The Mourning Dove

The mourning dove is one of the most abundant and widespread of all North American birds. But for Katy, the teenage daughter of the Richmond family, when she opened the front door to begin her morning walk to school, the sight of a whole flock of them perched on the neighboring fence sent a creeping chill down her spine. Katy was the middle of five siblings and by far the most superstitious; she indulged herself in finding symbolism in the mundane, meaning in what everyone else would consider meaningless. So, when the soft, brown-bodied doves flew onto the Richmond family’s lawn and began feeding, Katy overlooked the fact that ground feeding is entirely normal for this breed of birds, and instead took their name as a symbol for sorrow, and their presence on her property as a sign that her family would be the victims of fate’s cruelty. She glared at the birds for several seconds before starting off to school, and as she walked, she wondered why the birds didn’t land on the neighbor’s lawn instead.

When Katy returned home from school, the solemn, ominous bird staring at her from the tree nest was no surprise—the screaming and wailing coming from inside the house was. She opened the door in haste, worried that the omen she’d seen that morning had already come true. She stepped inside and was shocked to see her family sitting on the living room couch and a strange man standing next to them, swaying Katy’s crying sister back and forth in his arms.

“Who the hell are you?” Katy asked the stranger. Her heart was pounding, and she wondered why the rest of the family was acting so normal.

“Katy, dear, language!” Mrs. Richmond was affronted by her daughter’s unusual hostility.

“Ahem, K, this is Trevor.” Katy’s eldest sister, Paige, spoke in an awkward voice. She gestured her head towards the man, for her hands were occupied drawing a small needle of yellow string through the arm of a torn doll. “He’s my boyfriend from NYU. We decided to come visit for the weekend.”

“What’s wrong with Rose?” Katy’s voice came out louder than she intended, and she jumped in surprise. She continued to glare at Trevor, still beside the couch, rocking Rose back and forth with a fat, meaty hand on the back of her head. Rose’s screams continued to roar, the sound bouncing off the walls and invading Katy’s ears. Through the cacophony she tried to remember the last time she’d heard her sister cry. Rose never cried.

Trevor said nothing. It was Paige who chimed in to explain. “Rose’s doll ripped. Trevor was playing with her. This thing is too old. Grandma made this for me when I was a kid. I—”

The sound of the garage door echoed from the back of the house, followed shortly by a deep voice. “I’m home! I got takeout!” Mr. Richmond walked into the living room holding a giant plastic bag with Chinese characters scrawled across it.

The family got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen. Paige handed the newly stitched doll to Rose, but her wails did not cease, so Mrs. Richmond took Rose from Trevor and carried her crying baby to the other room. Katy went to the bathroom to wash her hands, and to get a moment away from Trevor. His blank stare was glued in her mind, and her worries from the morning had solidified. The appearance of the mourning doves and the arrival of this strange man were no coincidence. Her breath was heavy as she dried her hands and walked back toward the kitchen.

In the hallway, a muffled cough caught her ears: aggressive, yet shallow, as if someone was struggling for air. She hastened to the kitchen where her father sat, blue in the face, gasping, wheezing, unable to breathe. Trevor sat frozen beside Mr. Richmond. Katy rushed over behind her father, stood him on his feet, and began pushing at his navel, her arms thrusting upward and inward. A chunk of food came flying from Mr. Richmond’s mouth, and he breathed in relief, his face slowly regaining color.

Then everyone was thanking Katy, hugging her in appreciation, but not Trevor. Katy stared at him; she felt as if he were responsible for her father’s choking. She just stared, wondering what he was going to do next.