with anything?" Mattie asked, stopping and crossing her arms.
"Oz, none of us drinks orange soda except Molly. Which means he was paying attention to what she liked whenever we all went out to dinner." Parker said and Mattie's eyes widened. Now it was Parker's turn to gloat in the fact that he was right.
"See, a guy just knows these things." He said and shied away from the light punch that Mattie threw his way, even as they both laughed.
Turning back the way they came, they started to walk again.
"I wonder why neither of them seems to notice that the other likes them too." Parker said, curiously.
"I guess, maybe, some people just don't see the signs." Mattie said, shrugging.
"Yeah, I guess not. I should know having watched my mom and dad ignore them for years." Parker said chuckling wryly. Their arms brushed against one another and Mattie reached out to interlace his fingers with her.
"But it's never too late to figure it out. Maybe your mom and dad will get their act together." Mattie told him and squeezed his hand in encouragement.
"Yeah, maybe. Like when Sage graduates college" Parker said and rolled his eyes.
"Hey, you never know. Adults aren't always stupid when it comes to that stuff." Mattie said and then frowned. "Just most of the time."
"True story, Oz." Parker laughed and then squinting, he pointed to where Lee was now awake and waving them over.
"I think we're heading back." Parker said and Mattie nodded, letting go of Parker's hand. She turned to face the water and shielded her eyes from the glare of the lowering sun.
"It's so beautiful. I'm kinda sad to be going home." Mattie said, sighing.
"Yeah, I know. But at the same time…" Parker said trailing off, watching the die hard surfers get in the last high tide of the day.
"You miss it…and your dad." Mattie said for him. When he nodded she smiled at him gently. "It's okay to admit it. I won't think you're a wanker if you do. And by the way your mom gets all nervous when we talk about going home, I think she misses your dad too."
Mattie paused and then let out a soft sigh. "I guess, it's natural to miss someone you love whether you're apart for five days or five years. Even when they hurt you."
At her words, Parker looked over at her. Her green eyes were soft and had a faraway look in them as she watched the ocean.
"Come on, we'd better get back. Don't want to make your Uncle Lee's famous barbeque ribs wait." Parker said, and squeezed her around the shoulders.
"Hey, Yank?" Mattie said ignoring his attempt to change the subject. She looked up at him intensely and frowned. "As stupid as your parents are about stuff, don't take them for granted okay?"
Parker stared at her for a moment. As she spoke, the uneasy feeling that Parker had about what was going on with his mom had crept back into his mind. Another chill went down his spine and he swallowed hard before nodding. "Okay."
With a firm nod, she pushed her thoughts away and then sent him a brilliant grin.
"Hey, race ya!" She said and before Parker had a chance to say anything, she bolted back up the beach. With a shake of his head, he had no choice but to chase after her.
Yet, they both knew that even as they ran towards the others, in reality they were really running away from the feelings and memories that their conversation had brought with it.