The Thickness of Ice by Gerard Beirne

Author:Gerard Beirne
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Baraka Fiction

CHAPTER 10

I didn’t see Tess until three days later. Usually she came by my house after she finished teaching. An evening might go by without her if she was busy but rarely more than that. I could have called into the school, but I was afraid that my arrival would be unwelcome. I knew I was being unreasonable. Jack had kissed her once a long time back, and she had not responded. They had danced together on the dance floor as Eloise and I had. Eloise herself had told me how much I meant to Tess. Still, I was afraid that I would lose her to him. Afraid of the strength of my own love.

Tess, I reasoned, was most probably busy with school work, would come by when she was able. And sure enough she turned up on that third evening, knocked on my door around five o’clock.

“I’ve been watching for you.” I stepped back to let her in.

Tess shook the snow off her boots and entered. She had brought a chicken with her which we roasted in the oven with potatoes. I boiled up carrots and broccoli, made gravy from the juices of the chicken. She made no mention of the days that had passed since we last saw one another. After dinner, we sat at the table and played cards.

“Have you thought about what I asked, about coming to Tadoule Lake with me?” Tess asked as she dealt out our hands.

I had thought about it constantly since. “If that is what you want?”

“It is. I do not think I could go there alone.”

“Have you said anything to your family yet?”

Tess shook her head “I am afraid they will tell me not to come.” She threw her cards on the table. For the first time since I had known her, I saw her cry.

“Tess.” I went around the table to her. She leaned in against me.

“It will be okay. You’ll go back and talk things through with them. They are missing you as much as you miss them.”

“I hope so.” She wiped at her tears. “I don’t know how to live my life.”

“There are none of us who know how to live our lives. We all make it up as we go along.”

“Does everyone get it so wrong?”

“You are doing nothing wrong, Tess.”

“What about us? Are we doing the right thing?”

“I have never done anything more right in my life.”

She squeezed my hand. “You are a good man, Wade. It is just that so many other things have turned out badly.”

“Shh,” I whispered. “Nothing could have turned out better than this.”

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