Page 35 of Rise After Fall

“You do?”

“Yeah, it would be nice to be able to sit out there and watch the sunrise in the morning while drinking a cup of coffee or like now, when the sky is full of stars,” she says as she gets two wineglasses from the cabinet.

“Out back?”

“Yeah, facing the mountain. I love that view from the bedroom window.”

“That would be great. We should mention it to Langford,” I suggest.

“I’d never ask. These places are already amazing, and I’m sure the drop-off back there would make it hard to build anything.”

I nod. “You’re probably right.”

“Let’s just sit in here,” she says as she hands me one of the glasses she filled.

I settle in, and she flips the switch to start the electric logs before joining me on the couch. She tucks her legs beneath her and brings the wineglass to her lips.

I take a huge gulp from mine as I watch her. The light from the flickering flames reflecting in her big blue eyes.

“How did your last lesson go today?” I ask.

“It was good. He was a businessman, just passing through town. He lives in New York and has a vacation home in the Catskills.”

“So, he had a bit better skill set to work with than Mom and Leona,” I finish for her.

“A bit, yeah.”

I chuckle. “They sure looked like they were having fun though.”

“They were, and that is the number one goal.”

I take the last sip of my glass.

“You want a refill?” she asks.

“Only if you have some chips or something in here. I need a snack.”

“Hmm.”

“No food?” I ask.

She grins. “Wait here. I have an idea.”

She hops up and trots to the kitchenette and returns with the wine bottle, a bag of marshmallows, a half bag of Hershey’s Kisses, and a tub of cookies.

“What’s this?” I ask as I take some of the items from her arms.

“A snack,” she replies.

“Are you high and pulling out every random thing in your cabinets?”

She swats at me. “No. We have a fire and marshmallows …” She gestures to the electric fireplace and holds up the bag of white puffs.

“S’mores?” I guess.

“Yep. Here.” She rips open the bag of marshmallows and places one on the end of a fork. Then, she hands it to me. Then, she loads another.

She pushes the table aside, and we take a seat on the floor.