Any worry that Aspen would have turned out more like her mother than Mallory herself had been fully diminished that morning when the teenager had gotten her out of bed on the pretense that it was the perfect day for ice cream. Mallory was inclined to disagree, due to the bitingly cold weather, but, as she learned from the best, Aspen knew how to leverage what she had to get what she wanted. Mallory wondered how long the Child of Divorce card would work on her, and when there had been no ache in her heart at the mention of it. Today wasn’t the day.
So there she was, in the ice cream shop true to its name, the heating not on lest it potentially mess with the freezer holding all of the different flavors, as the fifteen year old scanned each tub with precision as if it were a life or death situation. “Aspen, darling. Hurry up. There’s other people in the shop who also want to eat food inappropriate to the weather.” It wasn’t often she was snappy to her daughter, especially in public, but as she stood in her coat shivering, Mallory felt her already thin patience waver. She turned to shoot an apologetic glance to whoever was standing behind her, eyes softening in familiarity at the vet who helped them all those months ago. “Oh, hello again. At least we’re meeting in better circumstances. I’m sorry about…her.” She gestured to Aspen who was finally making her order to the bemused cashier behind the counter.
