was that woke April also scared her; when it came time for bed, she refused to go. Andrea invited her to spend the night but she insisted on staying with mom, and mom agreed, grateful for company. Anxiously awaiting Roger’s return, they had much to discuss; she hoped he would shed new light on the matter.
Unable to sleep that night Carolyn sat quietly on the sofa, listening intently, absorbed in the sounds of silence. Moon nearly full, it bathed the house with its soft night light, reflecting off the surface of the snow-laden Earth. Winds were calm; barely audible. Tranquility reigned. A jittery mother had begun to relax, feeling somewhat foolish about her initial reactions to events earlier in the day; episodes which had severely rattled her nerves. Dismissing her own reliable senses, Carolyn began reconciling with herself, coming to terms with her own self-doubt. Any conflict internalized is one always lost. A resolution came quickly once she allowed herself the room to be wrong. Yes. Of course a nimble child could make it down a set of stairs just that fast . Yes. All kids have nightmares from time to time, even during the day. She disturbed April herself…the only one to blame. Later, crawling in bed beside her littlest girl, Carolyn finally fell asleep.
Returning home to an exceedingly warm welcome, in spite of the season, Roger greeted his girls as they got off the bus the next afternoon. He arrived earlier than expected, due to a fierce, impending snowstorm which followed him home from upstate New York. Having gone shopping somewhere along the route, he promised his girls, if they would all help him dig out (like it was optional) he would have plenty of snacks available as a reward. A perfect snow day was pending: a day off from school for sure, maybe more than one! A snowstorm held great promise; shoveling, sledding and, oh yes, Twinkies! Long before junk food became a common phrase, let alone a staple of the American diet (with the status of food group ), Carolyn knew what to avoid. She allowed it only occasionally…and this was one of those times. They had a deal. Roger seemed excited by the prospect of being house bound for a day or two. He had just come from a very successful trip and needed some rest. Well aware he had been on the road and away from his family an inordinate amount of time in recent weeks, it was his chance to spend a little time with them before heading back out on the highways, forced to sleep in roadside motels at ten bucks a night. It was one tough way to make a living to be sure, but he was growing a business, affording his family the farm. For this reason alone, Roger found it gratifying. Over the next few days it would be his turn to enjoy the place he was working so hard to provide for his loved ones.
Right on schedule: snowstorm blew in with a vengeance. What had anyone done to deserve such an onslaught? It seemed like an explosion of snow. One moment dark, brooding clouds gathered like a gang plotting on the horizon. The next, it was beating on their windows and doors, attempting an unlawful entry. That night Roger did the honors, tucking his girls into bed, presenting each of them with a brand new electric blanket; gifts warmlyreceived. April had forgotten about any trepidation she had the night before, going happily to her own bed with her very new very pink blanket, one with soft satin trim, so bright it seemed to glow in the dark…like a night light!
“Wow! Thanks, daddy! It’s better than Twinkies!” Roger was delighted; he didn’t even care how much it would cost to heat those cozy comforters.
“As long as we don’t lose the electricity you’ll be nice and warm tonight.” Roger said goodnight to all the girls then rejoined his wife downstairs. She’d been preparing for the worst. Dozens of candles laid out, sprawled across the dining room table, several oil lamps placed on the sideboard in the kitchen, each one an excellent source of light and heat when
Unable to sleep that night Carolyn sat quietly on the sofa, listening intently, absorbed in the sounds of silence. Moon nearly full, it bathed the house with its soft night light, reflecting off the surface of the snow-laden Earth. Winds were calm; barely audible. Tranquility reigned. A jittery mother had begun to relax, feeling somewhat foolish about her initial reactions to events earlier in the day; episodes which had severely rattled her nerves. Dismissing her own reliable senses, Carolyn began reconciling with herself, coming to terms with her own self-doubt. Any conflict internalized is one always lost. A resolution came quickly once she allowed herself the room to be wrong. Yes. Of course a nimble child could make it down a set of stairs just that fast . Yes. All kids have nightmares from time to time, even during the day. She disturbed April herself…the only one to blame. Later, crawling in bed beside her littlest girl, Carolyn finally fell asleep.
Returning home to an exceedingly warm welcome, in spite of the season, Roger greeted his girls as they got off the bus the next afternoon. He arrived earlier than expected, due to a fierce, impending snowstorm which followed him home from upstate New York. Having gone shopping somewhere along the route, he promised his girls, if they would all help him dig out (like it was optional) he would have plenty of snacks available as a reward. A perfect snow day was pending: a day off from school for sure, maybe more than one! A snowstorm held great promise; shoveling, sledding and, oh yes, Twinkies! Long before junk food became a common phrase, let alone a staple of the American diet (with the status of food group ), Carolyn knew what to avoid. She allowed it only occasionally…and this was one of those times. They had a deal. Roger seemed excited by the prospect of being house bound for a day or two. He had just come from a very successful trip and needed some rest. Well aware he had been on the road and away from his family an inordinate amount of time in recent weeks, it was his chance to spend a little time with them before heading back out on the highways, forced to sleep in roadside motels at ten bucks a night. It was one tough way to make a living to be sure, but he was growing a business, affording his family the farm. For this reason alone, Roger found it gratifying. Over the next few days it would be his turn to enjoy the place he was working so hard to provide for his loved ones.
Right on schedule: snowstorm blew in with a vengeance. What had anyone done to deserve such an onslaught? It seemed like an explosion of snow. One moment dark, brooding clouds gathered like a gang plotting on the horizon. The next, it was beating on their windows and doors, attempting an unlawful entry. That night Roger did the honors, tucking his girls into bed, presenting each of them with a brand new electric blanket; gifts warmlyreceived. April had forgotten about any trepidation she had the night before, going happily to her own bed with her very new very pink blanket, one with soft satin trim, so bright it seemed to glow in the dark…like a night light!
“Wow! Thanks, daddy! It’s better than Twinkies!” Roger was delighted; he didn’t even care how much it would cost to heat those cozy comforters.
“As long as we don’t lose the electricity you’ll be nice and warm tonight.” Roger said goodnight to all the girls then rejoined his wife downstairs. She’d been preparing for the worst. Dozens of candles laid out, sprawled across the dining room table, several oil lamps placed on the sideboard in the kitchen, each one an excellent source of light and heat when
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