Like Real People Do

44. The Crane Wife

Each feather, it fell from skin. 'Til threadbare, and she grew thin. How were my eyes so blinded? Each feather, it fell from skin -The Decemberists

Saturday, April 10th

Agnes would have been 25 today. Rhiannon was never so bold to believe that she could tame her, or even reel her in for any extended period of time. Whether it was just in her nature to be wild or if something made her that way, Rhiannon would never know. She jokingly chalked it up to the chaos from that Aries sun, and did her best to intervene where she could. As much as they'd laughed through her wildfire, it was also the reason why she never saw another birthday again after her 23rd. The timing of Rhiannon's move out to the countryside was very intentional- whoever she was before could not take another year of Agnes's birthday without her. The same two dates would hang heavy over Rhiannon's head forever: the day Agnes was born, and the day Agnes died. If she wanted to survive, she would need to leave it all behind, but April 10th and September 3rd would come and go no matter where she ran. If nothing more, at least there was a bar in town to drink to her memory, or rather drink to forget. Rhiannon sat alone on a barstool, tracing one finger around the rim of her wine glass and wondering if there was enough alcohol in the world to truly scrub out the stains that Agnes had left.

"What are you drinking?" Rhiannon looked up from her glass groggily at the man who had just appeared beside her and squinted at him. Though his features were hard to make out in the dim, yellow light of the bar, she could see he had a husky build and dark hair. His eyes were a lighter color, maybe blue or green, but she didn't care enough to figure it out. She grew up in the suburbs just a train's ride away from the city, she was no stranger to getting hit on in bars. Usually, her first impulse was a decisive "fuck off," but for some reason she didn't have it in her to turn people away tonight.

"Well, that depends," she mumbled. "Who's asking?"

"Does it matter?" he slurred back. "It's a free drink either way. Take it or leave it." Rhiannon looked him up and down carefully. She was already a drink or two deep and not sober by any stretch of the imagination, but this guy was completely wasted. He leaned on the side of the bar to steady himself and looked at her through lidded eyes. Still, he was with it enough to form a sentence, and far be it from her to turn up her nose at a free drink on a night like this. She lingered on him for a moment, then threw back the rest of her wine in one quick sip.

"Ugh. House cab," she said with a shudder. "Don't worry, I'm a cheap date."

"A date?" he said with a slight chuckle and eyebrows raised. "Don't get ahead of yourself, I haven't even decided if I like you yet."

"Damn, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet," Rhiannon scoffed. "And don't get it twisted, I am in this for the free wine and the free wine only."

"Hey, fair is fair," the man raised his hands in defeat and motioned for the bartender. "Usual for me, house cab for her." The way he spoke and moved was so casual, so familiar, like they existed in a memory that he replayed over and over. Rhiannon was no fool- she could tell that she wasn't the first woman he'd read this script for, and she likely wouldn't be the last. Still, she couldn't find it in herself to give a shit. Whatever he brought to the table was a welcome distraction from the darkness that today held for her. She was in mourning, and no one was in any position to criticize her for the ways that she decided to cope.

The bartender, a slender woman with striking blue hair, gilded back over to them with a stein of foaming, amber beer, and a glass of red wine in hand. "Alright, here's your usual, Shane." She turned to Rhiannon and set the glass down. "And here is your house cab, stranger. Let me know when you get tired of him. It won't take long." She gave her a quick wink and a mischievous smile, then disappeared to the other side of the bar. Rhiannon blinked in surprise, then turned her attention back to the man sitting next to her.