The alarm blared at 7:03 AM. It was that J-pop song she used to love. Hearing it every morning had fixed that.
She rolled over and slapped it quiet. Lying still, she watched the ceiling fan complete a slow, clicking rotation before she finally sat up.
Her grey hoodie, its cuffs comfortably frayed, hung on the door right where she'd left it. She pulled it on. The sleeves were a little shorter than she remembered, but that always happened after a run through the dryer.
In the kitchen, the cereal box stood waiting on the counter, the cartoon sun on its front grinning its usual wide grin. She poured a bowl, added milk, and ate. The first spoonful tasted faintly of cardboard, the way it always did when the box was nearly empty.
After rinsing the bowl and leaving it on the counter, she checked her phone.
Then, the world came out from under her.
She caught herself on the counter. She looked down. Nothing. Guess I tripped over myself. That was close.
She checked her phone once again.
One new message from David.
Meet me at the corner café. Usual time.
Below that, another new message. Her mother had reached out.
I'll be in town today. Wanna grab lunch?
A smile touched her lips before she even thought about it. She slipped on her shoes and stepped outside.
Her walk through the neighborhood followed the same familiar script. The two dogs trotted up to their fence to bark a cheerful greeting. The house a few lots down still wore its awful seafoam green paint. And the blue sedan at the curb was still there, its one flat tire looking permanent.
The electronic chime above the coffee shop door pinged as she stepped inside. He was already there, and he looked up as she entered. He smiled.
Hey, Claire, he said.
Claire walked over, sliding into the booth across from him. Hey, David. She reached across the table and gave his hand a brief squeeze It's good to see you. My mom texted me, too. She's in town. Wants to have lunch. Feels like a good day for it.
David's eyes shifted slightly. Your mom? That's new. Go see her if you want, but let's spend some time together first. Oh, can you place our order? I've gotta head to the bathroom. He tapped her hand, then darted off.
Her smile dimmed for just a second. She thought to herself New? Not really. But he was probably just distracted. Of course. She stood and made her way to the counter, ordering two black coffees. Returning to the booth, she placed his cup on his side and cradled hers in one hand, the heat soothing. The café was quiet.
David came out of the bathroom with a quick stride. He dried his hands with a paper towel as he walked. In his distraction, he missed a spill near their table, slipping on it. He fell forward, catching himself. But as he did, he inadvertently knocked the cup in Claire's hand.
Her reflexes were faster than they had any right to be. As the cup tipped, her other hand, tucked in the pocket of her hoodie, flew out. It held the small absorbent towel she always carried after her morning run, The towel met the steaming liquid in mid-air, soaking up the worst of it before it could reach her and she caught the cup itself before it could hit the floor. A few warm drops landed on her knuckles, nothing more. She let out a soft laugh. You okay? That was a close one.
A brief flash of anger hit his face, but he collected himself. Yeah. All good. Sorry, that's just really annoying. He looked down at his wrist, seeing he'd knocked it quite hard against the table. It was already bruising. Anyway, where to from here?
Her gaze dropped to his wrist. Oh, David. Here, let me see. She produced a cold pack and applied it to the swelling. There. That should help. We don't have to go anywhere fancy. We could just walk. The park, maybe? Then you can send me off to have lunch with my mother with a clear conscience.
David looked away. Clear. Yeah. Sounds good. He took her hand and began to lead her out the door, leaving their coffees behind. When they walked out the door, crisp autumn air hit them. David, still holding her hand, turned and walked backwards to face her. So, what's the plan with your mom today? Seems like it was pretty unexpected. Sure was for me.
She let him lead her. She squeezed his hand so he wouldn't trip again. With mom? No plan. That's the best kind, isn't it? Just see where it goes. Probably some fussy salad place she's read about. She tilted her head, studying his face. You sound like you think it's a bad idea.
David smiled. No, not a bad idea. Just typically don't see her around. She's nice. And I definitely see where you get your looks. He flicked his eyebrow up. As he continued his backward strut, they began to cross an intersection.
Out of seemingly nowhere, a van came barreling down the street, horn blaring.
Claire was directly in its path.
Her body moved before thought could catch up. A sidestep she'd learned in a self-defense class a lifetime ago took over. But her foot caught on the an uneven seam of pavement.
It sent her stumbling not forward into danger, but sideways, directly into David. They collided in a tangle of limbs, his backward momentum now carrying them both onto the safety of the far curb.
For a second, she just breathed, her heart exploding against her ribs. She was across his chest, his arms locked around her.
