Spoons

A short tale of a divorced Dad taking care of his daughter when mysterious things happen.

"Honey, where are all the spoons? I don't understand where they keep going. Does Nova keep throwing them away after she is done with them?" I asked Kelsey in a bit of an irritated mood.

"I don't think she is, but I can ask her later. Did you check the sink or the counter?" Kelsey replied, she was as she laughed about it.

"Yeah, I found a bowl in there, but nothing else." I replied.

"I know it's no big deal I just really wanted my corn flakes today." I said as I gave a disappointed look to her.

"Well, why don't you just grab a granola bar for today and I'll pick up some spoons up after I pick Nova up from school. Okay? She and I can do a little shopping!" She said with excitement.

"You can have your cereal tomorrow morning." She said as she grabbed her purse off the granite countertop.

"I got to go, Im going to be late. I love you; I'll see you soon." With her eyes wide, smiling as she gave me a kiss on the cheek, her voice was calming, then headed swiftly out the door.

I stood there, looking at the door as she left. Bewildered by the situation, my thoughts quickly went back to the problem at hand. How in the hell do all the spoons keep disappearing? This isn't the first time we have run out of spoons either, it's not like it is milk and we have to replenish them after a week.

No matter though, I might as well just pick up a camera to see what's really going on. Nova walked down the stairs a few moments later. She rubbed her beautiful forest green eyes; they glistened in the morning light. Smiling while half asleep, she came and gave me a hug as she did every morning.

"Daddy, where is Kelsey?" She asked.

"Kelsey went to work sweetie, but she will pick you up after you get out of school. Now come you, we have to go get ready." I said as I gave her a good morning hug and kiss on her forehead. She always brightens up my day with her presence.

I didn't say anything about the spoons. I didn't want her to think I was accusing her of throwing them away. Sometimes problems can be addressed later in the day. For now, it was time to learn, and for me to head out to do some errands.

"Nova, what clothes were you thinking about wearing today? The pink pony shirt, blue pants, with a ponytail... Ooo pink sparkle shoes, or white ones? Unless you like the yellow sun dress?" I asked her as we started to brush her teeth.

"Hmm, Daddy what do you think? I was thinking yellow, but I love pink!" She replied with differences only a child would think of.

"Good question beautiful, I think we should go with the sundress. I think Kelsey would absolutely love it". I said with a smile.

"Okay, as long as I can wear the pink pony shirt to bed later". Her arms were crossed, the look she gave me was one her mother used to give me. All smiles but with a steely determination to get her way. It had been a long time since our divorce.

"Well, I'm not sure if it's a bedtime shirt, but maybe I can make an exception this time". I said smiling.

Nova yelled with excitement, gave me another hug and zipped around the room.

"Not so tired anymore, are we?" I asked as I winked at her.

"Nope!" She said as she grabbed her backpack and lunch bag.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

She just smiled and opened the front door. The wind blew on us as we walked to the Impala. It had a bit of a chill to it, but the sun immediately warmed you right back up. Sunshine glistened the sky, rustling of the leaves made it all the greater. Synergy played a part in making everything seem less chaotic. The way the morning commenced made it feel as if it were a dream. I had the life I wanted; I just wish it was more certain at breakfast time.

The car ride wasn't long, maybe ten minutes or so. We got to the school; Nova hoped out of the car. Some of her classmates were eager to play with her before the bell. I gave her one more kiss.

"Now, you have a good day, okay? Don't let anything ruin it, I love you and I'll see you soon". I said while I gave her the biggest hug of the morning. She smiled, kissed my forehead and ran off to her friends. I jumped back into the car and drove off.

Shortly after dropping her off, I looked at my phone to see what time the electronics store opened. As it was about eight now, the stores didn't open for another two hours. So, I went home to plan.

In the kitchen, I looked for the best place to put the camera. I thought that maybe if I put it in the corner of the room, I just might be able to get the view of the trash can and the sink. Looking around the room, the sink was by the kitchens only window. The fridge was next to the sink, and the trash can was in the opposite corner. Maybe just moving the trash can would be easiest, I could hide the camera in one of the hanging plants. One was by the doorway; the others were hung over the table.

