with me?" Ann's eyes lit up.
Emily thought about her workload. There was nothing very pressing. "How would your parents feel about someone they don't know coming into their home for the weekend?"
"They love company," Ann assured her, "and I really want you to meet them. Say you'll go."
Emily smiled at Ann's earnest expression. "I'll run home and pack. I don't think I should wear your clothes this time."
Ann laughed and said she'd be by in half an hour to pick Emily up.
Emily packed quickly, tossing one nice outfit into her suitcase in the event they went out. Ann arrived promptly, and they set off. The trees were at their peak, and as the evening waned, the angled rays of the sun set the trees on fire.
They stopped for a quick dinner at a small restaurant, and then continued their trip. Just like last weekend, the conversation drifted among a variety of topics as if they had known one another for years. Within two hours, they were pulling into a long, tree-lined drive. On either side were white board fences, but Emily couldn't see beyond them in the darkness. The drive led up to a beautiful stone and white clapboard house, which was lit in welcome. There was a deep front porch that wrapped around the house, with its shallow roof extending out from under the second story windows. Off to one side was a large detached garage, also two stories, with four bays for cars.
Ann parked in one of the bays, and they pulled out their suitcases. There was a sharp chill in the air, and their breath was frosty in the diffused light from the house.
Ann burst through the door. "We're here!" she announced. Her parents came from different parts of the house.
Her mother hurried over and gave her daughter a big hug. "Welcome home, honey." She held her at arm's length, and looked her up and down. "Campus life must agree with you."
"Hello, Annie," her father said warmly as he came in from another room. "You look wonderful." He gave Ann a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Hi, Dad," Ann said, kissing him back. "I want you both to meet a dear friend of mine, Emily Warner."
"Hello, Emily," Katharine said, taking Emily's hand in both of hers.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hight."
"Please, call me Katharine," she insisted. "This is Ann's father, Owen." Emily could see how strongly Ann resembled her father as she shook his hand.
"We're glad to have you, Emily," Owen said, holding her hand a moment longer. "Did you two get any dinner?"
"We stopped on the road, but I'm hungry again," Ann said. "I don't suppose there's any pie in the kitchen?" she teased her mother.
"Oh, I might be able to scrounge some up," her mother laughed.
They all went to the kitchen, a large comfortable room with an enamel woodstove giving it a cozy warmth. Owen made coffee while Katharine cut big pieces of the thickest apple pie Emily had ever seen. When they sat down at the table, Emily's first bite melted in her mouth.
"This is the best apple pie I've ever tasted!" she exclaimed.
"Well thank you, Emily," Katharine said, smiling proudly. "I'm surprised my family don't all weigh a ton as much food as they go through."
"Can't help it," Ann said with her mouth full. "Your cooking is wonderful!"
"Hush," her mother scolded. "And don't talk with your mouth full."
Emily laughed, and Ann grinned back at her. They all polished off their pie, and sat drinking coffee and chatting. Ann told her parents all about her classes.
"And what do you do, Emily?" Katharine asked.
"I'm working on my doctorate and teaching German and French," Emily replied. "Teaching takes care of my tuition and gives me a small stipend."
"Hey, look!" Ann exclaimed, jumping up from the table. "It's snowing!" They all peered out the kitchen window. In the light spilling onto the back patio, thick flakes of snow were falling. It was already starting to stick to the grass.
"Want to go for a walk?"
Emily thought about her workload. There was nothing very pressing. "How would your parents feel about someone they don't know coming into their home for the weekend?"
"They love company," Ann assured her, "and I really want you to meet them. Say you'll go."
Emily smiled at Ann's earnest expression. "I'll run home and pack. I don't think I should wear your clothes this time."
Ann laughed and said she'd be by in half an hour to pick Emily up.
Emily packed quickly, tossing one nice outfit into her suitcase in the event they went out. Ann arrived promptly, and they set off. The trees were at their peak, and as the evening waned, the angled rays of the sun set the trees on fire.
They stopped for a quick dinner at a small restaurant, and then continued their trip. Just like last weekend, the conversation drifted among a variety of topics as if they had known one another for years. Within two hours, they were pulling into a long, tree-lined drive. On either side were white board fences, but Emily couldn't see beyond them in the darkness. The drive led up to a beautiful stone and white clapboard house, which was lit in welcome. There was a deep front porch that wrapped around the house, with its shallow roof extending out from under the second story windows. Off to one side was a large detached garage, also two stories, with four bays for cars.
Ann parked in one of the bays, and they pulled out their suitcases. There was a sharp chill in the air, and their breath was frosty in the diffused light from the house.
Ann burst through the door. "We're here!" she announced. Her parents came from different parts of the house.
Her mother hurried over and gave her daughter a big hug. "Welcome home, honey." She held her at arm's length, and looked her up and down. "Campus life must agree with you."
"Hello, Annie," her father said warmly as he came in from another room. "You look wonderful." He gave Ann a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Hi, Dad," Ann said, kissing him back. "I want you both to meet a dear friend of mine, Emily Warner."
"Hello, Emily," Katharine said, taking Emily's hand in both of hers.
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Hight."
"Please, call me Katharine," she insisted. "This is Ann's father, Owen." Emily could see how strongly Ann resembled her father as she shook his hand.
"We're glad to have you, Emily," Owen said, holding her hand a moment longer. "Did you two get any dinner?"
"We stopped on the road, but I'm hungry again," Ann said. "I don't suppose there's any pie in the kitchen?" she teased her mother.
"Oh, I might be able to scrounge some up," her mother laughed.
They all went to the kitchen, a large comfortable room with an enamel woodstove giving it a cozy warmth. Owen made coffee while Katharine cut big pieces of the thickest apple pie Emily had ever seen. When they sat down at the table, Emily's first bite melted in her mouth.
"This is the best apple pie I've ever tasted!" she exclaimed.
"Well thank you, Emily," Katharine said, smiling proudly. "I'm surprised my family don't all weigh a ton as much food as they go through."
"Can't help it," Ann said with her mouth full. "Your cooking is wonderful!"
"Hush," her mother scolded. "And don't talk with your mouth full."
Emily laughed, and Ann grinned back at her. They all polished off their pie, and sat drinking coffee and chatting. Ann told her parents all about her classes.
"And what do you do, Emily?" Katharine asked.
"I'm working on my doctorate and teaching German and French," Emily replied. "Teaching takes care of my tuition and gives me a small stipend."
"Hey, look!" Ann exclaimed, jumping up from the table. "It's snowing!" They all peered out the kitchen window. In the light spilling onto the back patio, thick flakes of snow were falling. It was already starting to stick to the grass.
"Want to go for a walk?"
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