Merriton

“It’s not running if I walk.” Sierra growled at Randy as she pulled on her boots. “You’re taking the car.” Sierra opened the door and started walking, but Randy grabbed his coat and followed her. “I’m going with you if you don’t take the car.” Sierra tossed her thinning hair. The long blonde locks clogged the shower drains, but she hid them from Randy so he wouldn’t know. “Fine, come with me. I’m just going to go to Mt. Zen and talk to Angie.”

Randy pulled the hood of his coat over his head as he followed Sierra’s stomping feet. It was a sunny day, but the cold bit his cheeks. “It’s warmer in the car…” He tried to persuade her to go back to its warmth. She stomped toward the cafe in silence.

The snow provided a strange and muted quiet to their walk. Randy enjoyed the crunch of snow under his feet. It sounded like fresh cheese curds between his teeth, except his whole body could feel it. The scent of pine came off the trees and he could hear birds chirping and flitting away from Sierra as she trampled through the snow.

She stopped and waited for him. He approached her fearfully, but the growl on her face had changed. She whispered, “There’s a family of marmots that live in that hole.” She pointed to a muddy hole hidden under brush and snow. She continued, “I haven’t seen them since September, so I think they’re hibernating.” She started walking toward the cafe again. It was a peace offering. Randy could take it and have some of that peace she offered, or fight some more.

He shrugged and thought to himself, “As long as she’s not running.”

“Hey, I know you!” Mt. Zen Cafe smelled like eggs and bacon and hamburgers and coffee. Sierra walked up to a ski jacket, purposefully ignoring Randy. She was grateful that he went to the counter to talk to Angie. The ski jacket looked at her with disdain for a moment, but a flash of recognition quickly replaced it.

“You’re a lawyer, but you live here.” Sierra scanned the woman’s face again. It wasn’t her face that she recognized, but her laptop. “Yeah, remember? Last year, you stayed at Junco, but they had bad wireless. They upgraded over the summer, isn’t it any better?” The ski jacket smiled. “Yes, their wireless is fast and flawless, but they can’t serve me an Egg Thing there.” She pointed at her empty plate.

Sierra smiled and glanced over at Randy, ordering for the two of them. “I’ve totally forgotten your name.” The ski jacket held out her hand. “I’m Robin. I think last year I was living in Connecticut, but now we’re in New York. The commute is MUCH better now.” Sierra smiled, remembering how difficult it was to choose a place. She nodded. “Live in the city and pay a ton of money for five hundred square feet? Or live in the ‘burbs and drive for an hour and a half each day? It’s a hard choice to make. My name is Sierra.” Robin snapped her fingers. “Oh yeah! I knew it was one of those ’save the planet’ names.” Sierra blushed.

Randy came up to their table. Sierra scanned his face for traces of the fight earlier, but they were gone. He whispered to her, “I ordered you a double Egg Thing.” No, the fight wasn’t over. Eat more, run less, no this fight was never going to be over. “This is Robin. She comes out here to ski at Junco every year.” Robin smiled. “And I end up working the entire time.” Randy laughed uncomfortably. Sierra felt his eyes on her. “Sierra used to do that when we came here every time. I used to tell her to relax, but she never would.”

Robin smiled. “The day I realized that work IS what relaxes me was the happiest day of my life.” Sierra cringed with pain at her words.