"Yeah..." I said out loud. In one of the plants would be best.

By the time I figured everything out, the store was finally open. Walking out the front door, I noticed a car across the street. It wasn't familiar, it was on, the windows were tinted so dark it looked like the night sky. I read the license plate out loud, so I'd remember it. 4N2A, the plate was strange, not very long and it didn't make much sense to me anyways. I got in the Impala and drove off.

The suspicious car stayed in the same spot as I pulled away. There was something about it that was just off. I couldn't put my finger on it. It feels like I have seen that license plate before. I was probably just over thinking it like I am with these damn spoons.

I pulled to a stop sign down the street. My phone had been bugging me since I had gotten into the car. It was in my bag I had left in the car earlier; I wasn't eager to get it out so I just ignored it. Then it stopped, nothing after that, and by then I was on the freeway. The traffic wasn't bad, and I got there swiftly. Pulling up to the store, I parked in a spot that wasn't far away from it but not too close. I liked making myself walk a bit, it helped me get my steps in for the day. As I was walking, I forgot to pull my phone out of my bag. Sadly, as much as I love to go without it, I needed it so I could pay for the cameras. As I trekked back, my thoughts went back and forth between where I should place the cameras. I didn't know why I was still on this, but it was just a small problem in the scheme of things. I mean really, what the fuck is happening to the spoons

I reached the car, opened the passenger side door and got my phone from my bag. The notification flash flickered as I picked it up. Not really worried about it, I just swiped it away and headed into the store.

"Welcome to Circuit City!" The greeter said with excitement. She looked bored and eager to help someone rather than talking to her coworkers. They looked hopeless to be honest.

"Is there anything I can assist you with?" she asked, practically begging for me to bring her away from the dudes that constantly hit on her but are way out of their league.

"Yes actually, I'm looking for a camera. Something like a nanny camera or like that. Small and easy to hide". I said hoping they would have something similar that I was looking for. It really did have to be small; I couldn't let Nova notice it so she doesn't question what it is. Just for a week or so I would have it installed, I don't think I'd need it more than that to figure out what is going on with the spoons.

"Well, we do in fact. Let me bring you to the aisle" she said.

We walked for a bit, down the aisles of computers, televisions, surround sounds... I was wanting to make another excuse to come here again. Maybe surround sound would be nice I thought. Bring some nice vibes to the living room.

Finally, we got where we were supposed to be. It was filled with product, I knew I was going to need some help deciding which one to pick out.

"So, this is what we have, we have multiples for indoors..." She said and continued to as we looked through the racks of cameras, some of the spots were empty. There were some displays missing some of the cameras, but at least others had pictures. Not like it would have mattered though. She picked up one of the cameras, "We don't really have any singles in stock, but it looks like we have a two pack. This one comes with Bluetooth and connects to your phone, it also has a 12 hour battery so you can unplug it so no cords are showing. Along with that, it comes with two. I know you were looking for one, but two's better than one right!?" She said with excitement as she looked me up and down in a flirtatious manner.

"Okay, yeah I'll take this one then. I don't think it will be a problem if there are two of them" I said.

"Can I ask? What are these for anyways? Are you having a trouble with the wife? Or boyfriend... I don't judge" she asked with a smirk.

"Hah, no I think my daughter keeps throwing away our spoons. Wife by the way, very happy man" I said as I blushed a bit. Not to the fact that she was cute or anything like that but it was just so straight forward to ask something like that, so personal.

"Bummer, I would lose all my spoons for every time my coworkers hit on me. But if the wife gives you any problems, stop back on by cutie." Her charisma was infectious for sure. She winked, smiled, and walked away.

After checkout I stepped outside, the weather was starting to change. The wind blew more violently, and storm clouds were in the distance. They darkened the area and the mood. Especially after I looked down at the car lot. The car that was parked outside my house earlier was parked way down the lot. I walked, passing my car, going to confront the other vehicle. As I walked past my car, the other one sped off furiously and stormed out of the parking lot into the streets and disappeared into the traffic. I froze.

