“Iris, tomorrow I have the day off.”
“Huh? Really!?”
Iris’s eyes sparkled as she leaned forward, eager to hear more from Aldo. Whenever he had a day off, he always took her somewhere, and she was hoping that would be the case this time, too.
“I want to introduce you to Clara, a fellow digger I mentioned before.”
“Oh, okay.”
At that, Iris felt a bit disappointed. She had been looking forward to spending some one-on-one time with her father, but the idea of having someone she didn’t know there dampened her excitement.
“I thought it might be awkward for you to be alone with Clara right away, so I’d like you to meet her with me. That way, you can get comfortable around her.”
It was Aldo’s way of being considerate. He wanted Iris to get used to being around different people for her future independence. This meeting was set up with her growth in mind.
Despite her reluctance, Iris knew it was something she would have to face for her future. She went to bed with mixed feelings, and the next morning, when she woke up… she pretended to be asleep.
“Iris, wake up. Clara is coming today.”
Aldo shook her gently to wake her. Iris could no longer keep up her act and had to get up.
“Come on, change out of your pajamas into something for going out.”
Aldo left the room, and Iris reluctantly began changing, her movements slow and unwilling.
Once she changed into her outdoor clothes and completed her preparations, Iris took Aldo’s hand, and they went outside.
On the way to the meeting spot with Clara, Aldo reminded Iris about manners.
“Alright, Iris. When you meet Clara, greet her first. You know what to say, right?”
“Hello, nice to meet you.”
“Good. Then introduce yourself. Let’s try it.”
“I’m Iris, nine years old.”
“Perfect!”
Aldo was thrilled to see his daughter greeting so well, but Iris’s tone was flat and uninterested.
“And remember, Iris, Clara is like an older sister to you. Be sure to add ‘Miss’ when you call her.”
“Yes…”
Iris’s response was half-hearted, but they finally arrived at the meeting place. Clara was already there, doing shadowboxing moves for some reason.
“Sh-shu-shush!”
“Clara… what are you doing?”
Aldo couldn’t ignore her unusual behavior and spoke up.
“Oh, Mr. Aldo, hello! Well, it’s a dangerous area, you know? As a young lady here alone, I thought I’d do a little intimidation practice. Shu-shu!”
She threw some sharp jabs into the air. Iris watched with her mouth open, shocked.
She’s strong. If I try anything, I’ll get beaten up. I shouldn’t cross her. Iris’s instinctive survival sense warned her to be compliant.
“Oh, a cute young girl! You must be Iris.”
“H-hello… nice to meet you… I’m Iris. I’m nine years old.”
She managed to say it, though her greeting was stiff and awkward. She had initially seen Clara as a rival for Aldo’s attention, but now, face-to-face, she was too nervous to do anything.
“Ha ha, you don’t have to be so tense. Let me introduce myself properly too. Ahem. Hello, nice to meet you! I’m Clara, 14 years old, and I’m a digger. I work with your dad.”
Clara, trying to ease Iris’s nerves, mirrored her polite speech. It was a way of connecting with Iris by matching her behavior.
“O-oh…”
“Iris, it’s alright. Clara’s not going to eat you or anything.”
“R-really?”
Iris clung to Aldo’s leg, thinking that if anything happened, she would rely on him to protect her.
“Don’t worry, Iris. If we run into trouble, Clara can handle it. She’s actually stronger than me.”
“Stronger than Daddy…?”
Iris’s face fell, as if the world had ended. There was no one left who could stop Clara.
“Now, now, Mr. Aldo, don’t say things like that,” Clara whispered to him.
(At least try to look cool in front of your daughter.)
Aldo got the hint. Even though Clara was indeed stronger, Iris probably saw him as a hero, and he didn’t want to shatter that image.
“Ha ha, just kidding, Iris. Sorry, that was a bit much.”
Iris relaxed a little, reassured, but—
“Well, it’s true I am strong, though. Shu-shu!”
“Eek!”
Iris let out a small shriek at Clara’s jabs. It was then that Aldo realized why Iris was acting scared.
It was… a memory of past trauma. Aldo had no memory of it, but the old him had sometimes frightened Iris by pretending to hit her. He had never struck her, but even the act of a grown-up faking a hit could be scary for a child.
“Clara, could I have a word?”
“Hmm?”
He leaned in and whispered to Clara.
(It seems Iris has a fear of violence. I’d appreciate it if you could avoid the shadowboxing.)
Aldo was uncomfortable admitting it, but he couldn’t deny the possibility that the old him may have scared Iris. He vaguely explained the situation to Clara.
(Oh, I’m so sorry!)
Clara looked down, crestfallen. She hadn’t meant any harm—it was just a playful gesture, but she had no idea it would affect Iris this way.
She was desperate to make amends and lighten the mood with Iris.
“Look, Iris, peek-a-boo!”
Iris just stared at her, unimpressed. Clara broke into a nervous sweat.
“Clara, Iris is nine now. That’s a little too young for peek-a-boo.”
Of course—this was obvious. Peek-a-boo was for babies.
“J-just kidding! It was a little joke, ha ha… ha…”
Clara’s attempt was completely off the mark. Iris’s wariness only increased.
“Ha ha, well, Iris is probably feeling shy, and Clara, maybe try relaxing a bit. I’m sure that after spending the day together, you’ll get along well.”
Aldo was doing his best to bridge the gap between them. It would take time. Even he had been met with Iris’s initial wariness, but he had gained her trust by waiting and following her pace. He was sure Clara could do the same, with effort.
But he knew Clara was only 14, still young herself. He worried whether she could handle it all as smoothly.
With that, Aldo’s somewhat nerve-wracking holiday began.
