As he shuffled through the day’s paperwork Bill paused at the sight of Willow’s birth certificate.  Renee Freeman must have meant to send it on to Willow.  The date caught his eye.  He glanced at his calendar.  Thursday, July 19.  Monday was her birthday.
He punched Chad’s quick dial button irritated that he needed it in his phone.  It’d been almost three weeks since their date.  He’d tried to arrange another afternoon in the city on the seventh but she had plans with Chad for a fireworks display.  The following Saturday, he’d suggested dinner out in Fairbury and a movie on his laptop at her house but again, she wasn’t available.
“Hey, Chad.  Do you have a moment?”
Chad had considered not answering the call but delaying problems doesn’t make them go away so he answered reluctantly. “What can I do for you?”
“How about a birthday party for Willow?”
This was the last thing Chad had expected.  “When is her birthday?”
“Monday.  I said I’d come take her to dinner this Friday so it’d have to be Saturday sometime.”
“Well if you’re coming on Friday anyway, why not just celebrate then?  What does this have to do with me?”  Chad really didn’t want to get involved in Bill and Willow’s relationship.  Seeing light at the end of the proverbial tunnel had given him hope for freedom from the big brother role he’d adopted.
“I was thinking more of a party.  Willow has never had a birthday party- well, not one with guests and presents, and crazy party games and such.”
“A party.  For her birthday.”
“Is there a problem?”  Bill wasn’t accustomed to Chad being anything but agreeable to his plans.
“Where do you suggest we have this party?”
***

An hour later, Chad was back on the phone with Bill and plans already set in motion.  “Ok, I reserved the gazebo in the town square, Joe said Alexa would arrange for some music, and we’re calling everyone in the church to bring a potluck dinner.  Anything else?”
“Decorations.  Do you have any ideas?”
Chad groaned.  “No, but I’ll get my little sister Cheri to figure something out.”
“Does Cheri live there with you?”  Why he asked, Bill didn’t know.  “Oh, and is there a hotel there anywhere?”
“There’s the resort on the lake but it mostly rents cabins.  There’s the Bed and Breakfast though.  We have two of those but-” Chad paused trying not to say what he felt obligated to say. “But they’re probably all booked this time of year.  If you want to stay over, you’re welcome to my couch.”  He kicked himself as each word zipped through the airwaves.
“I might take you up on that if it gets late, thanks.  I’ll have Mari call you for directions later.  Let me know if I need to do anything else.  I’ll call that bakery there and order a cake.”
Swallowing hard, Chad added one more suggestion.  “Bill?”
“Yeah?”
“Buy her the biggest bunch of white daisies you can afford.”
Not knowing what to think of that suggestion, Bill’s answer was slightly on the underwhelming side.  “Ok.”
***
Friday night at seven-thirty, Bill’s silver Camry fairly glided along the drive to Willow’s farm.  Willow waited, book in hand, on the front step and as the car pulled up beside the house, stepped off the porch and onto the grass lined walkway.  Bill caught her profile as she stooped to toss a stick out of her path and realized for the first time, how much she looked like Kari from certain angles.
“Hey, with a dress like that, who needs new clothes!”  Compliments were never Bill’s forte.
“It’s new silly.  I made it after visiting Bo-ho.  I took the ideas they had that I liked, combined them how I wanted them, changed what I didn’t like, and made a dress that is both comfortable and suits me.  It’s probably horribly out of fashion but I decided that I don’t care.  I don’t have time to keep up with what everyone else is wearing.”
“It looks like the kind of thing Margot would love so I can’t imagine it is too out of fashion!”
“So you’re getting a whole new wardrobe?”  Bill opened the door for Willow as he waited for an answer.
Willow waited for him to settle into his seat before answering.  “Well, probably.  I didn’t’ realize how worn our clothing was until I had to wear it in public so much.  We always had a good ‘town’ outfit but we tended to wear our other clothes until they weren’t repairable or we hated looking at them anymore.”
On the highway, Bill’s thoughts returned to the annual trips he’d made over the years.  “You must have worn nicer things when I came.  I can’t remember anything that was seedy.”
Willow shrugged and watched the trees and fences fly by until they turned into Fairbury.  Bill turned off the town square almost immediately and then into a busy parking lot.  Amused, Willow pointed to the Fairbury Library sign over the doorway and said, “Are we devouring books for dinner?”
“They outgrew this building nearly twenty years ago.  It was a storage facility for the new library until about eight years ago and then an investment group from Rockland turned it into a dinner theater.  It’s been quite successful.”
As she stepped from the car, Willow glanced up at Bill smiling.  “You were one of those investors, weren’t you?”
