Deirdre

Caroline was furious at her brother. Once again he was late which meant, once again, she had to do most of the work.###
Their mother had died three weeks earlier at the local Hospice and her house was going on the market as soon as it was cleaned and de-junked And Caroline was convinced most of it was complete junk.###
The garage was full of the family good old days. Bikes, sleds, golf clubs, tennis racquets, every ball needed for any game and even their late father's beloved Fiat Spyder.###
He had died twenty six years ago and this relic of the early seventies had survived the two people who cherised this little, school bus yellow, two seat, convertible.
Caroline knew this car had no value beyond memories and as soon as the 'Buy and/or Haul Junk' guy arrived it would be the first thing out of the garage and in the dumpster.###
Caroline tugged at the trunk door and when it popped open the old wicker picnic basket was the first thing she saw. She opened the basket and saw that it still had the small set of plastic dishes, stainless utensils, metal tumblers and the red and white Marlboro thermos. She smiled at the stash of happy remnants of her parents love story.###
Bill and Carol Brucker bought the Fiat on their tenth wedding anniversary in 1971. It was almost scandalous back then because they were struggling to keep the doors to their business open, they had seven year old twins and it only held two at a time.###
It cost less than two thousand dollars and they both were absolutely thrilled to have it. Bill moved Carol's station wagon out of the garage and the Fiat was carefully fitted into its new home.###
Bill took it to work if it wasn't raining. Carol drove it on the weekends to run errands. They both sped away in it to dinner dates, house parties and activities at the club.###
Caroline and George were invited to ride either as one only or as two, if one of them wanted to lay down in the back ledge between the seats and the trunk, for the ride.###
The Fiat was definitely their parent's joyride and the kids were just tag-a-longs.###
Caroline and George hated the Fiat.###
As they grew, they both experienced identical feelings of being left out of their parent's secret 'Fiat' life. Most families expand and contract adapting to the needs of their children but Carol and Bill decided to make the Fiat an expression of their marriage and it worked for them.###
When Bill died too soon and too young, Carol kept the car and drove it rarely. The kids were long gone and living on their own.
After a time, the car stopped leaving the garage and like the rest of the house stayed where it was left.
The picnic basket held the fun and energy of Carol and Bill's love and the old thermos, a gas station freebie, held the party.###