Snow Storm

Note: The following story originally appeared on Fictionaut.com on February 4, 2010. It is now only available here. The original note posted stated: I got bored this afternoon and a little inspired by all the snow about to happen up north. – KtE

It was early afternoon when Frank and Maria noticed the sky above had turned dark and the office had gone home. Maria was still sitting at her desk near the window, looking out at the falling snow when Frank came up behind her.

“I’m going to go home now, the weather is supposed to start getting worse in an hour. Do you want a ride?”

Maria’s husband was supposed to come and pick her up, but as usual he was late. “I don’t know. Jeff said he was coming to pick me up on his way home, but I’ve not heard from him in an hour.”

“He could be anywhere then. Come on, I’ll give you a lift.”

“Am I on your way?”

“Where do you live?”

“James Street, over by the high school,” she said.

“It’s not that far out of my way. Come on, before we can’t leave.”

Frank went out first to warm up the car, and Maria watched him clear the windshield before getting in. She laughed as he slipped on a patch of ice and fell on his butt. “Oh he’s going to feel that in the morning.”

Traffic was a nightmare, even in a small town like this. Southerners don’t know how to drive on ice and snow; typically cars were crashing into one another and sliding into ditches faster than emergency crews and wreckers could respond. Frank, knowing his way around town, detoured again and again on side streets until he made it to the front of her house. Parked out front was the family wheels, Jeff standing on the porch watching the snow fall with a bowl of cereal in his hand. She slammed the car door and walked up to him.

“What the hell Jeff? Where were you? You were supposed to pick me up an hour ago!”

“What? I thought you said you were getting a ride home.”

“Oh good God,” she said. “Did you at least get some milk and bread?”

“Of course,” he said, holding up his bowl. “Did you give the guy any gas money?”

“No, he’s a gentleman, unlike some people I know.”

She went inside and threw down her purse and bag on the couch. This was going to be a bad snow storm, she thought as flakes fell outside the living room window.