Free Snowbound by Janice Kay Johnson Page B

refuge.
    He wanted to know what kind of problems made her want to hide out at school, but knew it wasnt any of his business.
    Not that it was that terrible, she said hastily. It was just that my parents were fighting. They got a divorce my first year of college.
    Did you wish theyd done it years earlier?
    She dumped more onions in with the browning meat and shook her head. No. Although that would be logical, wouldnt it? But whos logical about things like that? I knew my father had been having affairs. Even when I hid in my room, I could hear their voices. And then I saw him one day. Midafternoon, coming out of a motel room with this woman who worked with him. He kissed her, then they got in their separate cars and drove away. It was like seeing a stranger. You know? She wasnt chopping anymore, and John turned to see her gazing into space as if she didnt remember where she was. The knife in her hand was suspended above the onion. It didnt seem unnatural that tears streamed down her cheeks. She continued after a moment, I didnt know whether I should tell mymother. I was afraid shed see it on my face, so I bicycled over to a friends house and begged to spend the night. In the end, I never did tell Mom. I dont think she realized how much Id heard and knew. Fiona shook her head. And why am I telling you all this? All you asked was if I wanted them to get a divorce. And heres the thing. When they finally did separate, I was devastated. It was like the bottom had dropped out of my world. Home wasnt home anymore. It was supposed to stay the same forever. Which I suppose answers your question. I was self-absorbed. My parents existed to be my bedrock, not as people with their own needs and problems.
    Thats normal. Leaning against the lip of the counter, he watched her finish chopping the last onion. Have either of them remarried?
    She gave a laugh that revealed more unhappiness than he suspected she knew. Oh, my father has. Twice. He wasnt faithful with number two, either. And probably isnt with number three, which is a shame. Shelly is a nice woman. She seemed to shake herself. Mom hasnt. I think she might have a hard time trusting a man.
    What about you? he heard himself ask. Do you, too?
    She scraped the onions into the hamburger mix with the knife, then set the cutting board back on the counter. As if she hadnt heard him, she said, I need to go wash my face before I start the garlic.
    John nodded toward the door to his quarters. You can use my bathroom if you want.
    So I dont have to explain why Ive been sobbingto assorted teenagers? Thanks. She disappeared into his small apartment, consisting of a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom.
    He didnt have to worry about having left the bathroom tidy; between the military and his stint as innkeeper, keeping his space clean and clear of clutter had become automatic. Wondering how much she could tell about him from his living quarters did make him a little uneasy.
    She came back with her face scrubbed, and her eyes still red and puffy. Ive never chopped so much onion before. I guess I somehow escaped that particular job when we had big family Thanksgiving get-togethers.
    I appreciate you doing it.
    She worked in silence, adding the garlic a minute later. John was pouring cans of tomato sauce hed already opened when Fiona said, What you asked about me trustingThe answer is I dont know. I guess it hasnt come up.
    I shouldnt have asked.
    Why not? I was telling you my life story.
    He shrugged. All right. Doesnt trust always come up?
    I havent actually had any relationships that were very serious. She scraped diced green pepper into the sauce. My mother worries. Shes convinced the divorce scarred me, that Im shying away from marriage. But I really dont think so. I keep telling her I havent met the right man. Which is just as well. I didnt want to get married at twenty-three, like my best friend did.
    John dumped burgundy wine into the sauce with a free hand, then poured oregano into his palm and