Winter's Harbor by Aurora Rey

Author:Aurora Rey [Rey, Aurora]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626394995
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2015-09-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

Much to Lia’s relief, her flights, and the connection in Atlanta, were uneventful. It was early afternoon when she landed and she easily made her way to baggage claim, then the new rental car facility built as part of the reconstruction after Katrina. The temperature was in the low fifties and felt downright balmy compared to the near zero it was when she left Boston that morning.

After claiming her car, Lia pulled out of the garage and made her way to Airline Highway, turning off to take the Gramercy Bridge across the river. As she wound her way along the River Road, she was hit with the sweet and pungent smell of burning sugarcane. She rounded a bend and saw the line of fire in the field, the smoke billowing up and across the road. It was a common practice on the sugarcane farms—burning what was left after the stalks were harvested. It helped to feed the soil for the next season. It was one of those things, she realized, you sort of forget about when you’re away for a long time. As a kid, she and Sally would complain about the smell. Now, she welcomed it and allowed herself to be glad that she was home.

When Lia pulled into the driveway, her parents came out to stand on the porch and welcome her. They did the same thing when she was in college and came home for winter break or summer vacations. It always made her feel special. This time, it made her feel special, but a bit guilty as well.

She climbed out of the car and they exchanged hugs and kisses. Her dad took her suitcase and she followed them inside. Mama had a penchant for painting and sewing curtains, so it wasn’t surprising to find new colors in the living room and kitchen. Lia admired the choices and made a mental note to seek her advice when she had a place of her own to decorate.

She went to her room and found it unchanged. The pink and green quilt she’d chosen for her sixteenth birthday was still on the bed; the white eyelet lace curtains Mama made dressed the windows. She crossed the hall to the bathroom she used to hate having to share with her brothers. The counter, once crowded with toothbrushes and hair products held only a vase of silk flowers and a decorative soap dispenser. She did, however, spy a basket of toys in the bathtub. Clearly, Mawmaw and Pawpaw were equipped for sleepovers with the grandkids.

Lia spent most of the afternoon helping her mother get food ready for the family’s annual Christmas Eve party while her father and brothers finished building the bonfire. Theirs would top fifteen feet and be one of hundreds that burned along the levees, lighting the way for Père Noel. Probably close to a hundred aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends would stream in and out for hours—eating, drinking, and making merry. As a kid, she’d loved Christmas Eve even more than Christmas morning.

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