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Ivy stretched and leaned against the wall.
Ivy wore a green dress, which sparkled, and a pearl necklace, a gift from her father. She even had on evening sleeves. And she was...well, she wasn’t her usual jovial self.
Not a single sign of Calvin tonight. That was normal; he wasn’t one to indulge in the Daisy’s activities of drinking, dancing, and merrymaking. He could normally be found, at this hour at least, reading, or trying desperately to sleep. Sometimes taking in a show. Sometimes not.
But Ivy was really hoping to see him this evening. She hadn’t invited him along...well, not directly. Not in a way that couldn’t have gone over the poor boy’s head. But then, there were a lot of other things on her mind, too. And the things on her mind were much bigger than her favorite boy not showing up. It just wasn’t a good day for Ivy. She threw back a highball and sat down.
“Ivy?”
A familiar voice. It was Mitzi.
“Oh, hey there, Mitzi.” Ivy smiled. Her speech was slurred.
“What’s got you down, lovie? You’re never like this.” Mitzi’s voice had a deep concern in it; Ivy only got like this when it was bad.
“Calvin never showed up.”
Mitzi’s concerned expression turned to one of confusion. Ivy looked like a failing starlet who’d just spent the last of her money and was due to go back home from Broadway the next day, and all this over...Cal? That was unlike Ivy, unlike her in every sense of the word.
“...this can’t just be Calvin.” Mitzi sat next to her. “You get upset when he’s not around, but you don’t get...depressed. How many highball glasses is that?”
“It’s only 3.” Ivy said. “The waiter took away the other 4.”
“You’ve had seven whiskey sodas?” Mitzi pinched the bridge of her nose. “Listen, honey, I know boy troubles, and this ain’t it.”
“I swear that’s all.”
“I swear it’s not . Now quit lying to me, lovie, lemme help you.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Ivy said. “...Mom hasn’t called.”
“Your mother?” Mitzi cocked her head to one side. “I didn’t know you had a mother.”
“She doesn’t seem to know she had a daughter . Which is pretty remarkable, considering she pushed me out.” Ivy slumped on the table. “You know what I did for Mother’s Day this year?”
“What’s that?”
“I tracked her down. I spent months trying to find this woman. Right after she had me she left to do some...thing. I dunno. I guess she had this whole other family waiting in the wings.” She laughed. “She’d remarried and everything.”
“Oh my.”
“And I sent her this big box of just...things. Fur cleaners, candles, tea towels, everything! I was just making up for lost time! I even put chocolates in there. Chocolates! In the warm sun on some mail plane!”
“Sounds like you went to a lot of effort.” Mitzi said.
“And I told her,” She started to have more trouble getting words out, “I wrote her a not, saying ‘when you get this, do what you can to call, or send a letter. I left her the number here, I left her my dorm’s number, I left her Calvin’s phone number...I left all those addresses, too. No calls. No letters. It’s been a week . The box just needed to-” She sniffled, “It just needed to make it to Norfolk! That’s not a planet away, Mitzi!” She held Mitzi’s hand. “That’s not a planet away! It’s a day’s flying, from what the post people said! I spent good money, I did everything!”
Mitzi’s concern had returned, and she was now sitting on the same side of the table as Ivy, patting her back. Ivy was crying. She looked up at Mitzi.
“...Why doesn’t she want me? What did I do wrong?”
“Ivy….oh, Ivy, c’mere.” Mitzi pulled her into a tight hug, and just held her, as tight as tight could be. She shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Ivy…”
“I-”
“I’ll tell you what.” Mitzi smiled. “You and me are gonna go out tomorrow. We’re going to have a good time. Just...meet me here. At noon. How’s that sound?”
“Sounds nice.” Ivy said. She hugged Mitzi tight, and stood, spotting Cal and Rocky heading in. “I’m gonna go home with Cal.” She said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you then, sugar.”
Ivy, who’d always had a decent record of sobering up quickly, spoke from behind a folding wall.
“She just said she;s taking me somewhere. Not sure where.” She said.
“D’you want my new oxfords?” Calvin asked.
“I dunno, you seem to have too big of a foot. Besides, I’ve got a new pair of shoes anyhow.” Ivy stepped out, wearing a flat cap, a blouse with a wool sweater vest, a pair of beige breeches, long black socks, and brown heels. She walked out from behind the curtain, taking off her hat for a moment.
“Is that my hat?” Calvin asked.
“It’s mine for today.” She winked, before kissing him softly, giving him a hug. “It fits me better, anyways, you need a new one. Your head’s gotten bigger.”
“If you say so.” Before she left, he kissed her once more, and she responded with a hug and a smile. “If I’m not back by tomorrow,” Ivy said, “Call someone. Not the police. Call...Mordecai. Maybe. I doubt it’ll be that kind of outing.” She winked, and with that, she was off.
When she arrived, she saw Mitzi, wearing a baby blue day dress, and the broadest sunhat she’d ever seen on someone. Clearly a day out, it seemed.
