Bikes & Ice Cream

Melody awakens in her grandmother’s old room, glancing at the walls, some white shiplap, and some pastel blue.  A new bed, queen size, white wicker frame bearing chic linens of white and light blue; she melts into the pillow top mattress. The faint roar of ocean waves brings fragile peace.

The sound of Leo and Mia giggling in the kitchen reaches her ears, bringing joy to her stressed mind. Her bare feet hit the hardwood flooring. Melody approaches her children calmly, a hug and kiss to each on their forehead. “Good morning, babies.” Then her eyes dart around the windows and doors, making sure they are undisturbed. She bought a new phone, one that shouldn’t be traceable. At least for now. This was her grandmother’s vacation home; they visited year around, and for summer until she finished college. Melody runs her finger along a light oak piece of furniture which has been here since childhood. She pictures her grandmother and parents, flooding in happy memories being loved, hugged, and cherished. She relaxes a little. She never told Blaze about the cottage; she never brought him here. Her grandmother was in a nursing home in Dallas, where she grew up. He only knew that. She moved to Denver for a graphic designer job after college where she met Blaze, just over ten years ago, maybe eleven.

“Mom, I’m hungry, what can we eat?” Leo’s voice breaks into her thoughts.

“You know what, we need to go to the store, do you want some leftover pizza from last night, just this once?” Melody’s eyes light up, standing in the kitchen, reminiscing, the moments of pizza, spaghetti, ice cream and other goodies she consumed on occasion.

“Alright, awesome!” Leo exclaims as he moves from the table, then opens the stainless-steel fridge door. He notices the joy in his mother’s eyes. “Mom, you said this used to be your grandmother’s house.”

Mia looks at her bright eyed, curiosity peaked; she follows her brother’s lead reaching for some pizza.

Melody blinks, forgetting she mentioned it. “Yes, Leo, my grandmother brought me here a lot until I finished college. Then I stopped visiting. She took care of me because my parent’s died in a car accident, when I was five.” Melody speaks somberly; her eyes become watery. She blinks them away.

Leo observes her, “So where is she now? How come we left Denver, bought a new car and came here?” Leo hands his sister a plate; she places her pizza on it, he puts them in the microwave and pushes the start button.

“She was in a nursing home in Dallas, near Aunt Harmony, but has passed on. This is now our house. We will live beachside. Your dad hasn’t been treating me right, so for our safety, we are far away, and we cannot contact him right now.” Melody shudders, as a chill runs down her spine. Her whiskey-green-amber eyes gaze at a painting her grandmother meticulously created. Her mind flows into the memory of watching her paint the seascape, on the sun porch, to keep the sand from wrecking it. The microwave chimes. Leo pulls the two plates out and hands one to Mia.

“I know Mom, dad is mean.” Eyeing the bruise on his mother’s arm. “We don’t have to talk about him right now. So, we have to make sure he doesn’t follow us or hurt you. I got it.”  Leo speaks affirmatively with empathetic eyes; his icy blue deep green eyes, like the ocean, which he got from Blaze and his mother, are softened. The prize from the Monster.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you thought he was mean. Well, let’s eat and then we will ride to the boardwalk on our new bikes. And see if we can find some real breakfast.”

Mia chewing her pizza, eyes light up, “Bikes at the boardwalk, can we see the beach from there?”

Melody strokes Mia’s chestnut locks, “Yes, you can see the beach darling.”  

Melody opens a white cabinet realizing there is nothing to eat or drink, besides last night’s pizza. “We will do this, let’s go shopping first, then we will come back and ride to the boardwalk, just in case we get caught up in doing other things. Y’all eat and get dressed ok. I’m going to get ready.”

“Ok, mom” Leo replies.

“Alright Mommy,” Mia chimes in.

Melody’s bare feet kiss the blue ocean wave mosaic tiles from with each step until she reaches her grandmother’s room which has light oak hardwood flooring. She stops at the vanity, the same one her grandmother styled her hair in front of, applied her make up, and looked herself over. She sits down on the Victorian style white and blue tuft velvet bench, adjusts the mirror, then she sees it. Her bruise, yellow, visible to her kids; she forgot to cover it up. It’s her job to present a seamless, untroubled appearance to her children. Melody gathers herself before losing composure, battling tears away. Sunhats, linens, beach towels. A bag in the back of the Rav four.

