******
Mattie lifted her face to the cold November breeze and saw that the sky was a solid ceiling of thick, white-gray clouds. It would be dark soon. She stepped down onto the sidewalk in front of the Stanley Arts building and turned right toward the faculty housing, She pulled the hood of her black coat up over her head as a few snowflakes floated around her, and she glanced at the trees on the quad, now bare, save for the evergreens. She'd had second thoughts about the Moratorium, and now she had to make up her mind. Was she going to go to the Moritorium next week, or not? She sighed, as she thought about it.
"Mattie, wait up!" She turned as she heard Fran's voice, and smiled as her good friend hurried to join her. "I think we're going to get a big snow by the weekend."
"So I've heard."
"What's wrong? You sound down."
"Matthew, one of my students that had been expelled from the sit-in, came by my class today to tell me goodbye." She took a deep breath as she glanced at her friend solemnly. "He's been drafted and goes to boot camp next week." She stopped, leaning her cane against her coat as she pulled on her black gloves in the frigid air, then adjusted her suede shoulder bag to a more comfortable position.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that, Mattie." Fran put her arm around Mattie's shoulder for a moment, then quickly returned her cold hand to her pocket. "I've heard of several other former students heading in the same direction. Very, very upsetting." They resumed their walk, heads down against the cold, and turned down the sidewalk between the buildings. "Have you heard from Clay this week?"
"Yes, he called yesterday from Yorkshire, a small town in southern New York." Mattie watched her breath condense, as she thought about him. How much she missed him. "He'll be back tomorrow, if the weather holds out. Otherwise, he's hunkering down there."
"We're supposed to get a foot at the very least."
"That's what I heard." They opened the black gate and entered the faculty quarters. "I'm hoping he'll get here before it hits, and then we'll be snowed in together."
"Just watch out for P.B.'s spies." Fran laughed derisively. "He hates overnight guests, if you get my drift."
"What a ridiculous rule." Mattie sighed. "And to think it's in every unmarried faculty member's contract."
"I know. I guess faculty aren't supposed to live their own lives for fear of leading the poor students astray." Fran brushed some wet flakes off her gray bangs.
"Exactly." Mattie smiled as they stopped in front of her apartment. "Well, I hope you and Jerry stay nice and cozy this weekend. Perhaps classes will be canceled Monday."
"We can only hope," Fran laughed. "Say hi to Clay for us." She continued down the sidewalk toward their residence as the snowflakes swirled around her. "We have to have you two over for dinner one night."
"That sounds wonderful, Fran...bye." Mattie started up the stone steps, turning her head to view the thickening veil of white beyond her porch. She retrieved her mail, then sighed and entered her apartment, hoping that Clay would call and confirm that he was on the way to Brooksford. She laid the stack of envelopes on the front table, shrugged off her coat and hung it in the closet, then tousled her hair to get out the lingering flakes. A pot of strong, black coffee would taste really good right now, and she laid her shoulder bag on the sofa and made her way into the kitchen. As the coffee percolated, she leaned against the black and white tiled counter and stared out the window at the snow that was now coming down in swirling sheets in the darkness. She bit her lower lip. Well, she might as well make herself comfortable for the night, and get out the flashlights and candles just in case. She popped a piece of bread into the toaster and poured herself a cup of the steaming brew, sipping it as she waited. She placed the buttered toast and her coffee on a large plate and balanced it as she headed for the living room. She was pretty sure that he wasn't going to tow the trailer in this weather. Mattie set her plate down on the coffee table and made herself comfortable on the sofa, pulling out some papers to grade while she ate. She tucked her right leg under her and smoothed the long, brown, corduroy skirt around her legs. She could hear the wind gusts now, and she glanced over at the silent beige phone, knowing that he couldn't possibly make it through this storm from New York. She finished the last bite of toast and took a last sip of coffee, then sighed and leaned her head back on the sofa cushion.
She was running across a field of red poppies when she heard the soft tapping. As she lifted her head off the cushion and blinked her eyes, she wondered why she would dream of a field of poppies similar to the one in The Wizard of Oz. She sighed, and brushed her hair back, then heard the light tapping again, and a soft "Mattie."
Clay...it was Clay. She grabbed her cane, and jumped from the sofa, hurriedly opening the door for him. He stood on the porch, brushing the snow off his knit cap, black peacoat, and jeans, and she could see the heavy snow coming down in droves behind him, "Clay!" Mattie couldn't believe her eyes. "Quick, get in." He smiled and picked up his backpack and entered her apartment, leaning down to give her a quick, cold kiss. She closed and locked the door, turning to see him removing his wet boots as he stood on the carpet runner. "Here, let me." She helped him shrug out of his wet peacoat, and she got a hanger out of the closet, then slid his coat onto it, and twisted the top and hung it on the outside of the closet door to dry. He pulled off his cap and brushed the snow off his hair.
