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the pain the irony brought. Her parents had been so much in love. All her life she had watched the two of them, their pas de deux well-rehearsed with years of familiarity. And now her father danced solo. Separated by over a thousand miles, Carolyn was glad he was so far away. Otherwise she knew he would transfer the love and caring energy he d had for his wife, to love and caring for his daughter. And she was so lonely, she would let him. No, it was better he was down south where both of them could make a life without Mom. Paul glanced over at her and saw her open her eyes to stare into the gas flames. They shone with tears, and with sudden insight, he understood she still grieved for her mother. I lost my mom about five years ago, he volunteered, careful not to make eye contact. Car accident, he added when he saw her start of surprise. Keeping his eyes neutral, he looked at her, judging her emotional state. I m sorry, Paul. It must have been very hard on you to have her go so quickly. Not even a chance to say goodbye. Actually, it was the way she wanted to go. Always said, I want my death to be quick. No muss, no fuss. Here one minute, gone the next . He smiled to show her it was okay for her to laugh at his imitation of his mom. Carolyn couldn t laugh. Not yet. But she smiled out of politeness, since it was obvious he was trying to help. My mom died of pneumonia; complications from diabetes. She knew& heck, we all knew she wasn t going to bounce back from this one. So many times she cheated death& just not this time. Even after all this time, I still miss my mom. You ll find it easier to bear, but every once in a while, it sneaks up on you and you go all to pieces. At least, I do. He couldn t look at her. What had prompted him to make such an admission? Those tears were shed in private; why was he telling this stranger? Carolyn studied his face for signs of artifice and saw only open vulnerability. He covered his lapse by draining the last dregs from his cup, but she had seen enough. Enough to know there was more to him than her professionalism would allow her to know. He stood suddenly, the vulnerable child hidden again. He could not let that happen again. What was there about her that made him want to share all his secrets? If you re done, I ll take your mug to the kitchen. He knew his voice was rough, but didn t try to soften it. Carolyn tilted her cup and forced a smile to her lips. All done! She handed over the mug. Their fingers touched and the world went black. Page 70 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Chapter Two Well, so much for the house tour I was about to propose! Carolyn s eyes blinked several times, adjusting to the sudden loss of light. The fire still glimmered and after a moment, she could see Paul standing there, both cups in his hands and a grin on his face. On safe ground again, she grinned back. Got any candles? Are you kidding? Paul turned and headed to the kitchen, moving partly from the small light of the fire and partly from memory. I m a high school teacher. I buy everything those kids sell to support band, art club, new cheerleading uniforms, the freshmen class, the sophomore class and the junior class! Laughing, Carolyn called after him. What, you don t buy from the senior class? Seniors don t sell stuff.Only magazines at the beginning of the year. Perk of being a senior. He came back, two jar candles alight in his hands. Setting one on each of the small tables, he returned to his chair. Don t tell me you ve never been approachedby a senior selling magazines ! Nope.Never. Well, that will change. I run the darn thing and every year I tell them to be sure to hit up& er& offer magazines to every teacher in the district. Carolyn laughed again, the same easy laugh she felt in the kitchen. School was probably a safer topic for them& as long as he didn t try to tell her how to run her classroom. He didn t. For the next two hours they talked shop, exchanging stories from both ends of the educational spectrum. He shared his frustrations with parents who had given up; she shared her techniques for getting parents involved. She shared her joy when a student learned to read; he shared his excitement when a student gained a love of literature. Only when one of the small candles guttered and went out did they notice the time. Oh, my!It s almost seven already. Carolyn smiled and realized she was getting hungry. Humph!So much for the twenty-four-hour candle that was supposed to be. Paul stood and stretched. They needed to think about supper, he supposed, making a mental run through the food stored in his larder. Carolyn also stood, walking to the window to peer into the darkness beyond. She closed the curtain again with a sigh. Can t see a darn thing. I don t even know if it s still snowing. Page 71 Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html Let s check. What? Come on, let s check. Paul crossed the room to the front door and turned the lock, yanking it open. Bring the candle over here. Carolyn picked up the glass candle from the bottom; the sides were too hot from the flame; deftly she crossed the room as if she d been walking with only a candle for guidance all her life. Paul pushed on the storm door, intending to step onto the stoop, but the door did not budge. Uh-oh. He peered out the door, but it was still too dark to see. Taking the candle from her, he held it low. Against the glass at the bottom was a wall of white. He moved the candle up, still white.Further, still white. A drift of snow buried half of the door. Not getting out this way. Panic clutched at Carolyn and she fought it down. There was still a back door. Trying to keep her voice steady, she questioned him about it. Paul remembered the look of utter panic she d had in the car. Was she claustrophobic? He wasn t too fond of it himself.Always wanted a way out. But it didn t bother him the way it apparently bothered her. Come on. Let s go see about the back. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |