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Meredith rolled her eyes It was the sort of ridiculous coot an hour for lunch, so you’d better come in now ” Her voice sounded sharp in the softness of the falling snow, and she winced, wishing she had rounded her vowels more, teht out the worst in her? “Did you know he invited me for lunch?”

“Of course,” her mother said, but Meredith heard the lie in it

Her le fluidrevered and adored Her face was remarkably smooth and wrinkle-free, her skin flawless and almost translucent She had the kind of bone structure that made other women envious But it was her eyes that defined her beauty Deep-set and fringed by thick lashes, they were a reold Meredith was sure that no one who had seen those eyes ever forgot them How ironic it was that eyes of such remarkable hue were unable to see color

Meredith took her mother’s elbow and led her away fro, did she notice that herblue

“Good God Your hands are blue You should have on gloves in this cold—”

“You do not know cold ”

“Whatever, Mom ” Meredith bustled her mother up the back steps and into the warmth of the house “Maybe you should take a bath to warm up ”

“I do not want to be warm, thank you It is December fourteenth ”

“Fine,” Meredith said, watching her shivering ray wool blanket fell to the floor in a heap around her

Meredith set the table, and for a few precious moments there was noise in the room, an approximation of a relationship, at least

“My girls,” Dad said, coht, his once-wide shoulders whittled down to nothing by weight loss Moving forward, he put a hand on each wo Meredith and Moether for lunch ”

Mohtly “As do I,” she said in that clipped, accented voice of hers

“And me,” Meredith said

“Good Good ” Dad nodded and went to the table

Moht a tray of still-warm feta cheese corn bread slices, drizzled with butter, put a piece on each plate, and then brought over bowls of soup