“It was your mother’s suggestion, actually.  She’d heard of the plans while doing some sort of research at the library and knew I was looking for local ventures to invest in so she brought it to my attention.”
“Why didn’t mother invest?”
While they waited for their table, Bill explained her mother’s conservative investment strategy and summarized it with, “She wasn’t willing to risk any part of your future.  She wanted it as secure as we could make it.”
“Should I consider a different approach?  I don’t want to imply that I know more than Mother but I do know that some of her decisions were fear-driven and those aren’t always the best decisions…”
This was Bill’s forte.  He loved finances, investment strategies, and growth projections.  His normally emotionless face came alive when discussing the possibilities that a well-balanced financial portfolio presented.  Though he was tempted, Bill searched for another topic of discussion.
“Well, we can start having quarterly meetings if you like.  You could make small adjustments and see what you are comfortable with.  And besides, it’d give you an excuse to come to Rockland and see more of the city.  I bought tickets to the Fall/Winter session of the symphony.  I hoped you’d come at least once or twice.”
“Symphony?  Really?  I’d love it.  What if it’s on a day when I cant’ come?  You shouldn’t have spent the money yet.”
“I’ll give them to Mari.  She and her husband always use my unused tickets.”
Willow’s smile delighted him.  She laid her hand briefly on his arm and said, “You’re a good employer.  I’ve never heard of such thoughtfulness and I’ve read a lot of books!”
“Did you ever start anything by Alexa Hartfield?”
Before she could answer, the curtain rose and sent them into the fascinating world of a dinner mystery theater.
***
“This drive is so much smoother than I remember,” Bill mused almost to himself.
“Chad brought something and tied it to the back of his truck.  He dragged it up and down that thing for an hour the other day but I have to agree, it does feel better.  I should thank him.”
The moon hung in the sky like an arc.  “I used to love to swing out back when the moon was like that.”
“Not full?”
She shook her head.  “No.  I always felt exposed- like there was a spotlight on me, or something, when the moon was full.  I liked the crescents.”
“Come on, show me.”
A smile lit her face as Willow grabbed Bill’s hand and led him around behind the barn to the old swing.  Fireflies gave the air a magical feeling as she slipped into the swing, expertly tucked her skirt under one leg, and took a few steps backward before releasing and sailing into the air.  On her way back, Bill pushed the seat sending her even higher.
“Is that board strong?”
“It’ll hold.”
Another push was followed by another question.  “What about the rope?  Is it sturdy?”
“It was the other day.”
“What do I smell?”
Willow’s sensitive nose smelled a million things at once.  As she whizzed through the air on her swing she caught the sweet fragrance of honeysuckle, the pungent scent of Wilhelmina’s fertilizer, and, if she went high enough, she could even smell the alfalfa on the other side of the grove.  “I don’t know.  Does it smell good or bad?”
“It’s some kind of flower I think.”
“Honeysuckle.  We’ve used it to make wine and sherbet.  I like the nectar.”
To Bill’s consternation, Willow flew through the air and landed several feet away.  “Hey!” he cried rushing to ensure she wasn’t injured.  “Don’t do that without warning me.  I thought I pushed you out at first.”
Willow’s laughter brought a smile to his face but did nothing to calm his racing heart.  “Come on, let’s have a honeysuckle feast.”
Feeling quite foolish, Bill followed nervously as she led him through moonlit trees and along rustic fences to one side of the house.  All the beauty and romance that the occasion could have provided was lost in his unease and discomfort wandering through grasses, outdoors, and in the dark.  It took every ounce of self-control to hide his ginger steps until they reached the first blossoms.
“That is fragrant!  I’ve never smelled anything like it.”
“Here, try this,” Willow urged dropping several blossoms delicately in his hand.  “Just suck the nectar from the center.”
“Without washing them?”
It was too late.  Willow was already plucking a second blossom.  “Come on, try it Bill, they’re so good.”
Bill raised the blossom to his lips but lowered it quickly.  “What if there’s a bug on it?  In this light you couldn’t see-”
“There are no bugs on it.”
He had to admit, the nectar was delicious. “You really put this in sherbet?”
“Isn’t it wonderful?  It makes me thirsty though.  Would you like some water?”
As tasty as the honeysuckle was, Bill was eager for any excuse to avoid more blossoms.  However, he tucked the others she’d given him in his shirt pocket as she turned to lead him back to the house.  A few steps later, he caught her hand in his and laced their fingers together.
“Do you mind?  I confess I’m a little nervous out here in the wild with no lights.  It’s dark!”
