Frozen Meetings

Marisa held tightly to baby Jo, as they watched Daisy and Ash skate around the frozen pond. Ever since those women had entered the library, Marisa had felt chilled to her bones. She couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t done with her yet. And protecting her sisters was her first priority.

“Mar! Hey, Mar! Are you watching us?” yelled Daisy, startling Marissa from her thoughts.

“Yes, of course.” She attempted to smile reassuringly as she lifted Jo a little higher. She grabbed the little girl’s hand and give a wave. “Say ‘hi, Daze.’ Tell her good job.” And baby Jo gave a little babble.

Marisa saw Ashley give her a look. Ashley wasn’t fooled. She knew what Marisa was truly thinking. That was the blessing, and the curse, of having someone who has known you since birth. Daisy laughed as she took off for another circle around.

“So I’m guessing you all haven’t ice skated before?” came the deeply familiar voice of Darryl. Marissa felt her heart give a leap as she turned to look at him. He looked good, calm and stable, for a man who had just been a part of the new chaos in her life.

“I’m beginning to get used to you sneaking up on me.” Jo gave a happy squeal as soon as she saw Darryl, and lunged for him. Marisa almost lost her grip, but then Darryl grabbed Jo, pulling her close.

“Hello, beautiful girl.” He spoke softly to the baby. “Are you being good for your sisters? Enjoying the snow and ice?” He pulled her hat a little more firmly down over her ears before turning back to Marisa. “I didn’t sneak. I made plenty of noise. It’s not my fault you weren’t paying attention.”

“What are you doing here? Stalking me?” He couldn’t possibly know how happy she was to see him.

He scoffed. “Hardly. Its a public park. But you haven’t answered me, have you lot ice skated before?”

“Ash and I have. Ash is teaching Daze since someone has to watch Jo.”

“I can do that if you want to go.” Darryl bounced Jo lightly, who giggled, and Marisa found hersekf jealous of her 3 year old sister. “Besides, she likes me.” Not just her.

“Or I can watch her, and you both can go,” said Ashley, who had apparently changed out of her skates and back into her boots. “Daze would you like to go ‘round with her at least once anyway, Mar.”

Marisa turned back to the pond and saw Daisy beckoning wildly for her to join. She sighed and nodded, giving Daisy a gesture to give her a minute. “Are you done then?”

Ashley took Jo from Darryl. “Yeah. I’m gonna take Ladybug over to get some hot chocolate.”

So Marissa headed to the makeshift stall to get a pair of skates. Maybe if she ignored Darryl, he would go away. She didn’t need his level of chaos in her life. She had more important things to worry about.

“You can’t just ignore me. I’m gonna be around.” Unfortunately, he also had this uncanny ability to read her mind.

“You know, most men would get the hint.”

“Most men would, if there weren’t other hints that said otherwise.”

Marisa spun around furiously. “I beg your pardon?”

Darryl put his hand to the small of her back and gave her a nudge toward the stall. “Try looking me in the eyes and telling me you want me to leave you alone, and I will. But I bet you a date that you can’t.”

She said nothing. She knew she couldn’t. She wanted to, but at the same time she wanted him to stay. It had been so long since someone had shown an interest in her. She gave the stall attendant her size before moving aside to the bench to change. Darryl sat beside her.

“Where did you learn to skate?” He asked gently.

“There was a rink in our town. My grandparents wouldn’t let us go, so Ash became friends with one of the workers who let us in after hours.”

“And by friends, you mean….?”

Marisa looked at him sharply. “I mean friends! We were too young for that, but the town knew all about my grandparents and felt sorry for us.”

He nodded. “Which is why you don’t like when others help you.”

She gave a sharp inhale of breath. “I don’t like when others help me, as you put it, because it usually means that they want something in return. Like, for instance, your mother.”

Darryl’s face tightened and for a moment she thought she saw anger before it was gone. “My mother never should have stated her request the way she did. I’m sorry about that.”

Marisa gave a sardonic laugh. “Stated it like what? Like the threat that it was?”

“It wasn’t how the rest of the coven wanted to ask for your help. We just want to get into the cavern, that’s all.”

“Your mother made it quite clear that they were interested in more than just the cavern.”

“We are. But getting inside is the first step.”

Marisa stared at him. Was he deliberately keeping things from her? “So why don’t you tell me what you think might be inside, and I’ll tell you if it is?”

For a long moment he simply stared at her, and she waited. Contemplative silences usually lead to revelations. She just had to make sure it wasn’t her doing the revealing.

“We believe that Morgana left hers and Merlin’s secrets there.”

“If she hid those away, what makes you feel you should have them?”

“Times were different then. Less understanding. We can make a difference now.”

It was her turn to scoff at him. “You must be joking! Time isn’t any less understanding now than it was then. In fact, it is more judgmental now than it ever has before. The only difference is that no one feels the need to hide their bigotries. Instead, they embrace them and justify them with religion and/or politics.”

“But with Morgana and Merlin’s secrets, we could change all of that,” Darryl said desperately. “They must have something that can help. Think about it. No more hunger, or war.”

“You start using magic against people, even if its to create crops in a field, and you most certainly will start a war.” Marisa couldn’t believe she was hearing such naivety. Did he truly not understand that people were generally bad news?

He sighed, and shook his head. “Look, I honestly didn’t come here to fight with you about this. I just wanted to see you.” He shuffled to the edge of the ice, tentatively stepping onto it, but he didn’t skate away. He turned and held out his hand. “Are you coming?”

Marisa wanted to take that hand. For once, she wanted to be selfish and not think of the consequences. She wanted someone else to worry about magical caverns and hidden secrets. And how one action could not possibly affect numerous people. “No more talk of caves and magic?”

The corner of his mouth twitched up. “No more talk of caves, but I can’t promise on the magic.”

So Marisa took a deep breath and then took his hand.