Dusk and Ice

essa was last seen at the Choc-It bar last night. Friends and family are concerne

s at each other, the smell of freshly baked bread or pie or whatever that aroma was w

pine and made me uncomfortable. I had a hard time getting some sleep yesterday night and when I finally drifte

me right in my tracks. There was a loud boom of laughter and a smaller voice I recognized to be mom's joined in. I hurried to the bathroom across the hall quickly, cleaned up, put on a fresh pair of cords and a brown sweater and w

he captain table we ate dinner on yesterday. He complimented her pie and when mom turned to chide him softly there was color on her

she sai

of his laughter. His body was a mass of muscles built not as a result of spending time at the gym but real, serious manual labor. His shoulders were almost bursting through th

g, mom,

lock on one side of the wall which read 11 am. I didn't realize I slept tha

ave somethi

t the chair beside the

hawn, Shawn meet

he grabbed my hand and squeezed it in a tight, painf

ng of a boom box. What surprised me was his politeness and it left me a little speechless. I don't know what I had e

ciously helped me out. "Logan fixed the door for me some

door is not that nice. Besides, I was only doing m

mom likes Logan and he returned the feeling. They obviously have a little something going on, the fact that Logan made it

p and pushed his chair back, making a loud scrape sound on the floor.

wed to visit?" he laughed. It was weird

I knew she was waiting for my

mped my hand again then left the kitchen. Soon I heard the sound of

and came to join me at the table "Yo

look of worry in her eyes, I quick

was at the tip of my tongue to ask about Logan but I decided to leave

ing there at the table with the both of us, watching me as if trying to remind me that running away would do nothing to hide our sins I refused to see the sense in what he said. I told him the term wasn't over and wouldn't be over when I got to WhiSare

fed. "There are none of those around here unless you wan

n. "I told you I'm not leaving you again. If the best of private schools wo

standard of a school." It wa

n th

ater "I guess that's good to hear since I went out of my way to get the

must have gotten so

ittle of mine and Jackson's. Must

f the school on it. I turned it this way and tha

the time you want but if you do want to get it

meet her tonight at the park. There's a bonfire

ew?" I ask referring

nd there's a fire to keep you warm. It's ju

ling in love with someone created this urge to tease her about it. She tried to fight

between me and Logan, he's

believe you," I

ng. "Let's not talk about Logan let's talk about you

topic I went to drop my plate in the sink, schooled my expression, and turn

rness in her voice or face just a kind of pity that I suspected was directed at dad's unconventional way of lif

gero. I doubt she would last for a long time, though,

uncomfortable, like she could see all my sins on my face. She sighed deeply wh

ghed "I'm surprised no one knew about our divorce until months later." She stood up and came to join me at the sink. "Those times I did everything within my power to make sure I had you in my care but J

creating squads and making the snidest remarks. But they were charming to the boys, obviously, rich hoes in the making, and why mom was interested in whether or not I had one of them for a girlfriend was a mystery. But she nodded and looked a bit satisfied with my answer then took over th

t for us, are

time "No, it's for tonight. People cook and share the food t

it with a couple of people dancing around a fire, h

g with them, being a part of them, identifying myself as one of the

the one waiting to be used on mom's drive. It would have been loud music blaring from the cars and no one had the right to ask any questions. The women hurrying along to work or their houses would have been bags of bones in silk and shawl looking down their noses as they bent their stiff long necks to clim

nned an extra pair of socks. Mom's silent footsteps

the laces I took the basket from her and together we went downstairs and joined the traffic and people and cars going to the central park. The