SFS 7: Long Thaw

He sat on the cold, hard stoop waiting for her. He could already see his breath and he hadn’t even been outside that long. Marshall hated the winter time. “It’s for young people with warm blood and a strong will to brace the cold; not slow, achy old men like me.” He chuckled at himself. Do I always sound so grumpy? His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of snow crunching in the distance. Marshall stood slowly, the cold causing stiffness in his knees. The figure grew closer and closer until Marshall’s furrowed brow relaxed.

“Nina! Good lord woman! I just about froze to death waiting for you!” The small woman rolled her eyes as she hugged the snarky man.

“Now, Marshall, if you had waited inside like I told you, you wouldn’t be so damn close to death now would you?” Nina gave a joking look as she helped Marshall into the house. Marshall flopped in his oversized recliner with an incredibly overdramatic groan and turned his head towards Nina, who was hanging up her coat just out of view.

“I think it’s time for my afternoon tea, Nina.” Nina hummed in agreement.

“Of course, I’ll put the kettle on.” Before Marshall could reply, Nina was at the kitchen sink filling up an old copper tea kettle with water. She looked out the window as she did, her mind becoming occupied with the sight of a frozen pond near the back of the house. The snow had been there for a while now, everything in sight was stiff and covered in a thick blanket of snow. Everything except that small pond. It wasn’t the largest body of water in the world, but it sat very nicely a few feet away from what looked like an oak tree. The frozen water laid still and lifeless, almost as if the dullness of the pond matched Marshall’s insides. Nina smiled softly as she thought about grumpy old Marshall. I wonder if he ever went skating out there? She turned around, with a quizzical look on her face, to look at Marshall. He was already snoring while some news reporter gabbed on about the current political climate. She smiled and set the kettle on the stove. The clicking of the flame igniting caused Marshall to wake, of all things. Nina walked over to Marshall and sat in a small armchair that was nearby. “The kettle is on the stove now, your tea will be ready soon.” Marshall nodded absently and let himself drift back to sleep.

Nina had been working with Marshall for a while now. Nina used to help his wife, Cathy, with their farm stand as a child. When Cathy passed, Nina felt it was only right that she keep an eye on Marshall. Nina watched as he slept. His features were surrounded by harsh frown lines. His hair, though thinning, was silver and quite a sight for those who didn’t know him. The man was cursed with unrelenting bedhead. He stood at a staggering six foot five and looked as if he had never eaten a proper meal a day in his life. However, he looked well for a man in his late sixties but the passing of his wife had certainly hardened Marshall. Nina wasn’t sure she had ever seen the man smile since Cathy’s death. A small frown crept onto her face. She had remembered him to be so happy when she was younger. She had played out on that pond with Marshall’s grandchildren over the holidays when she was growing up. The abrupt screaming from the tea kettle shook her of her thoughts, and caused quite a stir from Marshall.

“Good lord woman! Pay attention to the bloody stove! I’ll not have you burning my house to the ground!” Nina apologized softly, stifling a small giggle as she did. She had poured the water into a mug and placed the tea bag in before Marshall scuffed past her to look out the kitchen window. “I see the sun is still hiding.” Nina hummed in agreement, but a sudden idea caused a big smile to form.

“Well, since the weather looks like it’s going to stay the same, why don’t we go for a walk? The snow is perfect for walking in and the cold isn’t too bitter.” Marshall immediately protested.

“I will not go out and get pneumonia because you think I need a walk!” Marshall scoffed at the thought but quickly recounted his moment before Nina had arrived. Do I always sound so grumpy? The question echoed in his mind as he watched Nina sigh dejectedly. “Actually,” Nina perked up. “On second thought, a walk might do me some good.” Nina smiled as she grabbed his coat and hat. Marshall took his time putting his things on, so Nina took it as an opportunity to search for something. Once Marshall was ready, he walked out of the backdoor and into the frozen tundra that was his backyard. Nina had yet to join him outside so he decided to walk on without her - though it didn’t take long for her to catch up to him. Once by his side, Nina swung an old cloth bag over her shoulder but said nothing about why she had it. Marshall curled a brow in confusion but did not bother to question the spritely brunette. She had always been spirited, even in her youth. He remembered seeing her playing with his grandchildren, it almost caused him to smile. By the time his thoughts were back to the present, he realized where he was. He turned his gaze to what Nina had placed by his feet. Ice skates? He couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. He picked them up and made his way over to Nina, who had sat under the tree close by and was lacing up her skates. She stood with confidence and made her way over to the frozen sheet of ice. Once he had secured his skates, Marshall slowly stood and made his way to the pond. Nina had been gliding across it effortlessly. It reminded him of his wife when they first purchased the house.

A light snowfall painted the ground beneath their feet in white. Cathy had been giggling, her tongue sticking out of her mouth as she attempted to catch the falling snow. Her auburn hair speckled with white snowflakes. Marshall smiled, he had never seen anything more beautiful than her. Cathy took his hand and pulled him to follow her, stopping once she reached the pond. Marshall tripped and slipped, failing to keep up with her. As he stumbled into her, she grabbed his face and pulled him into a kiss. The small pond glistened in the golden light of the setting sun. It illuminated his wife’s freckled face that had turned red from the cold. He smiled. She was his forever.

Nina watched as Marshall stood in place, eyes full of tears. She slowly approached him and enveloped him in a hug. Marshall looked down at the young woman. He couldn’t help but smile. Nina stood back, gasping softly as she witnessed it. He was smiling. He sniffled, wiping his eyes, then placed a hand on Nina’s shoulder.

“How about you help me remember how to get around on these things, hmm?” Nina nodded with excitement and linked her arm around his. Slowly and cautiously the two made their way onto the ice. Once he was comfortable and balanced, Marshall closed his eyes. Nina took his hands and pulled him gently, skating slowly around the pond. He could see Cathy smiling. He opened his eyes and let out a boisterous, happy laugh. Nina felt like she was witnessing the impossible. Who knew this little pond could do so much? As Marshall let out another laugh, Nina watched as the sun began to peak through the clouds. The sunlight danced off the frozen pond, causing it to sparkle. Nina almost saw the same sparkle in Marshall’s eyes. He was happy, for the first time in a very long time, and she had been there to witness it. She smiled to herself.

Now to tackle that hair of his...