Free Falling Snow by Graysen Morgen

eighteen and free rode about two a.m. It was a full moon and the mountain was gorgeous. Just thinking about it made the fine blond hairs on her arms stand up.
     
     

 
    Fourteen
     
     
     
     
     
    A week after the Winter X Games Adler hopped off the chair lift and hiked over to the start of the black diamond trail. She had been going out and riding powder every day. Free riding in the back country for her was like chicken soup for a cold. It always helped her heal or made her feel better. She spent most of the day Monday at her lawyer’s office, then on the phone with her family breaking the news of the divorce. Her lawyer knew the truth, but she put irreconcilable differences on the papers. She also wrote a very small paragraph on her website announcing her decision to file for divorce and asked for privacy during the personal matter. She knew ESPN knew some of what the true reason because they saw the incident at X Games and tried to ask her about it in her interview. She was sure her statement was all over the internet and news channels by now. She changed her phone number when she finally got a new phone. The only numbers she programmed in it were her family, friends, and sponsors. The rest of the people trying to call her could go to hell.
    A light dusting of snow was falling when she started down the mountain shredding powder and kicking up a cloud of white snowflakes in her wake. She felt free, pulling tricks over the jumps and edging around stray rocks and tree. Riding pipe was like flying, this was like standing on the nose of a runaway freight train heading downhill. She was pretty far away from the tourist crowd so she only encountered two or three other locals on her path. She went unnoticed as she rode over and over every day. She had more jackets and pants than she would every really need so she could easily blend in every day as a completely new snowboarder. She also had a handful of boots and half a dozen snowboards of various colors and sizes based on whether she was riding powder or pipe.
    At the base of the hill she walked the short stretch back to the lift chair and rode back up. She pulled a protein power bar from her jacket pocket and ate it while she rode in the lift chair. She was surprised when her mind flashed to blue eyes, short messy dark hair, and a sexy smile. She had spent most of her time trying to clear her mind and push past the sadness, anger, and hurt over the last week. She really did have a great night after X, until she walked into her house. Her mind flashed back to Cason. She had no idea what it was that drove her towards that woman. She just knew she enjoyed being around her. She seemed happier for some reason. Maybe it was the excitement of having a new friend, or maybe the fact that she was so down to earth and easy to talk to. Either way, Adler knew she wanted to see her again.
     
    ***
     
    Cason had just finished sewing a man’s leg back together after he cut it on his snow blower. The blade nicked a major vessel and tore some of the muscle tissue. She rushed him right into surgery and thankfully was able to save his leg. She changed into a fresh pair of scrubs and went back out into the ER.
    “Hey, Macauley, you got someone asking for you at the nurse’s station.” One of the ER doctors said when he passed her in the hallway. She knew Serena was at the nurse’s station. She had somehow weaseled her way back onto the same schedule. Cason walked down the hall and turned the corner. Adler was standing there, her face lit up when she saw Cason.
    “Hey stranger,” Cason smiled.
    “Hey. I’m sorry to bother you here. I finally got a new phone, but I didn’t have your number.” Adler explained.
    Cason grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side away from the nurse’s desk and Serena’s ears. She was already starring daggers at the blond. “It’s okay. I just got out of surgery, have you been here long?”
    “No, just walked in actually. I asked the woman at the desk