WindSwept Narrows: #8 Hannah Taylor
Karen Diroll-Nichols
- Hannah
- Taylor
- ran
- after
- the
- three
- year
- old,
- laughing
- and
- tossing
- little
- snow
- balls
- in
- the
- side
- yard
- of
- the
- inn
- where
- they
- were
- staying.
- She
- didn’t
- notice
- the
- man
- watching
- them
- until
- he
- wandered
- a
- little
- unevenly
- to
- the
- snow
- covered
- bench
- and
- plopped
- down.
- Pale
- hair
- blown
- by
- the
- winter
- winds
- and
- his
- glasses
- fogged.He
- stood
- up,
- brushed
- the
- heavy
- snow
- to
- the
- ground
- with
- leather
- covered
- palms
- and
- sank
- back
- onto
- the
- thick
- wooden
- bench.
- Matching
- redheads,
- he
- thought
- in
- the
- middle
- of
- a
- very
- hazy
- gaze.
- The
- little
- one
- stretched
- out
- on
- the
- smooth
- snow
- and
- flapping
- her
- arms
- next
- to
- her
- mother.Tall,
- willowy
- and
- wispy.
- Those
- were
- the
- words
- his
- mind
- had
- assigned
- to
- her
- when
- he
- first
- saw
- her
- striding
- around
- the
- resort,
- looking
- very
- professional.
- Her
- hair
- was
- worn
- in
- a
- thick,
- feathery
- cap
- that
- barely
- touched
- her
- shoulders
- and
- curled
- lightly
- around
- her
- face.“Hannah
- Taylor…you
- are
- the
- most
- beautiful
- snow
- angel
- in
- the
- world,”
- he
- announced
- loudly,
- frowning
- at
- the
- sound
- of
- his
- own
- voice.
- Those
- were
- supposed
- to
- be
- private
- thoughts.Hannah
- lifted
- the
- ends
- of
- her
- scarf
- from
- the
- ground,
- wrapping
- the
- deep
- green
- wool
- around
- her
- head
- and
- checking
- Liliana’s
- to
- make
- sure
- her
- cap
- was
- still
- in
- place.
- He
- was
- twenty
- feet
- away
- and
- just
- staring.
- She
- leaned
- a
- little,
- eyes
- narrowed.
- He
- didn’t
- look
- well.
- Not
- sick,
- but…something
- wasn’t
- right,
- she
- thought,
- walking
- through
- the
- thick
- snow.“How
- do
- you
- know
- who
- I
- am?”
- She
- asked,
- watching
- the
- three
- year
- old
- make
- little
- mounds
- of
- snow
- balls
- and
- stack
- them.“Noah
- Madison,
- Miss
- Taylor,”
- he
- tried
- to
- stand
- up,
- wobbled
- and
- fell
- to
- sit
- back
- on
- the
- bench,
- frowning.
- “Hmmm…”“You’re
- drunk,”
- she
- announced
- as
- if
- it
- were
- something
- he
- wasn’t
- aware
- of,
- pale
- lashes
- blinking
- and
- watching
- him.
- She
- had
- to
- smile.
- He
- was
- cute…hadn’t
- shaved
- in
- a
- day
- or
- two,
- with
- pale
- hair
- that
- kept
- falling
- onto
- his
- glasses.
- His
- eyes
- were
- a
- pretty
- shade
- of
- amber,
- the
- sun
- sparkling
- off
- the
- snow
- and
- making
- him
- squint
- a
- little.“And
- in
- honor
- of
- my
- friend,
- I
- intend
- to
- stay
- that
- way
- for
- three
- solid
- days,”
- he
- declared
- triumphantly,
- no
- humor
- in
- his
- eyes.She
- caught
- sight
- of
- a
- small
- card
- that
- had
- fallen
- to
- the
- ground.
- She
- pulled
- one
- glove
- free
- and
- picked
- it
- carefully
- from
- the
- snow.
- A
- memorial
- card.
- She
- read
- through
- it
- quickly
- and
- slid
- it
- into
- the
- top
- pocket
- of
- his
- heavy
- overcoat.“I’m
- sorry.
- You
- were
- in
- the
- military
- together,”
- she
- stated
- with
- a
- certainty
- that
- had
- him
- blinking.
- “Was
- he
- ill?”“Depressed…”
- His
- hand
- went
- up
- in
- a
- shaky
- form
- of
- a
- gun
- to
- his
- temple.
- “I…if
- he
- had
- just
- talked…how
- do
- you
- help
- if
- you
- don’t
- know…”“People
- keep
- it
- to
- themselves,”
- she
- said
- softly,
- brushing
- the
- snow
- off
- the
- end
- of
- the
- bench
- and
- sitting
- down,
- making
- little
- snow
- balls
- and
- tossing
- them
- toward
- Liliana.
- “It’s
- hard
- to
- understand
- someone
- wanting
- to
- die.
- Not
- impossible…just
- hard,
- I
- think.
- We
- think
- of
- the
- pain
- we’re
- in,
- but
- not
- the
- pain
- that
- made
- them
- want
- to
- leave
- so
- badly.”“Have
- I
- mentioned
- that
- I
- find
- you
- immensely
- beautiful?”
- He
- asked
- with
- only
- the
- smallest
- of
- slurs
- to
- his
- words,
- his
- elbows
- on
- his
- knees
- and
- hands
- hanging
- between
- his
- knees.“How
- do
- you
- know
- me,
- Mr.
- Madison?”“We
- work
- for
- the
- same
- place,
- Miss
- Taylor,”
- he
- returned
- with
- a
- slightly
- slurred
- but
- polite
- nod.
- “You’re
- far
- from
- home.”“Oh…we
- came
- over
- to
- play
- in
- the
- snow,”
- she
- said
- with
- a
- smile
- at
- the
- little
- girl.“Where’s
- her
- father?”
- He
- asked
- with
- a
- momentary
- burst
- of
- lucidity.“He
- died
- when
- I
- was
- three
- months
- pregnant,”
- she
- answered
- honestly.
- “He
- never
- knew.”“I’m
- sorry…so
- you
- came
- to
- play
- in
- the
- snow…”“It’s
- a
- nice
- way
- to
- spend
- a
- day
- off,”
- she
- watched
- him
- push
- against
- the
- bench
- and
- stand
- up
- shakily.
- “Are
- you
- staying
- at
- this
- inn?
- I
- can
- help
- you…”
- Hannah
- stood
- up
- and
- moved
- quickly
- to
- stand
- in
- front
- of
- him,
- her
- hands
- up
- and
- on
- his
- chest.
- “Whoa…you
- didn’t
- drive
- here…I hope…”
