The Storm

** I started this story over two months ago, in response to the challenge "A Tale of Hearth." But, as often happens, life took a direction and this story has sat, unfinished and waiting, since then. It's a short story, but I hope whomever reads it, enjoys :) **

Talia trudged through the knee-deep snow, her head down and body bent forward into the gusting wind and snow. It hadn't been like this when she left for town. The day had looked clear, some mild clouds to the Northwest but not enough to storm so she couldn't drive the car back up the hill.

The ice-cold wind ripped and yanked at her scarf and clothing, jarring her backwards as she continued to struggle up the steep hill. Where was that driveway!

After long minutes, she lifted her head and saw a flicker of light ahead. The power had gone down, so she guessed that the kids had lit the fire and she could see it flickering through the living room window. Small glimmers of red warmth visible through the icy, white snow.

Unlike most of the newer houses in the old neighborhood, Talia and her husband had chosen to keep the old features of the house they moved into several years ago. One of the main features being the enormous wood stove in the living room set on a slate stone ledge. When it was lit the living room seemed to glow with warmth from within as the wooden floors and walls absorbed and reflected the honeyed light of the fire.

As Talia pushed her way through the house door, stomping snow from her boots and brushing it from her coat and arms, she was greeted by a rush of warmth and the smell of cocoa and cinnamon. Her two children, Janet and Toby, along with their golden retriever, Honey, nearly ran her over in their excitement to see her arrive home.

Talia laughed at the mad chaos; dog barking, kids shrieking and laughing, and her husband calling to her from the living room. Now this was a welcome homecoming!

Hugging her kids and rubbing noses with her own ice cold one, causing further shrieks and mock scampers back to the living room, she continued on her way to the kitchen. "What happened?" she asked of Ted, her husband, as he joined her in the kitchen, both moving into the easy routine of putting the groceries away. "Tree went down over the line," he replied, "so the kids and I got the fire going and started the cocoa on the stove." "Marvelous!" said Talia with a smile. "What do you say we pull out the board games and bring the pillows and blankets to the living room? By the way it's storming, I don't think we'll have power until the morning." "Yes!" came a happy squeal from Janet, who had been hovering in the doorway.

Loud thumps and clatters where then heard, as Toby and Janet scrambled for the stairs, racing each other to see who could get their things downstairs the fastest.

"Well," Ted laughed, "I think that answered that question." "Quite," replied Talia. The next several minutes were spent putting the remainder of the groceries away, listening to the thumps and bumps coming from upstairs and the occasional bark from Honey as she tried to play in the excitement.

Shortly after, everyone was gathered in the living room, blankets and pillows scattered in a colorful sprawl across the floor. Hot cocoa was poured into cups and popcorn was popped in a pot on the woodstove. As the wind continued to roar and groan around the eaves of the house and the snow blew up against the windows and doors, the family was warm and cozy in front of the fire, playing board games until the embers began to glow red and kids and dog dozed off in their blankets, smiling softly in their sleep.

When morning came, and the eaves began to drip and house doors were opened and shovels and brooms brought out, neighbors greeted each other and checked in as they began to clear the snow while children threw snowballs and built snow forts. Talia and her family smiled in remembered fun of a warm, comforting, happy evening at the hearth of their fireplace, deciding that this was going to become an ongoing family tradition, and they kept that tradition, all through Janet and Toby's childhood.