From The War That's Inside

Ding.

A customer?

Carli  snapped awake from her depressed daze and turned her attention towards the door. They hadn’t had a single person walk into the library in a year. Who would want to check out a book now?

A slender silhouette appeared in the doorway. She stepped into the light, revealing long hair, a rosy gold in hue. She sported circular glasses and a green sweater.

Autumn Mela.

“What are you doing here?” Carli’s face was still stained with tears, but her anger was more important right. Who did Mela think she was, coming into her sanctuary like that?

“Sign said you close at six on Saturdays.” Mela seemed not to care that Carli had been crying, and that no one had stepped foot into the library in a year.

“Are you stupid? No one has been in here for a year.”

“Don’t you think I know that? But the sign says your still in business. What kind of idiot owned this place?”

Last straw. “Who do you think you are? You can’t just walk into my life and treat me like I actually need your pity. And then you dis my dead mother?” She was crying again now.

Mela  covered her mouth with her hands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“No. You didn’t. Because you think you know everything about me, but you don’t. Get out.”

“But I just -”

“GET OUT OF MY MOTHER’S LIBRARY!”

Mela turned, and she left. Not before she could say something else though. “I’m sorry, okay? I don’t know what I would do without my mom. But no one could have prevented her coronary heart disease.”

Coronary heart disease?

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“Why did she die, Dad?”

“Sometimes people do.”

“But what was wrong with her? Was she sick?”

“No. Don’t worry about that, honey. It was just chance that took her.”

“Just chance?”

“Just chance.”

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“Where have you been?” Roger Starr asked when Carli finally went to her house.

“Dad, can I ask you something?”

“About what?”

“About Mom.”