Read Online Avalanche Dance by Ellen Schwartz - Free Book Online Page B

froing,” he said, taking off his ball cap and rotating it in his hands. “All you have to do is pop it in the oven for ten minutes.”
    “Oh, Robert,” Gwen’s mom said, rising and giving him a hug. He hugged her back awkwardly, then turned and patted Gwen on the cheek and kissed his niece.
    “Sit, Robert,” Sally said, so he did, first placing his jacket on a hook and his rubber boots on the mat next to Sally’s. The kitchen took on the familiar smell of damp wool.
    The kettle whistled. Sally bustled about, clattering cups, getting the milk and sugar.
    “So … how’s Andrew?” Robert asked.
    Gwen darted a glance at her mother. The expression on her face made Gwen look away.
    Bridget pushed a hand through her hair. “His liver’s swollen. He’s in a lot of pain.”
    For a second, Gwen felt dizzy. She clung to the baby, taking deep breaths.
    “What are the doctors saying –” Sally began.
    There was another tap at the door. It opened, and Cynthia Robichaud, the mother of Gwen’s friend Susie, poked her head around. Plump and dimpled, she had the same wavy, strawberry-blond hair as Susie, frizzy now in the humidity.
    “Bridget!” she said. “I wasn’t sure if you were back.” Then, coming inside, “Sally, Robert, Gwen. Hi.”
    “Join the party,” Sally said with a laugh, pulling up another chair.
    Adding her wet jacket to the row of others, Cynthia deposited four loaves of bread on the table. A fresh-baked, yeasty smellfilled the kitchen. “Made you a few loaves,” she said. “Whole wheat, raisin, rye, and rosemary-walnut. Figured you didn’t have time to shop, let alone bake.”
    Gwen’s mother burst into tears. “Oh, Cynthia …”
    “Don’t be silly,” Susie’s mom said, patting Bridget on the shoulder. “What are neighbors for? Actually, I came to see if you need anything from the store. I’m going, anyway, so give me your grocery list.”
    Laughing at herself, Gwen’s mom broke into a fresh bout of weeping.
    “Here, drink your tea,” Sally said, pushing a cup into Bridget’s hands and handing mugs to the others.
    Gwen stood near the doorway to the living room, holding Tanya, who was amusing herself by grabbing handfuls of Gwen’s hair and pulling. Gwen longed to get out of the kitchen. There were too many people, too much talk. It would be rude, she knew; they were old friends. But she couldn’t stand it. Maybe now, when no one was looking –
    No. Cynthia came over to her. Trapped. Placing her hand on Gwen’s shoulder, Cynthia asked, “How are you, sweetheart?”
    Gwen stiffened. “All right.”
    Cynthia shook her head. “What you went through! It must have been horrible. It’s a miracle you both got out alive, isn’t it?”
    Gwen nodded.
I’ve got to get out of here
, she thought. But she couldn’t, not while they were all looking at her.
    “Thank God for Simon, eh?” Cynthia turned to face Sally and Robert. “What a hero. You must be so proud.”
    “Yeah – when I’m not reaming him out for being on the mountain in the first place,” Sally said, rolling her eyes. The others chuckled.
    Tanya started squirming in Gwen’s arms. “I’ll take her to the living room,” Gwen said. Finally, an escape.
    She grabbed a stack of yogurt containers from a kitchen cupboard, then put Tanya on the living room floor, gingerly lowering herself down beside her. The baby happily started taking containers off the pile, handing them to Gwen, taking them back and making new stacks, chortling each time one container slipped over another.
    Listening to the baby’s babbles, Gwen wasn’t paying attention to the conversation in the kitchen. Then, “The cabin … Molly Norquist …” caught her ear.
    She turned sharply, but she couldn’t make out what Cynthia said next. Then, “Shameful … trouble …”
    Tanya burbled, drowning out the rest.
    Absentmindedly handing a container to Tanya, Gwen tried to make sense of what she had heard. Of course she had seen the cabin, knew