What if the seven dwarfs never really existed and were just branches of Snow White's personality? Happy for the good days, Grumpy for the bad, Sneezy when under the weather and Bashful around that special someone. What if every time you looked into...
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After a series of me asking my dad for "unnecessary junk food", as he called it, and him retorting back with a series of nos, we were finally at the checkout counter with a basket full of vegetables, a carton of milk, and, after much persuasion, a bar of dark chocolate for me. I was overjoyed.
"Would you like the milk in the bag?"The cashier asked my dad. She was a lean, fair, blonde woman with a name tag that read 'Liz'. Dad shook his head. "No, just leave it in the carton,"he said, and laughed. Liz stared at him in confusion for a few seconds, then the joke clicked in her head. She laughed along with him and I watched the customers behind us grow frustrated. A the moment I wanted nothing more than to dig myself a pit and never see the sunlight again. This was my way of repaying Dad. Public embarrassment. Well played, Father. Well played.
"Anyway, I guess we should run along now. Nice meeting you, Liz,"Dad winked. I felt like throwing up. The cashier flashed her pearly whites. "Hope to see you again, Chris,"she said. They were already on a first name basis. And they just met. In a grocery store. I shook my head in disappointment. I couldn't believe he was hitting it off with some random woman then when just the day before he was head over heels for my dead mother. It just wasn't fair that he could move on so easily right in front of my eyes. I mean, yes, I was probably overreacting. After all, he didn't do anything but tell her a joke. Still, even that hit home in a way I couldn't explain.
"What was that about?!" I shouted when we were back in the car. Dad looked confused. "What was what about?"I asked once again, when he didn't respond. I tried to keep my tone even, but failed miserably. I didn't know why this was bothering me so much, but it did. "You know what I'm talking about, Dad! You flirting with that cashier?" At least he had the courtesy to look embarrassed.
"Hey, that didn't mean anything, Hols,"he said softly, brushing his fingers on my shoulder. I moved away. "You told her a pun! Like hell that didn't mean anything!"
"Holly,"he said in a warning tone. I gulped. I was probably crossing some imaginary boundary by simply having this conversation with him. I had no right to tell him how to live his life. "I'm sorry,"I spat out. "I don't mean to be dramatic, but I've never seen you like this before,"I confessed slowly.
He nodded his head in understanding. "I get it. I just wanted to embarrass you, that's all." Like THAT made it any better. I sighed. "Let's go home, Dad."
He looked at me, concerned. "You sure?" He asked gently, as if he were only speaking to a child. I guess that in his eyes, I still was one. "Yeah,"I whispered, and he started the car.
By the time we pulled into our driveway, the events of the evening were gone with the wind and we chose to never speak of them again. Eve opened the door, reminding me yet again of the trouble I was probably to face up ahead. See, whenever the two of us were put in a room together, there was going to be fighting. Now, eating dinner as a family.... that was another level of terrifying.
