#FlashFictionMagic: A Man Called ________

Fern tried to be quick taking her recycling bins to the curb, but a toppling cardboard box slowed her down. Before she could duck safely back into the garage, there was Dave, triggering his driveway flood light as he strode toward her.  With a sigh, she turned to face her neighbor.

“Hey, stranger,” he called out, forcing the polite smile Fern had seen him use on door-to-door salespeople.  

“Hey,” she said. Folding her arms against the November chill, she nodded toward his porch. “Looks like your pumpkin might make it to Thanksgiving. Grace will be happy.” 

“Yup.” Dave nodded. There was a long pause as he looked down at their shadows. Fern wracked her brain for something to say that wouldn’t trigger an argument, but before she could speak, he said, “Can we count on you making it too?” 

When he raised his brown eyes, his gaze was a mix of hope and defiance. She couldn’t believe he was going to make her say it. 

“We talked about this,” she said. “I’m planning to spend the holidays with –” 

“With Gilderoy Lockhart,” Dave broke in. “Right. But how do you even know that will still be going on? Thanksgiving is our tradition.”

“I’ve asked you to stop calling him that,” Fern snapped. “You know his name is Jake. And you know things are going well.”  She sighed. “And we’ve only had Thanksgiving together once.”

“Twice,” Dave corrected. “The first year, and last year. More than once makes it a tradition.” 

Fern thought back to what her mother had said a year ago when she had canceled her flight home so that she could help Dave cook for Grace.  “That widower is taking advantage of you,” she’d warned. “You’re not that child’s mother.” 

“His name is Dave,” Fern had said, “And he wouldn’t do that.” But the idea had been planted in her mind, and when Dave had started dating Laura, anxiety had begun to take root. She was too dependent on this friendship, too wrapped up in a family that wasn’t really hers. 

Though Dave and Laura were broken up now, their relationship was proof that Fern’s bond with Dave had an expiration date. She’d be damned if she waited around for it to come. 

“Dave,” she said now. “We need to live our own lives. I’m sorry things didn’t work out with Laura, but it’s not fair to act like that means my relationship is automatically doomed.” 

“Your relationship is doomed because that guy’s a jerk. He’s not good for you.” 

“You’re not good for me,” Fern said evenly. “You smother me trying to cure your own loneliness, and it’s not fair.” She tried hard to ignore the pain on Dave’s face. She so wished she hadn’t dropped that cardboard box. 

“On second thought,” Dave said. “Maybe you deserve a jerk.” He shook his head sadly. “Forget Thanksgiving. Just… forget everything.” 

Fern had to fight hard against her instinct to apologize, to comfort him and bring his true, genuine smile back to his face. But those days were gone. They had to grow up and stop pretending they were connected by anything more than geography. 

Dave slowly trudged back to his side of the property line and climbed the porch steps. He turned back to look at her only once, as he approached the door, but Fern pretended not to see. Then, confirming that her recycling bins were securely in place, she went inside to call Jake.