“City boy.”
He gave her hand slight squeeze and grinned.  “And not ashamed of it either.”
Willow paused mid-path, and looked for Bill’s eyes.  She shifted in a semi-circle until the moon illuminated his face.  “Are you truly nervous out here like this or is it just an excuse to hold my hand?”
“Both.  Well, nervous is putting it lightly.  I’m positively terrified if you want the truth.  I’d rather face the subway carrying a wad of cash in plain sight.  However, I do confess to taking advantage of my own fears in order to have a valid excuse to stay close.”
He saw her glance at their hands before she turned and continued toward the house.  “Well, I appreciate your honesty anyway,” she commented with a chuckle.
They sat in the swing on the dark front porch sipping ice water and talking about a lot of nothing until Willow finally stood.  “I have no idea what time it is, but whatever time it is, it’s late.  Chad needs help with something at church tomorrow and you have a long drive ahead of you.  Go home Bill.”
Her tone and the light touch of her fingers on his arm softened the brusqueness of her dismissal.  At the newel, Bill reached tentatively for her face but Willow turned aside and walked to the screen door.  “Don’t get silly on me Bill.  I don’t have the time or patience for that.  Goodnight.”
Bill sank into his car wondering if she was exasperated with him or amused.  He followed the directions on his GPS system until he was parked in front of Chad’s house.  It was surprisingly large and looked nothing like an apartment but he was certain that’s what Chad had called it.  A glance up the street showed Chad’s truck was parked nearby so Bill climbed from his vehicle, grabbed his duffel bag from the back seat, and stole quietly up the walk.
At the door, a brass plate showed the names of four tenants and their apartment letter.  Apartment C conveniently listed Tesdall as the tenant.  He followed the stairs to the second floor and knocked gently on Chad’s door.  When no reply came, he knocked a little harder and then jumped as the door across the hall opened.
“Are you here for Chad?” the pot-bellied man asked suspiciously.
“Yes.  I’m Bill Franklin.  I was supposed-”
“Oh, he give me a key earlier for you.  Ben Franklin.  Your parents had a sense of humor didn’t they?”
“Well actually-” Bill finished as the man disappeared into his apartment, “The name is Bill.  Like William.”
“What was that?” The man passed Bill Chad’s key and watched curiously, as Bill unlocked the door.
“I said thank you.”
“You’re welcome Ben.  Anytime.”
Chad’s apartment was distressingly empty.  Either he’d cleaned it up for Bill’s visit or Chad was a neat freak as well.  A glance into Chad’s closet revealed a jumble of unrelated items packed in and threatening to fall if he didn’t shut the door quickly.  The knowledge that Chad’s cleanliness was a gesture of hospitality was a huge relief to Bill though he wasn’t sure why.
A sticky-note clung to the back of the couch.  “Air mattress on my bed if you’d prefer.  Sheets next to it.  I’ll be in at two.”
Bill glanced at his watch.  It wasn’t even midnight yet.  He grabbed the pillow lying on the couch and tried to make himself comfortable but the lumps were too much.  The lack of furniture would be a blessing.  He could tuck the mattress in the corner without blocking passage to the kitchenette or the closet sized bedroom.
Twenty minutes later, wearing sweat shorts and a t-shirt, Bill lowered himself on the air mattress and tried to relax.  His tongue slid along the surface of his teeth and he jumped up again.  He uncapped the toothpaste, spread more than necessary across the bristles of his toothbrush, and scrubbed again.  He just knew there must be bug intestines streaked across his teeth and no matter how thoroughly he brushed, he couldn’t get rid of that feeling.

***

Bill awoke, his body half twisted off the air mattress in a darkened and unfamiliar room.  It took a moment for him to realize where he was and why.  A snore startled him sending the rest of his body sliding onto the floor.
He shuffled quietly across the living room of Chad’s apartment and softly closed Chad’s door.  Within minutes, Bill was dressed and his pallet on the floor dismantled and ready to be put wherever Chad kept it.  It occurred to him that Chad might want the mattress stashed in the closet but visions of tumbling possessions crashing to the floor and waking a man who wore a gun on a regular basis didn’t seem like a very wise idea.
Stuffing his wallet and keys back in his pockets, Bill locked the door behind him and jogged down the steps.  He remembered how close the diner was and decided to try walking.  Bill was one “hongrey ombre” as his grandmother had often said as a child.
Market Street was packed with vendor booths all along the town square.  Several tents scattered around the lawn by the gazebo making Bill nervous.  Would they be gone by the time Chad’s sister needed to decorate?  Would Chad ever get Willow there in the first place?