Fantasmas

Memories

Tracy called when Lily was on her way to pick Danny up from school. Putting Tracy on speaker, Lily dropped her cell in a cup holder so she could talk hands free and focus on the road. "What's up?"

"I got an interesting call today."

"Yeah?" Lily's first thought was that the school had called about Danny, and that she would have to speak to one of his teachers, maybe the principal. Danny was a good kid but Lily's teachings had made him into a tiny crusader, defending the weak and standing up for those in need.

Tracy shifting her phone to the opposite ear made a crackling noise. "Some of the moms are having a get together at that family place near the school for... I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention. I was wondering if you'd take Danny over there when you get him."

"Trace, I already told him you were going to take him for ice cream and hang out."

"I know, I know, and I'll be there. I'm just running late. You're already getting him now, right? Take him with the other moms and I'll be there in like, ten, fifteen minutes. I swear. I already told them you were coming."

Lily sighed in her throat with her mouth shut. Danny wouldn't truly be happy until Tracy showed up. He'd play with his friends, but he'd be looking at the entrance every few minutes, waiting for his mom. "They don't even know me." They knew of her, since she sometimes did things like this, but they didn't actually know her. She didn't want them to know her, it was why always she only dropped Danny off.

"June does. She said she met you yesterday. Why didn't you tell me? She seems to like you. She said Christina likes you, too. It'll be great if you showed up with Danny."

"Alright, alright." The car was already parked and Lily was stepping out. This time she snagged a spot near the entrance to the school, so she leaned on the hood of the car and kept an eye out for Danny. "I'll take him. You better show up."

"I will. I'm already wrapping up here."

Lily stuffed her phone into her pocket then placed a hand at her side to soak up the warmth of the car's hood. She waited patiently until school was out, then pushed off the car as kids started to emerge. Eventually Danny came jogging out into the sun and he spotted Lily almost immediately. His arms wrapped around her legs and she let him hug her for a moment before she leaned down and lifted him into her arms. She kissed his cheek, and he kissed hers. Other children exclaimed when they saw their parents, and Lily and Danny's meeting was imitated everywhere.

"Want to go get some pizza?" Lily asked as she took Danny's pack and settled him into his booster seat.

He waited to be buckled in before saying, "What about mommy?"

"She just called me a minute ago. She's meeting us there."

"Okay."

Traffic was congested now that school was out. Lily was stuck behind a dirty white SUV while other parents were trying to leave with their children. Danny's feet kicked the passenger absentmindedly. Lily let him continue, knowing he would stop if someone took the seat. Eventually, Lily managed to escape the horde of mom vans and single dad convertibles, and was on her way to the family place Tracy wanted her to take Danny. She wasn't sure what she was going to do there, but she wasn't going to let Tracy down.

The parking lot was relatively full but Lily found a free space in the meager shade of a scraggly tree. Danny talked about his day as he walked hand in hand with Lily to their destination. When they got inside, an explosion of children's screams and parent's shouts to be heard spilled into the street. Lily had expected the place to be full, it usually was after school, but not this soon after school. There might have been a birthday, Lily guessed.