"Now I can give you a proper kiss." He laughed as he turned and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her close as he kissed her enthusiastically.
"I thought sure you'd have to stay in New York," she smiled up at him and brushed wet strands of his hair back from his face. "I'm so glad you made it here safely."
"I refuse to spend a good snowstorm away from the woman of my dreams." He kissed her again. "It's bad out there, by the way." They pulled apart, and he put his hands on his hips. "I left the trailer in New York and parked the Jeep in a gas station a good ways away."
"The one on Edison?"
"Yes, I remembered what you said about your school's rules, so I didn't want to chance parking in the faculty lot and getting you in trouble."
"Oh, I hate that you had to do that." Mattie sighed. "My neighbor left yesterday for a weekend trip, so that's good. But, isn't it horrible to have to worry about something so silly."
"I don't know...it lends itself to a sort of illicit vibe...as if we're having a clandestine rendezvous." He raised one brow as he smiled at her. "And, that could be interesting, eh?" She laughed at that.
"Let me get you a towel." She picked up her plate and cup and headed toward the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"
"Famished."
"Breakfast for dinner?"
"That sounds great."
Mattie stood in her office and threw him the towel she'd pulled down from the clothesline in the small laundry room off the kitchen, then disappeared back into the kitchen.
"Would you like me to make a fire?" She heard him call out.
"Okay, but there's not much wood in there."
"This will do for a while. I'll go out and get more tomorrow."
She sighed contentedly, thinking how wonderful it all sounded to her. When he joined her in the kitchen a few minutes later, she was adding the cheddar cheese to the pan of scrambled eggs, and the hot sausage links were draining on a napkin.
"That looks really good." He peered over her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her neck. "I drove straight through after making the decision to leave." The toast popped up and he grabbed the two slices and smeared them with the butter and strawberry preserves she'd gotten out. "Are you eating?"
"No, I had something before you got here." She plated the eggs and sausage, and he added the toast. "I'll get myself more coffee though." She poured them both a cup of hot coffee, and he carried his meal into the living room, as she walked behind him with her cup. They sat on the sofa and she smiled as she saw him dig into the meal as if he hadn't eaten for days. She gazed at the fire blazing in the fireplace on th
e wall to her right, and sighed again.
Clay chewed the last bite of toast and wiped his mouth with the napkin, leaning back on the sofa cushion. He took a swig of coffee, and slanted his eyes at her.
"I do want to take a nice, long, hot shower later," he sighed as he slid his arm around her shoulder and looked over at the fire. "I really, really need one." He laughed. "I'm surprised you can stand being this close to me."
"You feel wonderful, Clay." She laid her head on his shoulder, mesmerized by the leaping flames. "You are still a little damp, though," she teased him.
"Will you join me?"
She lifted her head at that and raised one brow, eyeing him soberly as she thought about it. "I'll try." She squinted at him, realizing that her answer must not have sounded very enthusiastic. "Even with the handicap bar that maintenance installed when I moved in, I've found it too difficult to stand in the wet tub with my prosthetic off."
"I remember. You mentioned it before." He narrowed his eyes at her as she continued to stare at him. "We won't know until we try, though, eh?" He smiled at her. "I'm a pretty strong guy."
"What are you saying, exactly?" she lowered her brows at him in amusement.
"I'm saying that I can easily hold you up, since you're so petite," he chuckled as she smiled at him. "No, seriously, it will be fine."
"Well, I'm game, if you think we can do it."
"It's a date, then." He yawned and leaned his head back on the cushion. "Let me close my eyes for just a minute."
Mattie rose from the sofa as quietly as she could and picked up the rust colored afghan from the chair by the fireplace. She snuggled back down on the sofa next to him and spread the cover over them both. She eyed the embers in the fireplace, then gazed for a moment at his handsome face, his mouth slightly open as he snored softly, and she leaned her head back on the cushion, and closed her eyes, trying to imagine herself in the shower with him. She had confidence in herself in so many areas, but all that came to mind as she pictured them was of her losing her balance and sliding in the slippery tub with Clay trying to grab her as she fell. Not a very romantic scenario in her view. Oh well, she'd give it her best shot. She glanced at her watch, seeing that it was ten o'clock, and she closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the wind and his breathing.