Ophelia's Arc

Chapter 1 of 3

Ophelia counted seven towns in ten years. She sat in the passenger seat, boots on the dashboard, and watched the eighth roll past the window. Her father had promised this one was different. She wanted to believe him. "I'm sixteen, Dad," she'd told him last week. "I need friends I can keep. A home." He'd only nodded. Now the car slowed, and she gripped her leather jacket tighter. The truck stopped in front of a stone house. Ivy climbed the walls. Tall arched windows caught the gray light. Dark gables rose against the sky. A garden spilled over the path, wild and green. Ophelia leaned forward. This wasn't a rental. This was the kind of house people stayed in. "Well?" Connor asked. He killed the engine and rubbed his scruffy beard. Gray threaded through his black hair. He looked tired, but his green eyes were hopeful. "This is it. If you want it." "You mean we're staying? For good?" "For good," he said. "I signed a five-year contract for the new job. No more packing boxes." She threw her arms around him. He laughed and held her tight. For a second she felt the years of moving lift off her shoulders. Then she pulled back and studied the house again. Something tugged at her, like she'd stood on this path before. They carried boxes to the door. Ophelia's box slipped. It burst open on the stone step. Books and old photos scattered across the ground. She knelt to gather them. One photo landed face up. She picked it up. A woman held two babies, one in each arm. The woman had long black hair, half up and half down. Her eyes were pale green, the exact shade as Ophelia's own. Ophelia had never seen her before but she felt drawn to her. She had never once asked about a mother. It had always been her and Dad. Just them. "Dad." Her voice came out small. She held up the photo. "Who is this?" Connor turned. The box in his hands hit the step. His face went white. He crossed the path fast and took the photo from her fingers. His hand shook. "Where did you find that?" he asked. "It was in this box." Ophelia stood. Her heart pounded. " For a long moment he said nothing. The wind moved the ivy. Somewhere a bird called. "Just an old friend no need to fuss over it.” Connor said quietly. He looked at the photo. “I must have taken it by mistake.” Ophelia's mouth curved and her eyes studied the photo. "If you say so dad.” Connor quickly grabbed the photo and shoved it into a box. He acted like nothing happened. “Let’s go see this house.” He said smiling.