"Who the fuck is that?" I asked out loud, kind of stunned of who would be following or how they even knew I was hear. Maybe it was a coincidence. My phone buzzed again, this time I checked it. The notifications popped up, one was from Kelsey, the other was a system message from find my iphone. I texted Kelsey back first, wondering where I was so if I was close by the home I could pull the chicken out of the freezer for later. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't check the other notifications, closed the phone, and went back to the car.

It was just strange seeing that car in two places I've been today. I mean, why was it so far away in the parking lot though, why was there no one else in the store? Why was that car there? About twenty minutes later I arrived back at the house. I parked the car and got one more notification. " Air tag detected nearby". I looked at it as if it were having hallucinations, ever since the AI update occurred it has been sending these kinds of messages when I don't have any of the devices that it is asking me about. Calmly, I walked into the house, took a quick look around... There was nothing. Not like earlier, I unlocked the house and headed inside

I took the camera out of the box in the kitchen and could place it anywhere, but where is the question. I was thinking the plant that was above the table in the kitchen room. It could show the garbage can and the sink. So, I can see which one she is using. Turning it on, I logged onto my phone, opened an account, all the necessary things that come with the camera. It only took about an hour or two. By the end of it I was frustrated and just wanted to place it down where it should go. I could see what was going on with it on my screen. It was neat though; I didn't have to plug it in the computer or any wall sockets. That girl was helpful, I'm still not going back there for a while though. Maybe she will forget about me.

Placing the camera in the flowerpot was probably the best idea. No one would be able to see it. Throw some dirt on it so it would blend in a bit better and voila, done. By this time it was nearing the end of the school day for Nova, she would be going out with Kelsey soon to go get spoons. I mean this is a lot of trouble to go through on my day off, but I remember how it was with my brother and how much of a pain in the ass it was when he was throwing away spoons. This problem has haunted me even with my own child, like who throws away their spoons when they are done with them? Their metal spoons! Some of ours are made with silver for Christ sake. Those are kept up now since we lost six of them.

Out of my poor decisions I have made in life, I decided to do another one and took a nap on the couch. Several hours later I heard the door unlock and open. I thought to myself, "Yay Kelsey and Nova are home!" but then I thought "Oh fuck, the chicken".

"Hey honey I'm home!" Kelsey said as she entered the home.

"Daddy!" Before I could register what Nova said, I was being bombarded with hugs from the two of them. Some two seconds later Kelsey walked into the kitchen.

"Babe, where's the chicken?" She asked.

I didn't reply, then she repeated her question.

"It's not in the freezer that's for sure". I responded.

"I'm going to kill you, you know?" She said as she began to boil, but she smiled. She was upset but she always let stuff like that roll away shortly after.

"I'll grab some pizza or Chinese food for us tonight" I said with a smile.

"That will do and is much appreciated! What would you like for dinner Nova?" Kelsey said as Nova approached her for a kiss.

"Um, I would like cereal". She said.

"How about we have some cereal in the morning honey. Papa can buy some for the morning unless you want his corn flakes too, he'd be happy to share. Right?" She looked at me with look a wolf protecting her babies. As if you don't say yes, you're in a big trouble.

"Of course!" I said with the fear of God in me. She can be quiet and quite vicious sometimes, especially when it comes to Nova.

"So for tonight though, what do you decide honey?" We asked Nova, hoping for an answer so Kelsey and I didn't have to decide on something. It was torturous at times. Water, water, everywhere, not a drop to drink is what it felt like at times.

"Um..." She replied.

"Maybe, let's do, hmm... Chinese, I love Chinese food!" She questioned, questioned some more, and then jumped with excitement over her beloved food choice.

"Sounds good to me Sweetie, honey go and order the food. In the meantime, do you two want to play a board game?" Kelsey asked. Nova jumped up and down even more, clapping her hands, and running around the room until she came to an abrupt stop, she turned and looked at us. Shook her head up and down, then ran into the closet to get her favorite games.