Melody closes her bedroom door, soaking in the mix of old and new, what it was as a child and teenager, and what it’s become now. She slips on some light blue linen pants, a tank top and a white thin beach sweater. Her feet shimmy into her cushioned flip flops, as if she is walking on clouds.

Melody checks her purse for money, cards, keys, and phone before she and the children depart. She quickly nibbles on a protein bar. A waterproof bag holding her items draped over her shoulder. They walk out the door. Melody carefully, glances around ensuring there are no suspicious characters out and about.

The children are safely buckled in their seats; Melody reverses out of the gravel driveway, tires crunching, like when she arrived. She feels less stressed, while still worried about Blaze appearing, she feels calmer. All the nostalgia has taken her mind to a happy place. It’s only been a day. Her sunglasses block the sun from her eyes as she begins to drive down the paved neighborhood streets. She focuses a few houses down, thinking of the man she met yesterday. Wondering his story. What brought him here.

Back in the sturdy cement cottage, a small flame ignites on the gas stove. A large black non-stick skillet, the same one her grandmother used, to cook for her, rests on the stove; waiting-waiting for Melody to scramble the cheesy egg mixture. She displaces herself momentarily, envisioning her grandmother standing where she is, cooking, as she watches from the table, like her children. Scrambling eggs, sprinkling cheese and pepper, steam spills upward, causing Melody to turn the vent on. The small toaster oven dings, as the wheat bread has turned golden brown.

Leo and Mia pour orange juice and set the rounded glass and wrought iron table; they sit in the wrought iron, blue cushioned swivel chairs. Mia twirls herself side to side.

“Leo, put these cereal boxes in that cabinet right there, behind the table, please.” Melody says eyeing the white cabinetry.

“Cool, it’s like a hidden circle shelf. But there’s two shelves!” Leo exclaims.

“Let me see, so put this one here and that box here.” Mia adds in her sweet voice, while she helps her brother organize the cereal boxes.

Melody glances at her children as she finishes cooking the eggs. Her hazel eyes sparkle in amusement; she chuckles a little. “It’s a lazy Susan, I thought it was neat too. It was different from my parents’ house, when I first visited.

Melody spoons eggs and wheat toast on the children’s plates, then hers. Blue ocean water plates, over a sandy colored vinyl place mat.

“Here’s to a real breakfast,” Melody says as she holds her glass of orange juice to the kids, the three glasses clink momentarily.

Mia and Leo chew their food quietly.

“Kiddos, after our food digests we will ride our bikes to the boardwalk and explore.”

“Ok, Mom, that sounds good “Mia replies, in between bites.

“I agree,” chimes in Leo.

A few hours later, Melody and the children set out on their beach cruisers. Leo’s is mint green, Mia’s is pastel pink, and Melody’s is pastel blue, all with bells and baskets.

At the boardwalk, sandy wooden slats make up the flooring. The aroma of the salty-sea, fried dough, pizza, coffee, and warm honeysuckle envelopes Melody’s nose. The kids breathe in pleasantly, “I smell Pizza and coffee,” Leo says.

Mia giggles, “Me too, and honeysuckle, and the sea.”  Melody smiles, her eyes sparkle.

There he is, standing at a coffee cart with his white fluffy golden Labrador; a paper cup braced in his right tanned hand.

Jet flocks to the kids on the bike. “Hi, Jet!” Leo stops to pet the snow-white dog with honey eyes.

Mia hops off her bike, lowers the kickstand, then approaches Jet, arms out to pet him.

The children giggle, as they feel the fluffy body of Jet, his wagging tail and his wet nose nudging their faces.

Melody steps off her bike. “Ok, kiddos the ice cream shop is right here. You can play with the dog for a moment. Then we will get ice cream.”

“Ok!” Mia exclaims.

Gage moves towards Melody, noticing a more relaxed and joyous version of her. “Hi Melody, it’s nice to see you again.” A smile tugs at the corners of Gage’s mouth revealing spotless teeth.

Melody feels the sparks again, deep within her, hidden away like the memories of the cottage and her parents. Something to treasure and appreciate, despite the circumstances. “We are going to have ice cream; would you and Jet like to join?”

Gage pauses, peers at her through his sunglasses; his blue ocean eyes are hidden. “Absolutely!” Then whistles to Jet so the children can get ice cream. Jet assumes his position next to his owner, sitting at attention. “Stay, I’ll be right back.” Jet obediently sits while Gage, Melody, and the children stand at the yellow, pink, and blue cedar shingled ice cream shack.

“I want strawberry and chocolate,” exclaims Mia.

