Seize Candy

Many years ago Mom came to visit me in Puerto Rico. As I was grandly showing her around our apartment, I gestured magnanimously at the the pile of leftover Halloween candy in the fridge. "Have all you like," I said. "We really don't need it." Then I said, "There's also some good stuff up here," and showed her a large bag of Lindt's truffles on a different shelf. Several days later as I was helping her pack up to go home, I came across the bag of Lindt truffles in her suitcase.

"Would Mom really take all my good chocolate home with her?" I asked myself. Yes. Yes she would. I decided that she'd probably earned it in 30+ years of dedicated child rearing and let it go.

It's possible I should have had that on my mind when I met Claire at a gas station over Christmas break to hand over some presents that she'd left at Rachel's. Filled with the delight that comes with seeing a sister out of context (here I am at a gas station in the middle of Utah and there's Claire! Right there!), I thought about what could mark the moment. My brain lit upon a box of See's Candy that the Dansies had just given us when we left their house that afternoon.

"Claire, remember when we were kids, and a box of See's Candy was the ultimate in gift giving? Like if Grandma gave us a box we all knew it was super fancy and deserved the highest respect and excitement? Well would you like some See's Candy? I have some in the car."

Claire, looks willing but uncertain. "Well, sure, but I don't want your family to be mad."

Me, thinking my family should not begrudge Claire a piece of chocolate, or even three, "Oh no, it will be fine! Theo, run and grab the chocolates!"

And then I left to use the bathroom. When I returned, Theo was standing there empty handed, looking a little bewildered. And Claire? Claire was gone, the scent of gasoline and chocolate lingering where her car had been only moments before.

Theo and I looked at each other. I like to think that a single tear rolled down his cheek, or that I ran down the road after the car, shaking my fist and screaming "Bumpuses!" a la The Christmas Story, but really we were just stunned.
"Did Claire leave?" I asked. "With all the chocolates?" Theo nodded. "I wasn't sure what to say without seeming rude," he said.
"Huh." I replied, feeling a feeling that felt...familiar. Like of COURSE Claire (or Mom) can have all of my chocolates, but do you think there might have been a toffee one in there?

To her credit, Claire offered to turn around and meet us to give us back our box of chocolates. But the universe had spoken. And I need to be more careful about how I offer people candy.