next exit and turned the car in at a closed-down gas station. The wheels grated over a pile of hard snow at the edge of the road. Grady likes to be safe. He’s seen too many accidents.
“Feed her,” he said. Leaving the car running, he made his seat lie back and closed his eyes. “If you weaned her, you know, we could keep going while she had a bottle.”
I hate it when he gets impatient like that, when it’s about the baby. He’s allowed to be crabby with me, but not with her.
I pulled her out of her car seat and lifted my top. She let out little whimpers, as if she was saying, A breast, thank God, I nearly starved to death .
I closed my eyes. I couldn’t stop nursing yet. It was too soon—she wasn’t going to be a year old till June. Then it would be summer, and maybe I would leave Grady and go to Reginawith her. I could stay with my dad for a while, till I got a job. So she would still have a father figure. My eyes hurt. I guess I’d been staring into the snow, too. I would not let myself cry.
The baby finished nursing and fell fast asleep. She didn’t even stir when I put her back in the car seat.
“Okay,” I said to Grady. “She’s good. We can go now.”
He opened his eyes. He looks so sad when he first wakes up. I think he has bad dreams all the time. After rolling his head right and left, he pulled the seat up straight again, but he didn’t start driving.
At the edge of the road, a sign shining in the headlights said: “Two Hills 32 km.”
“Two Hills,” Grady said. “That’s where Ron Cox is now.”
Ron and Grady had trained together at Depot Division in Regina. Being in the same training troop is a big deal for Mounties. Six months of getting whipped into shape together makes a bond.
Ron and Grady ended up near each other for their first postings, too, in small towns closeto Edmonton. Ron at Westlock and Grady at Drayton Valley. When Ron got married to Sharla, Grady was his best man. Ron had been moved to Two Hills last year.
The storm was worse. We stared out the windshield at the snow. A million sparks of white hid the road.
“I don’t think I can drive through this any more,” Grady said. “We could make it to Two Hills. It’s New Year’s Eve, let’s go have a party with Ronny.”
Cheered up all of a sudden, Grady got out and ran through the snow to phone Ron from the gas station phone booth. That’s what men do for each other. Or maybe I mean, that’s what friends do for each other. They’re good friends. You’ve got to have friends.
I put on some hand cream. My makeup was in my suitcase, somewhere under the Christmas presents. Sharla takes good care of herself. She’s always nicely dressed. I was in sweats, as usual.
Grady came back, nodding. “They’re home. Ron says come on over.”
“Great,” I said, trying to be nice. I reached over to touch his cheek.
He pulled back, screwing up his nose. “What’s that stink on your hands?”
He does have a very sensitive nose.
You have to be patient.
But you also have to figure out the difference between being patient and being a doormat. When you have a daughter watching you.
Chapter Two
You could see right away that Sharla was not happy to see us.
Ron cried, “Grady! Grade- A! You bugger! Come on in!”
Sharla just stood by the kitchen island, waiting.
“Nice place,” Grady said, looking around. Smiling now, in the warmth. “You lucked out here!”
The house was big. Open plan, lots of wood cabinets. A long island with a granite top between the kitchen and the living room. Velour recliners with drink holders, giant TV. Wheel of Fortune was on.
“Built the house last year—before that we were in the barracks. Or what used to be the barracks, in the old days. It was bad, eh, Sharla?” He laughed, she didn’t. “But Sharla’s dad is a builder. He came for three months, and we put in some sweat, got ’er up in no time.”
Linoleum in the kitchen, beige carpet everywhere else. I would have gone
“Feed her,” he said. Leaving the car running, he made his seat lie back and closed his eyes. “If you weaned her, you know, we could keep going while she had a bottle.”
I hate it when he gets impatient like that, when it’s about the baby. He’s allowed to be crabby with me, but not with her.
I pulled her out of her car seat and lifted my top. She let out little whimpers, as if she was saying, A breast, thank God, I nearly starved to death .
I closed my eyes. I couldn’t stop nursing yet. It was too soon—she wasn’t going to be a year old till June. Then it would be summer, and maybe I would leave Grady and go to Reginawith her. I could stay with my dad for a while, till I got a job. So she would still have a father figure. My eyes hurt. I guess I’d been staring into the snow, too. I would not let myself cry.
The baby finished nursing and fell fast asleep. She didn’t even stir when I put her back in the car seat.
“Okay,” I said to Grady. “She’s good. We can go now.”
He opened his eyes. He looks so sad when he first wakes up. I think he has bad dreams all the time. After rolling his head right and left, he pulled the seat up straight again, but he didn’t start driving.
At the edge of the road, a sign shining in the headlights said: “Two Hills 32 km.”
“Two Hills,” Grady said. “That’s where Ron Cox is now.”
Ron and Grady had trained together at Depot Division in Regina. Being in the same training troop is a big deal for Mounties. Six months of getting whipped into shape together makes a bond.
Ron and Grady ended up near each other for their first postings, too, in small towns closeto Edmonton. Ron at Westlock and Grady at Drayton Valley. When Ron got married to Sharla, Grady was his best man. Ron had been moved to Two Hills last year.
The storm was worse. We stared out the windshield at the snow. A million sparks of white hid the road.
“I don’t think I can drive through this any more,” Grady said. “We could make it to Two Hills. It’s New Year’s Eve, let’s go have a party with Ronny.”
Cheered up all of a sudden, Grady got out and ran through the snow to phone Ron from the gas station phone booth. That’s what men do for each other. Or maybe I mean, that’s what friends do for each other. They’re good friends. You’ve got to have friends.
I put on some hand cream. My makeup was in my suitcase, somewhere under the Christmas presents. Sharla takes good care of herself. She’s always nicely dressed. I was in sweats, as usual.
Grady came back, nodding. “They’re home. Ron says come on over.”
“Great,” I said, trying to be nice. I reached over to touch his cheek.
He pulled back, screwing up his nose. “What’s that stink on your hands?”
He does have a very sensitive nose.
You have to be patient.
But you also have to figure out the difference between being patient and being a doormat. When you have a daughter watching you.
Chapter Two
You could see right away that Sharla was not happy to see us.
Ron cried, “Grady! Grade- A! You bugger! Come on in!”
Sharla just stood by the kitchen island, waiting.
“Nice place,” Grady said, looking around. Smiling now, in the warmth. “You lucked out here!”
The house was big. Open plan, lots of wood cabinets. A long island with a granite top between the kitchen and the living room. Velour recliners with drink holders, giant TV. Wheel of Fortune was on.
“Built the house last year—before that we were in the barracks. Or what used to be the barracks, in the old days. It was bad, eh, Sharla?” He laughed, she didn’t. “But Sharla’s dad is a builder. He came for three months, and we put in some sweat, got ’er up in no time.”
Linoleum in the kitchen, beige carpet everywhere else. I would have gone
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