Closed Prying

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion brushed her dusty hands on her jeans. She was enjoying helping her granddad clear out his old house, but more than anything else, the place needed a good clean. Setting aside one box, she opened another. It was full of greetings cards. On the top of the pile, one from Ava, wishing Monty a happy sixtieth birthday. Rion twisted to look at him across the study. "You and Ava," she said, as innocently as she could. "Are you just friends?"

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Monty looked up from the files he was sorting on the table. He was no longer surprised by the sorts of questions Rion came out with, but they did sometimes make him nervous. "Yes," he said. "Why?"

 

[Rion Pendleton]

"But you've been friends for a really long time," Rion said, studying her grandpa carefully for his reaction. "Best friends." Honestly, it was incredible that she even had to draw his attention to this. He could be quite oblivious sometimes.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

"Yes, about twenty years, now." Monty pretended to continue sorting his files, though really he shuffled them about aimlessly. Deciding what to keep and what to destroy was going to take him more than the month he'd allowed himself. Why did he have to be so sentimental?

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion allowed herself the quickest of eye-rolls. "That's a long time," she said, dropping the card back in the box and pulling out another. Also from Ava. "She's single, right? Maybe you should ask her on a date."

 

[Monty Pendleton]

Monty laughed. There had been a time he'd been certain he was in love with Ava, but he recognised his feelings now for what they were. Platonic. He loved Ava dearly, but they weren't meant to be anything more than friends. "I'm too old for all that," he said. "Anyway, we don't have feelings for each other."

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion held up the card, eyebrows raised. "These kinda look like feelings to me."

 

[Monty Pendleton]

"It's a birthday card," said Monty. There was nothing romantic about a birthday card. Was there? He couldn't recall what Ava had written, but he was sure it was all perfectly friendly. Unless... Well, he was known to be oblivious about that sort of thing. Had this been one of those times he was supposed to read between the lines?

No - Ava didn't have feelings for him. And if she did, he was sure she would never be so indirect about them. "I don't think it means anything, Rion. We're good friends, that's all."

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion lowered the card, deflating. "Some people say you should marry your best friend," she said. "Maybe you should get married, and then she can come and live with us." She scratched intently at the pattern of glitter, as if this had her full focus, and the idea of Ava coming to stay forever was merely a passing thought.

 

[Monty Pendleton]

There was always something with Rion. Things were never as simple as they first appeared. Of course this was about her and Ava. He couldn't believe it had taken him this long to realise it. He took off his glasses, his expression softening. "It's nice to marry your best friend, I'm sure," he said. "And I'd be a very lucky man if Ava were interested in me. But it wouldn't be fair on either of us. She deserves someone who - who loves her. And so do I."

 

[Rion Pendleton]

Rion scratched a little too hard; a big chunk of glitter fell into her lap. "I thought you said you were too old for that," she muttered.