“Oh, that sounds good,” Melody responds to her precious daughter. “What about you, Leo?”

“I haven’t decided yet, um mint Oreo and chocolate!” Leo responds thinking critically before choosing.

“Ok, those flavors sound great!” Melody repeats the children’s orders to the worker behind the window. “And I will have Oreo and strawberry, all in waffle cones, yes.”

Gage quickly leans in before Melody pays. “I got it, it's on me, today!” Melody gets a flash of Blaze paying for things, arguing, and roughing her up. Glancing at the beach she forces the negative memories away. He isn't Blaze, he’s different I can tell. Melody’s eyes rest on the aquamarine sea, splashing waves, white sand, then a warm breeze surrounds Melody like a hug from nature. She turns to Gage and says, “Thank you, that is nice of you!”

They all brace ice cream in a waffle cone, as the four of them maneuver to a table where they can sit. Gage whistles to Jet then gives him a scoop in a bowl. Jet licks at the pup cup, on the ground, wagging his tail.

Melody, giggles at the dog. “Kids, maybe we should get a dog, like Jet. He's sweet and playful, isn't he! What do y'all think, we can get a puppy!”

Mia licks her ice cream chewing on a strawberry with her mouth closed, eyes lighting up at the thought of a puppy. She finishes her strawberry,  “First, a house at the beach, ice cream and now a puppy. Yes, I want a puppy.” Mia stands up and hugs her mom. “Thanks mommy!”

“Awesome, yea that would be cool!” Leo exclaims in between ice cream licks.”

“Have you ever owned a dog before?” Gage glances at Melody, grinning.

“Yes, we had one, when I was younger before I was married.” Melody recalls a dog she used to have; she played at the beach with him, many spring breaks and summers. In the memory, she’s with her parents and sister walking along the Atlantic coast with their golden retriever, then with her grandmother. “He died of old age, when I was a teenager. So how long have you lived here? Are you from here?”

“I moved here about five or six years ago, I lost my wife, she went out to sea with her friends on a boat and never came back. So, I moved here, set up a surf shop, drowned my woes at the beach and experienced search and rescue training. I felt the need to learn to save people after that. This is my life now. Ya’ll can come down to the surf shop and rent some boards or have a boat ride sometime.”

Melody sighs at the man’s grief. “I'm so sorry for your loss.” Her whiskey-emerald eyes softened with empathy for Gage.

“Thank you, I have had time to grieve and enjoy the beach.” Gage calmly replies.

“So, you have a surf shop, and rent out boats, how fun. I'm a graphic designer. I have switched to remote work, so I anticipate watching the waves as I work. I'm also hiding from my soon to be ex-husband, he was mean and abusive. Since my grandmother passed and left the house to me, we are going to live freely by the beach. And have a dog as well.”

Gage listens carefully, “Ok, I understand, you fled, your home, your life. Graphic design, I could give you some work as well. Emblems for surf boards, T-shirts, and what not.”

“Sure, that could be possible.” Melody replies smiling, breathing in the salt air, listening to the waves rush and roar just beyond the boardwalk. A glimmer catches Melody’s eye; she turns her head.

Mia strokes a metal necklace on her neck, a heart pendent. “When did you get that?”

“Daddy gave it to me.”  Mia replies innocently.

Melody, frowns,” When?”

“About a week ago, I just put it on after we went shopping, He said it will help him find me, if I ever get lost.” Mia, replies.

Melody’s eyes grow wide, her face becomes pale, panic sets in, her breathing intensifies, she begins to shake all over, and tears surface in her eyes. “I need to see that; can you give it to me.”

Mia sighs, “But Daddy gave it to me. It’s pretty.”

“I understand, but you said it will help him find you if you get lost. It means it has a tracker in it. We need to take it to a jewelry shop and see if they can extract the tracker from it. If Daddy finds us, he will hurt me and take you away.” Melody says, sternly and calmly, while trying to maintain her composure. “Leo, did your father give you anything special? Any similar comment?”

“No, mom, he didn’t.” Leo responds, a concerned expression on his face.  

Melody receives a message on her phone, an anonymous one. “I received your petition for divorce. I know where you are, I’m coming to get the kids and you.”

Melody breaks into sobs. “How did you get this number.”

 “Your sister gave it to me. I made her an offer, she couldn’t refuse. Your grandmother died, you inherited her house. And you bought a new car.”

Then a man walks towards her, handing her a large envelope, “Melody Blackthorne, you have been served.”