When she switched off the TV and rose, Sadie rose as well to follow Adrian through the quiet house as she checked locks, turned off lights. Even as she stood a moment looking out the window.

“It’s gone to snow, Sadie. We like that better. We’ll bundle ourselves up tomorrow and take a walk in it. Can you see all the lights? Lots of people still up, celebrating. Happy New Year, Traveler’s Creek.

“I know we’re alone tonight, and maybe it’s a little lonely. But we’re part of something. We can be glad about that. Let’s go to bed.”

Her phone signaled a text as she started up. Puzzled, she pulled it out of her pocket.

Happy New Year, Adrian. Tell Popi the same. Mom

 

“Well, that’s a first.”

Touched, amused, Adrian texted back.

 I will. Happy New Year to you, too. Enjoy the Aruba sunshine. Adrian

“A different start to this year, Sadie. We’ll take that as a good, positive sign.”

The New Year barreled in on brutally cold winds. Even when they stilled, the air crackled with icy temperatures that struck down to the bone. Though she didn’t believe the legend, when Punxsutawney Phil spied his shadow, Adrian considered hibernation.

Too much to do for that, she reminded herself.

Over and above her work, she had meetings and questions to ask and answer on the progress of the youth center. And thank God they’d gotten closed in before the freeze hit.

She had a dog and a grandfather to tend to, more details to work out on her vision for the project with her mother.

And a ninety-fifth birthday party to plan.

She had a month to finalize those plans, and the fervent hope that by mid-March the weather would gentle up.

As she dressed—warm suede pants, insulated shirt under a cashmere sweater, thick-soled boots lined with shearling—she ticked off her errands and her route.

Youth center check first, then the drive to Rizzo’s to park before she braved the elements to walk to the town florist—to go over the flowers for the party. Walk from there over to the bakery to discuss the cake and other desserts, trudge to the post office—and that brought dread as her February poem was due—then finish at Rizzo’s to nail down the party menu with Jan.

A solid two hours, by her calculations, if not closer to three. But then she’d come home to the warm.

She went downstairs to find Dom in the kitchen brewing tea.

“You bundle up, my baby girl.”

“You can bank on it. I’ll take pictures at the site so you can see the progress.”

“I’ll look forward to them a lot more than I would going out in this. My old bones would crack and shatter. Instead, I’m going to spend my day off sitting by the fire in the library, drinking spiced tea, and reading the Stephen King novel you picked up for me last week.”

“Alone in the house on a cold winter day reading a scary book? Are you sure you don’t want me to leave Sadie with you?”

He laughed. “I ain’t ’fraid of no books.”

“Braver than me. Let me carry that in for you.”

“Adrian.”

“I’m carrying it in for you, and the plate of cookies you were going to put on this tray.”

He nudged up his glasses. “Caught me.”

“I know my man. Go on, settle in. I’ll bring this.”

She got the cookies, added some apple slices, peeled a Cutie from the fruit bowl, then carried the tray through the house to the library, where the fire already simmered.

She set the tray on the table beside his chair, poured the first cup of tea before tucking a throw over his lap.

“You spoil me. We should get packing and catch that plane.”

“Where are we going?”

“Sorrento. Sophia loved Sorrento. We were just talking about it.”

She brushed at his hair. He’d often mentioned talking to his wife over the winter. “I’d love to go to Sorrento with you.”

“We’ll find you a nice Italian boy. One who’s handsome, kind, and rich and deserves you.” He tugged her down for a kiss. “And we’ll dance at your wedding.”

“In that case, I’ll start packing as soon as I get back.”

“What would I do without you?”

“That one’s mutual. Enjoy your scary book, and I’ll be home soon.”

“Look out for our precious girl, Sadie,” he called out as they started out of the room.

She bundled up—insulated vest, coat, scarf, wool cap, gloves. And that first blast still felt like the Arctic.

And the world was a snowscape as she drove toward town. Narrow paths shoveled, snowpeople frozen in place with shocked smiles—or so they looked to her.

In town, the few people out on the street resembled quick-moving lumps, heads down, shoulders hunched. Snow from the last plowing glittered in frozen piles against curbs, and the mountains glimmered frosted white.

She drove straight through to pull up at the construction site.

The old stone would wait for spring to be repointed, repaired. But the new second story stood under the roof, its blue-boarded walls waiting for that seemingly distant spring for the board and batten siding they’d chosen—after endless deliberation. And the windows—all new—looked wide and wonderful.

She turned off the car, hunching her own shoulders as she and Sadie hurried to the new double doors.

Inside, the temperature rose to a blissful sixty. What had been a rubble of disaster now stood open, clean—if she didn’t count tarps, sawdust, ladders, tools. Everything echoed with the sounds of work—banging nail guns, buzzing saws.

She noted the two main-level restrooms had been framed out, and dutifully took pictures. Then switched to video, knowing her grandfather would enjoy hearing the sound effects—especially when someone on the second floor let out a stream of inventive curses.

With Sadie, she went up the temporary stairs to the second floor, thrilled to see more areas framed in.

“Hey there, Adrian.” Mark Wicker stepped back from the power saw. “Hey there, Sadie. There’s that big girl. There’s that big beauty.”

A big man himself, Mark leaned over to rub and ruffle the wagging dog. “Where’s the boss today?”

“In front of the fire, I’m glad to say. It’s too damn cold out there. I’m taking pictures back to him.” She waggled her phone. “He’s going to be thrilled. There’s so much progress since we were in last week, Mark.”

“Coming along.” Satisfaction on his face, he hooked his thumbs in his tool belt. “It’s something seeing this old place come back. Dom sure has the vision. We got the plumber and electrician coming in this afternoon, get that roughed in. Inspector gives us the go there, we’re cooking.”

“You really are. I’ve never done any sort of project like this, but it sure looks and sounds, even smells, like good work.”

“We don’t do any other kind.”

She believed it, and when she got back in her car with her phone loaded with pictures and videos, she couldn’t wait to show her grandfather. She added a mental note to drop by in a few days to take more of plumbing and electrical.

“I couldn’t really see it, Sadie, even when we had the drawings done. Popi could, but I couldn’t. I sure can now.”