Arthur pen drawing of hidden animals decided who kept the lake cabin

of the tall white pines.

I watched the snow settle on the empty wooden porch chair.

I carried the heavy red oak logs into the kitchen and set them by the cast-iron stove, letting the bark-dust fall where it pleased on the linoleum.

The house was cold, but the quiet was a physical presence I had missed during those frantic weeks of arguments and mediation.continue reading …