2021 riverrun Final PDF

“It’s from the custom shop in Montana.” She smiled, proud of her choice.
“Same one that Mom always used?” Decker stared down into the cup. He
was lost in longing.
Emily stared. She knew her father wouldn’t notice her. She absently confirmed,
but her voice hung still before vanishing into the space, the room smothered
every noise like a pillow.
Decker spoke like the old man he was, “Good,” and he took one long sip
from the cup. All of it pouring down his throat. Then gone. Dear daughter offered to
make him another cup.
“No thank you.”
“It’ll help your voice.”
The two’s eyes met, and dear daughter poured Decker another cup and
offered it from across the table. He took the cup and retreated to his chair. He held it
weakly beneath his lips.
Emily watched her father’s tea grow cold. She left him to tend his drink and
paced about the room. Her gaze lazily raked over the room’s contents, books, neatly
stacked notepaper, torn and scattered like confetti, oddly blank. Her father’s eyes
followed her about the space.
“You should give the tea a taste.” Decker probed. “It tastes like your mother.”
Now addressed, Emily drank as she returned to her seat. She tasted earth
and the trees, something green and warm. The bit of tang from the cast iron pot. She
could still smell the leftover book dust in the aroma, it was better than the room
though. She sat and breathed in the air from the cup.
“Sweet right?” Decker offered.
“Yeah Dad, it was sweet.”
Decker sat back in his chair. He nodded at the floor.
“You always did love sugar. Sugar seems to wake me up better than salt
nowadays Truth be told it’s just about the taste now. I enjoy the bit of nostalgia.”
Emily set down her cup. She glanced at the books, examining for disturbed
dust.
“You found a good book in all that?”
Decker considered before offering, “Gatsby has been a good friend for the
last few weeks.”
Emily stood up and crossed the room to the shelf, her eyes questing for the
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