The Heart in Winter
At
The House of Four Seasons
by Atonia
Part 3
The house was getting ready for the holidays but John was anxiously watching the pond. Toni told him about the water fall and they walked down as close as they could on the icy rocks, the water had stopped falling. He was ready for the pond to freeze and indeed ice was forming but it would be another month before he could safely skate on it. Meanwhile he’d been in Gloucester again and was on the roster for players.
He was always careful about the information he gave about himself, trying not to give anyone any ideas about who he really was. He’d had to use his magic more than once, it seemed hockey was a favorite sport around there and long cold winters brought people inside with their DVD players.
John was an affable likeable fellow and soon made friends. Toni was always a little nervous especially when wives were involved. She was Toni Biebe to all they had met and when asked where they lived she told them they had a cottage by the sea and let it go, not giving any details which frustrated the women.
“It’s easy for you, guys just talk hockey, women want intimate details of your daily life.” She’d told him on a drive back to the house. “Fred’s wife is trying to finagle an invite to dinner.”
John turned and smiled as he pulled through the gates, “maybe you should invite them, give them something else to talk about.”
“I don’t think so. How would I explain this place, it’s not like we’re millionaires or anything.”
“Ah the old rich uncle trick.”
“That wouldn’t work, they’d want to know who he was and why they didn’t know him…no I’m going to back off of that and the women a little.”
He turned off the motor and looked over at her, “you don’t miss having friends Toni?”
“Oh sometimes, sometimes I think I’d like to talk to another woman about my life, but I can’t can I, that’s why I write John. I would be nice to live like other people but I made my choice and I have to live with it. I can’t imagine giving up what I have and that includes you, nothing is worth that.”
He sighed and opened the car door, sometimes the burden of what she’d done rested heavy on his shoulders. If he hadn’t kissed her that day in the snow.
She came around the car and slipped her arm around his waist as they walked to the house.
Toni went to make a pot of coffee and John went to the fireplace glancing around the living room. The pine and red roses from their wedding were the decorations this year. He looked over in front of the window where the tree usually took center stage. There was no tree so far this year, he’d have to talk to her about that, did they really need one? Maybe he’d take her somewhere for Christmas, somewhere special.
Toni brought him a cup of coffee and sat down on the sofa.
“Toni what would you think about going somewhere for Christmas, you know like some neat old inn somewhere.”
“An inn? I’d like that John that would be sweet.”
“Sweet eh, I’ll see what I can find.” He took a sip of his coffee, the idea growing, “yeah I’d like that.” He felt a little guilty about the hockey and figured he needed to do something special for her.
Later he got on Toni’s computer and made reservations for the two of the at The Governer’s House in Portsmouth, NH. He was going to try and keep it a secret as to where they were going.
He came out of her work room, she was on the sofa watching TV. “It’s done Toni, we’re going away for Christmas.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m not gonna tell you.” He finally noticed the painting by her vanity, “where did this come from?”
“Terry bought it for me, we went to Cape Cod.”
“It’s nice, yeah warm weather, I never have that you know. When I leave here and go back to Alaska it’s winter still. I’m stuck in winter all the time.”
“You are winter.”
“I know but once in awhile I think I’d like to dip my toes in the ocean.”
Toni bit her lip, she wished he could. “We do get some warm weather usually before you leave.”
“Yeah a taste of it anyway.” He settled in next to her.
He rested his arm around her shoulders, “you get on with Terry okay, have a good
fall?”
Toni turned to him, “yes, very good.”
“Summer go okay?”
Toni smiled, “what is it John?”
Toni looked down at her hands, “I told you about spring.”
“I know you did but you didn’t tell me about summer and fall, you married them, why didn’t you tell me?”
“How do you know this?”
“I don’t know but I do, I feel a strong bond there. It didn’t used to be this strong I’ve felt since we married. Don’t start asking me about magic.”
“I’m not asking anything John. Yes I did marry, and each is the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. But you John you did do it right you and I had a proper wedding, I will never forget it sweetheart, never. Honey I don’t think it’s right to talk about what happens during other seasons…”
“I’m not asking for details of your relationships, I just said I thought I had a right to know that everything was good with you. You think I don’t care what happens when I’m not here, I do, I’m not trying to be nosey Toni. Some things are important for me to know.”
“I never thought you were John.”
“Why couldn’t you tell me about the marriages?”
“Why is that important to you?”
