Robbin

4. A Few Hours Before

The night before...

"Did you look through those three boxes?" her dad asked smoothly as though she hadn't just caught he and her mother gossiping like overzealous teens.

"They're mine," Terra affirmed, rather stiffly.

"You get that one, I can get these two," her father insisted suddenly, stacking two of the heavier boxes and squatting to pick them both up. Terra picked up the lighter one suspiciously and led the way from the kitchen. Great, her dad was in on it too, now.

She knew she should have been just as mad at her dad for the move as her mom, but the truth was, she expected more from her mother. The worst part was, her mom had seemed to think moving was not only convenient for her dad's work, but that it was a good thing. Like she hadn't lost anything, too in Colorado.

"Yeah, there's fine," Terra instructed as they entered her room. Her dad put down the boxes on an empty space of carpet after her lead, and then stood with hands on hips as if admiring the room. Geez, he really was proud of himself.

"It's nice, huh?" he asked. "Pretty big, pretty open. Needs a little more decoration, though." He indicated toward the lone piece of furniture besides her bed and telescope. It was a poor excuse for a dresser, being so run down and worn. Terra had owned it since she was in elementary school. "I'll get you a nice desk or something to go with that dresser, that is, unless you don't want that replaced, too."

Terra offered a meager smile, though getting rid of the dresser wasn't her intent at all. It would be like getting rid of a piece of her past. A piece of their past.

"You know... don't be so hard on your mom."

Terra rolled her eyes. Here it was.

"She is trying..."

He seemed nonplussed by her reaction.

"You'll warm up to the move, you'll see," a little bit desperately, now. "I start work again on Monday, oh come on, Terra, I can only get so much time to settle in. And I don't go biting your mother's head off during long hours."

Now Terra was just offended. What was she, some wild animal?

Before turning to leave, unsuccessful in his attempts, her father reminded, "your mom and I are getting ready to leave for the hotel in about another twenty minutes or so."

Terra watched him leave, irritated again. They weren't that rich. She clutched her necklace angrily... Well, not just her necklace.

Her mother didn't get it. Just because someone died, didn't mean you stopped wearing the things they gave you. Oh, if Gran could see her now.

She let it go, tucking the chain and ring under her collar.

She felt protective over the little thing, like it was a life force of it's own. It was special because Gran had given it to her. But there was something more. It was as if the necklace called for wanton protection. She somehow feared if she left it out of her sight for too long, it would be stolen by some unseen pursuer, lost and never found again. Terra shook her head. Maybe her mother was right. Maybe it was unhealthy how much she obsessed over the thing.

As Terra was passing the front door, it opened unexpectedly.

"Yeah, for sure! See ya, Lore! See ya, Nick!" came Sarah's voice.