Snow fell steadily outside. A strong north wind howled around the eaves of the Jacksons’ old two-storey farmhouse, carrying the snow with it across the yard and over the lilac hedge at the south edge of the yard. The drift that had been piling up there since the first snow in late October had finally risen higher than the hedge itself and was now rapidly widening towards the driveway that ran up alongside the trailer that was home to Randy, Jackie, Allison and baby Andrew.
Rose Jackson sat at her dining room table, staring out the window.
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“That drift is going to end up right across Randy and Jackie’s driveway,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it get that big before.”
Amanda, who for a few weeks now had been Rose and Andrew’s future daughter-in- law, nodded in agreement. “It’s pretty epic,” she said. “You could build a whole community of snow houses in there.”
Rose chuckled. “When the boys were little,” she said, “Andrew used to help them dig tunnels through that drift. They’d have a maze like the catacombs in there by springtime some years.”
She took a sip of coffee. “I used to worry that the whole thing would collapse when the boys were in there and they wouldn’t be able to get out. Of course Andrew would just laugh and tell me not to worry.” She chuckled again. “If I had a nickel for every time Andrew told me not to worry I’d be able to spend the winter in Florida.”
“Is that a guy thing or what?” said Amanda. “Do guys actually not ever worry about stuff?”
“They don’t worry about the same stuff we worry about,” said Rose. “I always tell Andrew to let me worry because I’m really good at it. I must be, because 99 per cent of the things I worry about never happen. The only other thing in my life that I have a 99 per cent success rate at is making gravy.”
“I have a better success rate at worrying about making gravy than I have at actually making gravy,” Amanda laughed.
“I suppose, being a vegetarian, you probably haven’t made a lot of gravy,” said Rose. “And hey, why worry? Brady’s perfectly capable of making his own gravy. I taught him how before he left home you know.”
“Oh really? Now why would he not have told me that?” Amanda said. “I’d almost think he didn’t want me to know. And guess what?” she continued. “I cooked up a meal the other day, grilled marinated portabella mushrooms, with fried eggplant and peppers and tomato and goat cheese stacked on top, with a mandarin salad with roasted almond slivers in it. Brady said it was one of the best meals he ever had.”
Rose gave Amanda a look of mock horror. “What have you done with my son?” she said. “You may go down in history as the first person ever to turn a body-shop man into a vegetarian!”
Amanda laughed. “There is no chance of that,” she said, “as long as his mother keeps making the world’s best roast beef and gravy.”
Rose smiled. “Well I can tell you this,” she said. “Good food is one of the secrets of a long and happy marriage.”
“Good to know,” said Amanda. “I’ll make sure we’re here at least twice a week for a meal then.” She paused and looked serious. “Speaking of long and happy marriages,” she said, “do you have any other secrets you can share?”
Rose pondered that for a moment then grinned. “I’ll tell you what my mother told me,” she said. “My mother said before you get married you should have your eyes wide open, and after you’re married you should keep them halfway closed.”
Amanda laughed again. “That probably only works if you both do it,” she said.
“True enough,” said Rose. She took another sip of coffee. “I’ll tell you the secret of a happy family,” she said. “I heard a woman on the radio last week talking about taking her daughter to work on take-your- daughter-to-work day, and at the end of the day she asked her daughter what she thought, and her daughter said ‘boy mom, you sure are a lot nicer at work than you are at home.’ I think that’s the secret right there. You have to be just as nice at home as you are anywhere else.”
Amanda looked pleased. “Wow,” she said. “Thanks. That might be the best advice anyone’s ever given me.”
“You’re welcome,” said Rose, and then gave a laugh. “Reminds me of what Andrew’s father used to say.”
“What’s that?” said Amanda.
“He said take my advice,” said Rose, “because I’m not using it myself.”
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