Page 7 of Girl in the Snow
“That sounds nice.Relaxed.”
Deanna nodded, then sat back in her seat and chewed her second sandwich, roast chicken and lettuce, before noticing the small Christmas tree to the left of the entrance area.It was a real tree, or rather a branch in a planter box with a few red and silver baubles hanging from it.It wasn’t large considering the size of the room.There were a few half-hearted bits of silver tinsel along the top of the television, closer to where she was seated.
“You don’t have a lot of decorations up.Don’t you celebrate Christmas?”
With a shrug, Cal poured a glass of wine for her.“Not really.At least, not since my dad passed a couple of years ago.I suppose I would have decorated properly if we’d been open this week.”
Cal walked back towards her with two glasses of wine, then sat diagonally from her, on the chaise part of the sofa.He placed her glass in front of her, sat back and took a sip from his glass.All while keeping his eyes on her.
“I was sorry to hear about your mother’s passing.My mum told me she was ill a few months back.”
Deanna blinked back the hot prickle of emotion, never too far from the surface.“Thank you.I…miss her so much.I got the flowers your mother sent, and I’m going to try to visit her soon.She said in her note that she didn’t hear about the funeral in time to come over to London.”
Cal ran a hand through the wavy hair hanging over his forehead.“She doesn’t like to travel as much these days.She and her new husband, Victor, usually stay close to home.He’s a little older and has low vision.”
Cal chewed on a sandwich for a while, before clearing his throat.“So, I didn’t know Maddy still had a share of the lodge.My father hadn’t mentioned it to me and in his will, he had an investor listed – some company named MMP.I haven’t had the time to thoroughly check all the paperwork he left me.I just kept things going, or I tried to.Anyway, a lawyer contacted me after your mother passed.”
Deanna grabbed her wine and took a gulp.The fruity, full flavour coated her tongue.“MMP is Mum’s company.Maddy Michaelson Photography.At least, it was her company.Talking about my mother in the past tense seems so strange.I don’t want to be rude, but can we talk about something else?”
Cal frowned, his dark eyes sparkling.“Of course.”He seemed to have frozen mid-gesture, wine glass in hand.“Did you want to try calling someone?A friend?Boyfriend?Cell phone coverage is patchy out here during storms but we have a landline that should work.”
Deanna placed her wine back down on the table.“Oh, yes.I should call my best friend, Ella, in London.I forgot to tell her where I was going.I should let her know I’m okay.I’ll message my aunt later.No one else to tell, really.”
She’d forgotten about everything, except getting out of town, and not staying in London for a minute longer than necessary after the will reading.It was sad that no-one but Ella would miss her this Christmas.
Cal’s tense expression had shifted to something more friendly.“I see.Well, the phone’s in my office, at the end of the corridor to the left of the fireplace.You can use it anytime.”
Of course.He probably wanted to know if she planned on staying but would like her gone as soon as possible.No doubt he was worried she’d want to cash in her share of the lodge and ruin his business.She hadn’t thought about any of that before showing up on his doorstep without warning.All she wanted was a little rest.
She picked up her wine and stood up, placing the throw blanket back on the sofa.“I’ll go call Ella, then I might have an early night.I’m pretty worn out.”
Cal nodded, his expression melting.She was becoming all too familiar with that look.Something beneath her ribs squeezed tight at the almost-comforting thought that Cal understood what she was going through.Even though she wouldn’t wish this loss on anyone.
Deanna sat behind Cal’s sturdy pine desk, swinging from side to side on a swivel chair.The receiver of the old beige landline phone was pressed to her ear.Ella was apparently pleased to hear from her, but also extremely worried about everything.
“Oh my goodness, you’re where?And with who?And what did you say about a snowstorm?”Ella spoke in rapid-fire sentences at the best of times, but when she was excited, it was so speedy that sometimes the words blew past Deanna’s brain like a mini tornado.So, it was hard to follow what Ella was saying.
“I’m in a lodge in the Adirondacks, a mountain-y area in upstate New York.Near Canada.”
Ella continued her rant in Deanna’s ear.“Out in the back of beyond USA, with a man you don't even know, who could be a terrorist or a serial killer.And a storm coming and maybe power outages and… Did you even pack your good coat?”
A laugh rose from Deanna’s belly.“Wow, I’m fine.And yes, Mum, I packed my good coat.”Then they both went silent, because Deanna had mentioned the word ‘mum’.
“Sorry.I was worried.I texted you about twenty times when I didn’t hear from you about the Christmas Eve party at Michaela’s.”
Deanna twisted the spiral cord of the phone around her fingers.“Oh, I totally forgot about that, but I wasn’t going anyway.I can’t deal with so many people at the moment.”
“Yeah, it’s a crush at Michaela’s place.Is that why you flew off to the wilderness?To get away from people?”
“Well, partly.I also visited here with my mum when I was a kid and had a great time.She left me a share in the lodge, so I wanted to see it again.”
“Oh.Now I feel like an arse because you’re on an important grief mission and I yelled at you.”
A grief mission.Strange as that sounded, Deanna thought that’s exactly what it was.A compulsion had come over her to complete her mission, to get to the lodge, to feel closer to her mother, or get some clarity about her next steps.She couldn’t say exactly how she would know if she succeeded.
Deanna sighed, loud enough for Ella to hear.“You’re not an arse.You’re the bestest bestie in the whole world.”
“Right back at ya, babe.New York won’t know what hit ‘em.”