“I’ll tell you why…I don’t think you understand what you have done. This can’t be changed Toni, not ever, you’ve got Max and Terry and Me forever. I know it happened I feel it inside. Thank goodness I came through for you…you just don’t know what is happening.”
“I never wanted to influence you in any way I wanted you to come through on your own and you did, I never doubted for one moment that you wouldn’t. Maybe I don’t understand what is happening, I don’t know all about magic. I just know I love you and I’m proud of you and what you have done.
“What if I didn’t ask you to marry me?”
“But you did and that’s all that matters. Nothing else John you and I are one, you’ve made that perfectly clear to me. I didn’t tell you because I think there had to be some privacy. I didn’t realize the marriages were that important.”
“They are and somebody more informed than me will have to explain it to you. I asked you because I love you and I never wanted to be parted from you..” She still did not understand and he couldn’t tell her.
Toni didn’t understand why he was getting so upset over her not telling him. After all the marriages had nothing to do with him, did they? He’d pulled away to the other side of the sofa. She slowly slid her hand over to his and he took it. “We aren’t having an argument are we John?”
He brought her hand to his lips, “No, we aren’t.” he looked over at her, “but if you want to come over here and make up?”
Toni grinned and scooted over and sat in his lap. “I’m sorry sweetheart.”
“How sorry?”
She kissed him.
“I should spank you.”
“You should, you really should.”
“Don’t tempt me,” He picked her up and dumped her in the middle of the bed and jumped on top of her for a very satisfying wrestling match.
Christmas spent at the Governer’s House Inn was a memorable one. Other than that night in the hospital they had never spent a night away from the house. It was a hour and a half drive and they left around noon on Christmas Eve. Plenty of time to get there and enjoy the festive evening. They were home by noon the next day, with fifteen minutes to spare.
John had been conversing back and forth with Fred about the hockey team now that he had his mobile phone. She heard it ring one morning around nine o’clock and he answered. She went out the back door to put some bread crumbs out for the few birds that refused to go south for the winter and she heard her car start up. By the time she reached the front of the house the back end of her jeep was going through the gates.
She was horrified and ran after him. What was he thinking? She ran upstairs to send him a text message from her computer wishing she had a phone. It was over an hour before he answered her message, she hadn’t moved from the screen.
“Jst pck up gr, bck sn, lv u” She sat reading his cryptic message. How could he do this? He’d gone into Gloucester to pick up his hockey gear alone. She was waiting for him at the door when he came back carrying a huge canvas bag.
“John, how can you do this?”
“I wasn’t gone that long Toni, I guess I should have told you where I was going. There’s a game on Saturday.”
“But you left the property by yourself.”
“I’m a big boy,” he remarked as he passed her into the entryway.
“You know what I’m talking about John.” She closed the door and leaned against it.
“I do yes. I can come and go with the same restrictions you have.”
“Oh you can, how do you know this?”
“I just know, remember when I came this year I told you I was outside the gates…I just know things Toni.”
“If you ever do anything like that again tell me before you leave and leave the keys for that Chevy of yours in case I need to come get you. You scared me John.”
“I’m sorry sweetheart, I’ll do better I will.”
The next day Toni went into town and bought herself a phone and tied it into her computer service and John’s phone. She was beginning to realize the strength of his magic. It worried her a little.
Two days before John was to leave at the end of February the house began preparations for spring. A room enlarged and outfitted was underway at the end of the hallway. Several times John had stomped down the hall telling the house to knock it off, he was trying to watch a game in his room and the noise was bothering him.
Toni came upstairs as he was returning to his room, “what is going on with you?”
“It’s like the damn house can’t wait for me to leave.”
“Nonsense, it’s trying to make a permanent room down there, that doesn’t happen overnight.”
He went into his room and Toni followed him, “what else is bothering you?”
“Ah same old thing I guess, I don’t want to leave I never do, you know?”
“Yes I know, I never want you to either.” She sat on the arm of his recliner, “especially this year I’m worried about spring.”
“Why?”
“Afraid he won’t come.”
“He won’t have a choice, he has to come.”
“That only makes it worse.”
“You don’t have anything to worry about Toni, he’ll come and he’ll want to be here.”
She slid off the arm of the chair into his lap, “John nothing and no one is trying to push you out darling.”
“I know that Toni, honestly I do, it was the noise that’s all.” He kissed her softly and looked up at his TV.
He left on the morning of the 28th of February driving through the gates as he had done when he came. He turned right instead of left that would take him down to the main highway. TBC