“Hi, Mitzi!”
“Ivy! Glad to see you.” Mitzi hugged Ivy, and patted her back. “How’re you feeling after last night?”
“Feelin’ well.” Ivy walked with Mitzi. “How about you?”
“Well, can’t complain. Rocky’s in charge of the store today…” Mitzi shivered. “I made sure to tell Viktor to be a bit more strict.”
Ivy giggled. “I hope so. So, where to?”
“Well, that fair’s in town,” Mitzi said, “and I know you enjoy that sort of thing.” Mitzi walked towards the park. “Always something going on down there...I should’ve gotten into public recreation.” Mitzi put on a mischievous smirk. “Seems like a helluva racket. And legitimate, too.”
“The fair?” Ivy smiled. She knew the fiar wasn’t always something Mitzi would indulge in...maybe to get a business deal done, or to get a bit of money from a ‘friend’. But not just out of the blue. “Could be fun!” Ivy said. “I hope they’ve got one of those shooting galleries...and the food!” She sighed dreamily. “They’d fry paper if they could get away with it, but I still love it.”
The day was thick with things. Of course, they didn’t go on the boat ride. Seemed like a bit of a rapid acceleration of their relationship, and one they weren’t aiming for. But there was a lot going on; a few rides were there, which were rickety, but a good experience. There were more than enough vendors of food; candies, sodas, fruits, hot dogs, anything you could get your hands on really. If it was unhealthy, they sold it there, and Ivy and Mitzi went through the lot; Ivy was a bit more adventurous though.
“Do you think this would go well with chocolates on it?”
“Ivy, it’s a hamburger.”
“The question stands.”
After a small moment of preparation, the science was in.
They did not go together.
Still, Ivy wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t tried, and that was the spirit. So after a quick visit to a trashcan and a water fountain, Ivy returned to walking with Mitzi. She gasped. “A shooting gallery!”
“What’re they giving away as prizes?”
“I think those little figurines.” Ivy said. “The ceramic ones?”
“I’ve always wanted a few of those, but I can never find ‘em.”
“...always wanted them, eh?” Ivy smirked. “Give me a moment.” Ivy walked up to the stand, and put a nickel down. “How much for that thing there?”
“...the crystal statuette of a cat sitting posed on a rock?”
“That’s the one.”
“You’d have to hit everything.” The man said.
“Ivy, this seems a bit much, I-”
“Oh, stop.” Ivy rolled her eyes and smiled. “You’d do it fer me!” She picked up the rifle, and got ready.
“....and...go!”
Plink! Plink! Plink! Every single duck, every number on the cuckoo clock, every little thing in the background. Aced. 100 percent. Seems like she wasn’t just on the rifle team because of her looks. She stood proudly as the clerk packaged up the crystal figurine, and handed it to Ivy.
“...Ivy, you keep that.” Mitzi said. “You earned it.”
“Nonsense!” Ivy handed her the box. “I won it for you!” Ivy winked. Mitzi smiled softly, and took the box.
“Thank you, ivy,” She said, “That’s very sweet.”
“Of course! Besides, now I don’t have to carry around a box all day!” She smirked.
“Oh, you rascal!” Mitzi exclaimed, a clear and playful grin on her face the whole time.
“...oh, photos! Mitzi let’s get our photos taken!”
“If you say so.” Mitzi straightened out her hair, and walked into the booth. They took a few photos together, trying to stay at least still. But Mitzi, keen to get Ivy back for making her carry around a box, made it intentionally difficult.
Ivy giggled. “Are you tickling my ankle with yer tail?”
“Of course not! I’m far too mature for that.” She protested, winking.
They posed again, and Ivy began laughing. “Stop that with your tail!”
“Not doin’ a thing with my tail, sugar.” Mitzi replied.
They posed again. Mitzi gasped. “Look, a plane!”
“Where!?” As Ivy peeked out of the booth, Mitzi took a picture, and pinched the bridge of her nose, laughing. She patted Ivy’s back, and they finally got one decent picture together.
As the day came to a close, Ivy and Mitzi went back to the daisy. “Thanks, Mitzi,” Ivy smiled brightly, “Today was a lot of fun!”
“Of course, lovie.” Mitzi kissed the top of Ivy’s forehead. “You look nice in that hat.”
“It’s Freckle’s.”
“I figured, it looks like his old one.” Mitzi patted Ivy’s shoulder. “Thank you for coming along. And for the gift.”
“Aww, it’s the least I could do!” Ivy replied, hugging Mitzi tight once more, before heading back to her and Cal’s new apartment.
Mitzi walked into her office, and opened the figurine. It was nice...it’d go on the mantle, right next to that portrait of her and Atlas. She hummed a bit, and noticed something else in the box. A card.
From Ivy.
‘To the Mother I Never Had
With Love,
Ivy’
Mitzi smiled, and put the card up on her desk. She smiled, and got to work on the books. It was going to be a long night, thanks to the day off...but Mitzi figured it was worth it.