"Yes hon, sounds like I'll be having a great day off because I can spend the rest of it with you two." I said as I gave Kelsey a kiss. She blushed, and so did I. It's nice to feel the same way we did when we first met. She still gives me butterflies.

The hours passed as we ate our food and played the board games. By the end of it Kelsey was spent, and so was I. We decided it was time to head to bed. We cozied up for the night, giving our routine hug and kiss to Nova before we put her to bed. It was around 9:30 PM at the time. We felt older, life seemed to be passing by. She got into the bed first, on the right side. I proceeded to the left. We laid there and talked for a bit.

"Did you happen to see a car outside of our neighbors when you pulled up with Nova earlier?" I asked.

"No honey, why what did you see?" She replied as she began to close her eyes.

"There was this car that was parked out front, and the exact same car was parked close by when I went to the electronics store. It was strange because it was sitting out front of the house before it was there, it's just giving me an off feeling". I said with worry in my voice.

"If it becomes a problem, we will just call the police, don't fret about it honey". She replied with a soft ton indicating she was about to fall asleep, whenever that tone comes around, I know she is just minutes from falling asleep. I too slowly drifted into the abyss.

It was late when I heard my phone go off. A notification from my new camera came in. "Motion detected", I immediately checked it. Nova was in the kitchen, eating cornflakes, she was staring at the doorway. I checked the other camera I had facing towards that direction, and to my horror saw that she was standing, eating cereal with someone else in our house.

"Kelsey wake up". I abruptly said in a quiet voice, not to let anyone know I was awake.

"What is it hon?" She said in a grumpy mood.

"Call the cops, someone is eating cereal with our daughter". I said in terror, I picked up a bat from under the bed.

She became silent and did as I said. I quietly got out of bed and went downstairs. Looking around each corner as I passed by them. No one was there, I was feet from the kitchen, I turned the corner, only to see Nova standing there.

"Nova, who were you talking to?" I said to her in a very serious manner.

"Mommy!" She replied with a happy smile. Our divorce was harder on her than I expected. Then I thought back to that license plate. 4N2A, I know that license plate, it's Anna. She was so upset when she picked out her numbers for her car because someone had already taken it. I looked by the door.

"Where is Mommy?" I asked. She lifted her finger, and pointed behind me. A gunshot rang out that hit me in the knee cap, I immediately fell and screamed in agony.

"Honey why don't you come over here". Anna said, Nova was startled but listened to her mother. I looked up to see Nova standing with her, Anna's arm was wrapped around her.

"So this is the life you made for yourself while you just left me behind". She said with anger in her voice.

"Taking my daughter away from our happy home. Was I not enough for you? Did I not make you happy?" She asked, with tears in her eyes.

"You would never let me see her, you were living your fantasy thinking Kelsey could be me". The jealousy, anger, and hurt weren't nor could it be contained for her.

"The only time I get to spend with our beautiful daughter is at night when I sneak in your house and enjoy a bowl of late-night cereal like her and I use to when you were away from home". She said as she cried.

"We missed you terribly and all you could ever say was sorry". I jumped in at this point,

"I never cheated on you". I said as I was bleeding out on the floor.

"Yeah, you have always said that I still don't believe you". She said as she turned to Nova.

"I'm going to go say hi to Kelsey and I'll be right back, then we can have some more cereal, okay?" She said to Nova as she gave her a kiss then proceeded upstairs. Only a few moments later you heard Kelsey scream, and more shots rang out. Footsteps came rushing down the stairs.

"Time for one more thing". She said as she looked at me.

"Nova go outside to the car sweetie, okay? Mother will be right there." She said calmly to Nova, she listened. I starred at her as I watched her leave. Anna grabbed the spoon she was using earlier when she was eating with Nova.

"That beautiful little girl is the last thing you are ever going to see, well and me of course". She said as she pulled me into the middle of the kitchen with all of her weight on top of me.

"No, Anna, you can take her. Don't do this". I said terrified of what was about to happen.

"I know." She said as she smiled and stuck the spoon in my eyes, peeling the out and cutting them onto the floor. I screamed as loud as I could to deal with the pain, then slowly drifted away.