She lifted her head, her face inches from his.
She whispered. Well. That was one way to cross the street. You okay? I think you just saved my life.
David stood, wiping himself off. I'm good. But, how do you keep doing that? He shook his head. Anyway, you should have your mom meet us later. I kinda wanna see her myself. I always did like the playful flirts she gave. He looked Claire over, patting her down and sweeping the dust away.
She giggled. Doing what? Having spectacularly bad luck with gravity today? She caught his hands gently, halting the thorough inspection. It's just luck, David. As for my mom… She shook her head. Not today. She's only in town for a few hours, and I promised her some one-on-one time. You know how she gets. All her attention would be on you and I'd just be the third wheel.
David grinned, a bit too wide. That's no fun. I'd love some mother-daughter time too. At the very least, it'd probably keep this bad luck under control. His grip on her hand tightened just enough to feel like guidance.
She stopped walking, turning to face him fully. She gave his sleeve a light, chastising tug. David. Her voice was low and firm. No. No 'mother-daughter time', no conspiracy theories about luck. She started walking again, pulling him along beside her, her gaze fixed ahead on the park's tree line. You can survive a few hours without her playful flirts. You'll just have to make do with mine. She glanced at him then, eyes narrowed. And I'm much better at it.
The path curved, and the playground came into view, empty save for a few scattered leaves. She nodded toward it. So, are we swinging, or are you just going to stand there pouting about my social calendar?
David sighed, defeated. Sorry. Let me push you on the swing to make up for it?
Claire smiled, relieved. Now that's more like it. She led the way to the swings, the chains cold and familiar. She settled onto the rubber seat. She kicked off gently, looking over her shoulder at him. You'd better make it a good push. I have high standards for my aerial apologies.
David chuckled. Asking for trouble with a challenge like that. When Claire came back, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed with all his strength.
As she reached the top of her arc, a snap.
The old, weathered seat gave out from under her.
Claire found herself weightless, falling.
Then instinct took over. Her body remembered what her mind had long forgotten. She tucked, rotated, and let the momentum carry her into a rolling landing across the soft mulch of the playground bed. Well. She brushed bits of bark from her jeans, standing slowly. Guess the muscle memory is still in there somewhere. Tenth-grade gymnastics finally paid off. She walked back toward the dangling chains. Her focus was entirely on David and the pale shock plastering his face. I'm fine. Really. That was… actually kind of fun.
David grabbed her shoulders, eyes locking to hers. Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Tell me what's going on. Right now. His eyes seemed less concerned and more angry.
She reached up. David. Her voice was soft. It's just a weird day. A few close calls. You're worried, I get it. She slowly pried his hands from her shoulders, lacing her fingers with one of his instead. Come on. Let's just go sit. Remember the big maple by the fence? Nothing ever happens under that tree. We can just… be still for a minute. She led them over and sank down, leaning back against the broad trunk, and looked up at him, patting the space beside her. See? Safe as silk. Now tell me what's really bothering you.
She met his stare with her lips curving up. Trying to look cool and brooding? It's a good look, but you're trying too hard. She reached out and poked the toe of his propped-up shoe. I'm not going anywhere, David. She plucked a fallen maple leaf from the moss, twirling it between her fingers. The world can be a little chaotic sometimes. She leaned her head back against the bark and began to shred the leaf along its veins.
As she sat beside him, David glanced up. Before Claire could follow, the sounds of cracking came from above. David quickly moved, and without any other warning, a large branch plummeted down.
It headed straight for Claire.
Claire? Honey, is that you?
The branch seemed to hang in the air for an impossible second. Then, with a swift motion, Claire's mother stepped into view from behind the tree. In her hands was a long-handled pruning saw, its blade gleaming and new, still tagged with a hardware store price sticker.
With a practiced grunt, her mom gave one sharp upward shove with the tool. The branch's trajectory shifted just enough, and crashed harmlessly a foot to Claire's left.
Claire sat frozen, staring at the limb. Her eyes traced a path from it, to the saw, then her mother's perfectly made-up face. Mom?
Her mother leaned the saw against the tree. I was just returning this to the store and thought I'd take the scenic route. Good timing, I see. She said it all as calmly as if discussing the weather.
Claire scrambled to her feet and closed the distance between them, wrapping her mother in a tight hug. You have no idea how happy I am to see you right now. Over her mother's shoulder, she met David's gaze.
It held no relief. No warmth.
Only quiet rage.