and
Tammy. "It was nice to meet you." They nodded as he headed toward the
door.
"I wanna build a
snowman."
Rona looked down to see little
Karla staring at Julian.
He stopped at the door and
turned back.
"Not today," Tammy
said stroking Karla's hair.
"But there might not be
no snow tomorrow," Karla insisted.
"Bring them on
over," Julian said, unaware of the situation. "My twins are about their
age. We have three more that are nine, seven and three, and then there's
Hector's and Pietro's rascals, so there will be plenty of kids for them to play
with."
Anna stepped forward.
"Tammy's an old friend of mine from Miami. She didn't anticipate this cold
weather and didn't bring clothes warm enough for the kids to be outside in
this."
Julian nodded. "The same
thing happened to us two years ago when we went to Colorado to visit Gina's
parents. There was a late snowstorm and as soon as we went out and bought
coats, the temperature started warming up." He stopped a moment, and then
turned to Tammy. "I'm sure Gina still has the twins' coats from last year.
If you don't mind, the girls are welcome to use them for as long as you'd like.
It would certainly be better than having to go out and buy one for just die
time you're here." He looked at Katie and winked. "Although one of
the coats is a boy's coat." He gave an exaggerated grimace that
caused the child to smile.
Anna linked arms with her
brother.
"Can we?" Katie
whispered.
Tammy quickly brushed her
hands over her face to wipe away the tears as she nodded.
"Wonderful. I'll go back
to the house and get those coats. Annie Bella, come and help me get my skis
back on, please." He waved again before they stepped out into the garage
and closed the door behind them.
"Are you okay?" Rona
asked as the girls ran to the window to wait for Julian to reappear.
Tammy nodded. "We should
get out of here. These people scare me."
Surprised, Rona stared at her.
"Why? They seem like nice people."
"They are," Tammy
hissed. "That's the problem."
"How's that a
problem?"
Tammy looked at her daughters.
"It's harder to leave nice people, and"—she stared at Rona—"I
know you're planning something. I don't want you to do anything to hurt
them."
Shocked, Rona stared at her.
"I would never hurt anyone."
"You don't have to hit
someone to hurt them," Tammy said.
Rona was saved from replying
by Katie's shout.
"There he goes."
Rona and Tammy went to the
window to watch the young man. As he skied out of the driveway bundled in his
expensive ski suit, Rona couldn't help but wonder about how much his outfit
must have cost. She was going to have to be more careful around Tammy; she was
starting to know her too well. They were still at the living room window
watching Julian disappear down the street when Anna returned. She was holding
her briefcase.
"Well, since the entire
city is shut down and the mayor is asking all non-essential personnel to stay
off the streets, I guess I have no choice but to declare a holiday and keep the
office closed." She nodded to them. "Make yourself at home. There's a
television in the den. I'll only be a few minutes; I just need to reschedule a
few appointments."
As soon as she was gone, Tammy
turned to Rona. "When are we leaving?"
Rona gazed out at the snow as
a sense of dread began to squeeze her stomach. They had a good thing here. Why
couldn't Tammy see that?
"Rona." Tammy took
her arm. "I think we should leave before she comes back."
"And go where?" she
asked in harsh whisper. "If we leave here, we'll have to go to a shelter.
Are you willing to do that?" She leaned closer to Tammy. "How long do
you think those babies will survive in this weather?" She scrubbed the
heels of her hands against her eyes. "Let's just go with the flow for
now."
Tammy gazed at her closely.
"I'm not going to do
anything," she snapped.
"You better not,"
she warned.
Taken aback by Tammy's sudden
protectiveness toward Anna, Rona motioned toward the den. "Let's go see
what they're saying
Tammy. "It was nice to meet you." They nodded as he headed toward the
door.
"I wanna build a
snowman."
Rona looked down to see little
Karla staring at Julian.
He stopped at the door and
turned back.
"Not today," Tammy
said stroking Karla's hair.
"But there might not be
no snow tomorrow," Karla insisted.
"Bring them on
over," Julian said, unaware of the situation. "My twins are about their
age. We have three more that are nine, seven and three, and then there's
Hector's and Pietro's rascals, so there will be plenty of kids for them to play
with."
Anna stepped forward.
"Tammy's an old friend of mine from Miami. She didn't anticipate this cold
weather and didn't bring clothes warm enough for the kids to be outside in
this."
Julian nodded. "The same
thing happened to us two years ago when we went to Colorado to visit Gina's
parents. There was a late snowstorm and as soon as we went out and bought
coats, the temperature started warming up." He stopped a moment, and then
turned to Tammy. "I'm sure Gina still has the twins' coats from last year.
If you don't mind, the girls are welcome to use them for as long as you'd like.
It would certainly be better than having to go out and buy one for just die
time you're here." He looked at Katie and winked. "Although one of
the coats is a boy's coat." He gave an exaggerated grimace that
caused the child to smile.
Anna linked arms with her
brother.
"Can we?" Katie
whispered.
Tammy quickly brushed her
hands over her face to wipe away the tears as she nodded.
"Wonderful. I'll go back
to the house and get those coats. Annie Bella, come and help me get my skis
back on, please." He waved again before they stepped out into the garage
and closed the door behind them.
"Are you okay?" Rona
asked as the girls ran to the window to wait for Julian to reappear.
Tammy nodded. "We should
get out of here. These people scare me."
Surprised, Rona stared at her.
"Why? They seem like nice people."
"They are," Tammy
hissed. "That's the problem."
"How's that a
problem?"
Tammy looked at her daughters.
"It's harder to leave nice people, and"—she stared at Rona—"I
know you're planning something. I don't want you to do anything to hurt
them."
Shocked, Rona stared at her.
"I would never hurt anyone."
"You don't have to hit
someone to hurt them," Tammy said.
Rona was saved from replying
by Katie's shout.
"There he goes."
Rona and Tammy went to the
window to watch the young man. As he skied out of the driveway bundled in his
expensive ski suit, Rona couldn't help but wonder about how much his outfit
must have cost. She was going to have to be more careful around Tammy; she was
starting to know her too well. They were still at the living room window
watching Julian disappear down the street when Anna returned. She was holding
her briefcase.
"Well, since the entire
city is shut down and the mayor is asking all non-essential personnel to stay
off the streets, I guess I have no choice but to declare a holiday and keep the
office closed." She nodded to them. "Make yourself at home. There's a
television in the den. I'll only be a few minutes; I just need to reschedule a
few appointments."
As soon as she was gone, Tammy
turned to Rona. "When are we leaving?"
Rona gazed out at the snow as
a sense of dread began to squeeze her stomach. They had a good thing here. Why
couldn't Tammy see that?
"Rona." Tammy took
her arm. "I think we should leave before she comes back."
"And go where?" she
asked in harsh whisper. "If we leave here, we'll have to go to a shelter.
Are you willing to do that?" She leaned closer to Tammy. "How long do
you think those babies will survive in this weather?" She scrubbed the
heels of her hands against her eyes. "Let's just go with the flow for
now."
Tammy gazed at her closely.
"I'm not going to do
anything," she snapped.
"You better not,"
she warned.
Taken aback by Tammy's sudden
protectiveness toward Anna, Rona motioned toward the den. "Let's go see
what they're saying
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