Page 30 of The Second Chance Cinema
Ellie returned to the porch chair. Then, after a few minutes of rocking and yawning, sleep took over.
“Funny finding you here,” Drake said the next morning, stretching his arms over his head. Nancy was at his side. “It’s beautiful out.” He was right, in a factual sense. The air was crisp, the sunrise had crested the backs of the rolling green mountains, and mist covered a walkway of leaves leading to the cabin. Drake wore a matching beanie and sweatsuit that somehow looked incredibly put together. He took a sip of his steaming coffee. “Can’t believe you’re up before me,” he told her.
Ellie started to explain that she’d dozed off outside but paused. The admission wasn’t worth all the questions that would follow. “Who’s ready for breakfast?” William asked, poking his head out the door. “Naomi’s cooking.”
“I’ll go help,” Drake offered. “I’m good with pancakes and stuff.”
It was an excuse to leave them alone. He wasn’t good with pancakes and stuff.
William took the seat next to Ellie and stared off into the trees. The surroundings were less menacing by day. Some of the branches even looked like they were holding hands. “About your question last night,” he said. “Why I asked you here.” Ellie turned to face him. Whatever this was, addressing the issue, was anotherunexpected change in her dad. “I invited you because I wanted to see you,” he said. “There wasn’t some ulterior motive. I want us to get together more often. Just, keep in touch.”
“You’re the one who left,” Ellie said. Her rocking chair started to groan. “You left and you make it sound like … I should be making the effort. Dropping by for cookies without an invitation.” William rested his hands over his eyes to block out the rising sun. He looked older than he had last night. It was uncanny to see this version of him stacked up against the one who had made brief cameos in the movies. Actually, outside of theBabiesticket,
Ellie hadn’t seen her dad on-screen at all.
“I think about that fight sometimes,” he said. “Back when we all visited Ben in your twenties. I shouldn’t have chosen that moment to press on things.” Before Ellie could respond, he stood up to check on the breakfast, shape-shifting from an empathetic, caring person back into his unfeeling self.
“Get a phone,” Ellie insisted. “This whole pen pal thing isn’t working for me.”
Her dad turned back to her through the open door. “I thought you were a writer.”
“Yeah, well, not all of us can be as prolific as Stephen King.”
“Right.” He nodded. “You know, I’d like to read his take on Finn’s Bar.”
Before Ellie could ask her dad what he meant, Drake called them into breakfast. Naomi didn’t keep pancake supplies or real eggs, so they were served some kind of fake egg product with frozen blueberries from a friend’s garden that now had freezer burn.
“We only have a few hours until cake tasting,” Drake said after they ate. “We should hit the road. But thank you so much for hosting us. It’s been great to hang out with you two.” When he stood, Nancy jumped down from the couch. Ellie followed, even though a part of her wanted to stay. When she rose, she was eye to eye with something on the top of her father’s bookshelves.In a sea of horror books, crime novels, and a mismatched collection on medicinal plants, there was one book that was entirely out of place.
Her book.
She opened the pages while Drake gathered his things. They were dog-eared and underlined with notations throughout the text.Brilliant, one of them said, in the piece called “Yellow Dress.”Made me laugh, said another, about halfway into the book.
Ellie was quick to point fingers at her dad for the disintegration of their relationship. Yet here he was, reading her book to the point of wear. He had never been good with words, but he was working on it. Meanwhile, Ellie herself had done little to reconnect with her family after everything that happened.
Everything that happened.She couldn’t help but wonder if there were missing pieces to the Marshall estrangement. How many details had she overlooked about the people she loved from a distance—failed attempts they had made to connect with her?
Ellie had a feeling she’d find out soon enough.
14
That afternoon, while other people slept off their Thanksgiving dinners or waged wars in department stores over large appliances, Ellie and Drake loaded up on sugar. What Ellie hadn’t told Drake was that their cake tasting also served another purpose. She wanted to find out how Flour and Flower was doing. The owners, Tad and Madelyn, had recently traded their humble red food truck for a refurbished firehouse, and Ellie was eager to see their new space. It was a risky move without a big following.
Ellie thought she might be able to help.
But when they arrived, the bakery and plant store was brimming with customers. What business needed to post deals and events online when customers could drum up a buzz on their own feeds? The slick silver pole at the center of the room was inoperable, but it offered a strategic photo opportunity. As if to prove this, a twentysomething couple handed their phone to a stranger, then dangled from each side like two mismatched wings.Our love’s on fire, the caption would read. Or,Fighting fires. Taking new names. #FlourandFlower.
“Thanks for planning this,” Drake said as he finished up a bite of rose-vanilla cake. The tasting area was set up like a low, stylish bar. “It really means a lot.”
Tad slid a new cake plate in front of them. Ellie clapped with excitement.
“We love your work, man,” Drake told him.
Tad shrugged. “I just decorate the cakes. And make the paintings.” He pointed to a few original works of art on the walls featuring a regal-looking corgi. “Anyway, my wife, Madelyn, is the baker. She’s the mathematical mind. Precise about everything. Has it all down to a science in the kitchen.”
When Tad went back to work, Drake took a bite. The fork clattered as he tossed it down. “This one’s just as good as the last one.” He was wrong, though. The slice in front of them was the best of the bunch. A fragrant sourdough blackberry base with salted vanilla buttercream and a hint of cardamom formed an intoxicating alliance. Drake waved his hand to invite some kind of response. “Well, what do you think?”
Ellie and Drake weren’t all that different from Madelyn and Tad; Drake handled the logistics in their relationship, and Ellie handled the creative flourishes. When it came to their wedding, though, she’d let Drake take on both of those responsibilities.
