Will & Indie

14.

"You gave me something that no one had before

You gave me peace

Like a river that had been rushing, pulled by the current for too long

You made my waters still

I found rest in your arms"

- L.Y.

Indie was startled awake from her dream when Violet pounced on her bed. Indie rubbed her eyes. She looked down at her cat, who was swishing her tail this way and that, clearly in the mood to play. Indie booped her on the nose.

"Not now, Violet. It's too early for your astronomical energy levels." Indie yawned. She trudged to the bathroom and turned on the shower, feeling less than ready to begin her day.

Her brain was a cacophony of music, memories, and an ever-present longing for chai tea. She wished she could wash out the sadness that had overtaken her insides, but it was no use. Her dad's birthday was in about a week, and everything she tried to distract herself with proved to be utterly useless—she just kept dreaming about him. It wasn't entirely a bad thing; in a way, it was keeping his memory alive. However, Indie couldn't help but note that birthdays were meant to be a celebration of life, not a memorial.

Indie had always enjoyed the one-on-one time she got to spend with her mother on her dad's birthday, though. They started their own tradition of getting daisies—Lewis's favorite flower—and laying them at his grave. They would then sing "Happy Birthday" to him and chat with him about all the exciting things he was missing. After that, they got a beverage from Ivy Cafe and sat on the green bench in front of the abandoned Argyle's Florals, reminiscing and people watching. Although it was sad, Indie and Mae made the most of the day, taking time to comfort each other and remind themselves that they would see him again soon.

But that lonely October day always seemed a little bit colder without Lewis.

Indie greeted her mom with an embrace when she got home from an extra long shift. Mae kissed her daughter on the head, combing through her long blonde waves of hair.

"Good to see you, sunshine." Mae smiled.

"How was work?" Indie asked, taking careful note of the red rings beneath her mom's piercing blue eyes.

Mae shrugged. "Eh, nothing special." She rubbed the crease between her eyebrows. "It feels like my shifts are getting longer and longer," Mae laughed awkwardly.

Indie bit her lip. "You shouldn't have to work such long hours, mom. It's not fair." She sighed. "Here, you sit down in the living room. I'm gonna make us dinner, okay?"

Mae raised a brow. "Oh, that's nice, sweetie, but you don't have to-"

Indie cupped her hand around her ear. "Oh, what's that, mom? I can't hear you over the couch calling your name," she said with a mischievous smile. "Go relax, seriously. You deserve to put your feet up after a long day around sick people."

Mae shook her head, smiling. "How did I get so lucky?" She sighed, giving Indie a quick kiss on the forehead. She finally complied to Indie's orders with little complaints, leaning back into the dark green velvet, allowing the cushions to soak up all her stress.

Indie quickly threw together a couple toasted cheese sandwiches, along with a side salad. She sliced up some apples, chopped up some walnuts, and added some cranberries to the plain lettuce. She finished it off with some Italian dressing—Mae's favorite.