Crowley's Window (Novella) by Gord Rollo

“Thanks David…for everything.” She leaned over and by instinct alone knew where his lips would be. Their kiss was short but wonderful, a mere hint of things to come. Abby climbed out of the car before she changed her mind and went with him.
    Abby listened until the sound of David’s Buick disappeared uptown then turned to face the funeral home at last. Holding her hands out, she received a series of quick mental flashes that told her the old brick house hadn’t changed a bit in the years she’d been away. It was still dark and gloomy and the gardens along its front were as overgrown and wild as usual. Seemed to her a funeral home should be bright and festive, a cozy place to worship a loved one’s life, but nearly every one she’d ever been to had that same quiet, somber quality about it. Abby sighed and headed for the front door.
    Her mother met her just inside the entranceway, throwing her arms around Abby’s neck and holding on as if she never intended to let go. She kissed and hugged and cried unabashedly into her only child’s neck, and Abby let her do it, talking quietly to her and telling her things would be okay. Eventually Abby coaxed her mom into letting go and she got a chance to take a quick mind’s eye picture of her. She was shocked to see how much weight her mother had lost. Ingrid Hawkins had never been a heavy woman, not even close, but today she was positively skeletal. Her red hair, which had always been so thick and beautiful, was cut short and lay in a tangled mess that hung over her sore bloodshot eyes. Abby’s heart went out to her. The poor woman would be lost without dad to dote on. Looking after him was all she’d ever known.
    “Oh, mom! I’m so sorry. You should have called earlier. I would have come and stayed with you. I didn’t even know dad was sick. What happened?”
    “Cancer, Abby. He’d had it for about a year but made me promise I wouldn’t worry you with the news. You know the way he was?”
    “Cancer? That’s terrible,” Abby said, but couldn’t deny the nagging little voice in her head that wanted to say, You mean like the Cancer you and dad told me I had ? She didn’t say that, of course. Instead, she merely repeated, “You should have called me anyway. I could have at least been here to say goodbye.”
    “I planned on it, but when the end came, it took him so quick. I…I just didn’t know what to do? I’m sorry, Abby.” Ingrid burst into tears again.
    “It’s okay, mom. Calm down, I’m just glad I’m here now. Come on, let’s go in and see dad.”
    “Certainly, but who was that handsome young man I saw you pull up here with? You didn’t think I’d miss that, did you? Do you finally have a boyfriend?”
    Mothers! Abby thought. “Something like that, yes. His name’s David and he’s a wonderful man but I’ll tell you all about him later. Right now I’m here with you.”
    Together, they walked arm in arm into the viewing room and Abby was surprised to find she hardly heard anyone else in the room. Her senses told her there were only a handful of people sitting upfront, near the casket surrounded by flowers.
    “Where is everyone, mom? I thought more people than this would show up.”
    “It’s still early, Sweetie. More people will show up. Don’t worry.”
    Abby knew she hadn’t arrived early; if anything she’d been late but kept her opinion to herself. Maybe her dad had alienated himself from a lot more people in town than just her in the last few years?
    “Take me to him, mom. I want to pay my respects.”
    Jarrett Hawkins lay peacefully on an overstuffed white silk pillow wearing his best Sunday suit. Abby couldn’t always rely on the mental images that she received, but to her, he looked healthier now than she remembered him being the last time she’d seen him alive. This was a man who’d been ravished by cancer? He looked stronger and younger than she remembered and Abby found herself wondering who it was that had done such a