The Anchor

Chapter 11

The next morning, the snow fell lightly as it blanketed the ground soft snow silhouetting the early spring surroundings. Sharon pulled into the driveway and went into the house shaking the snow from the bottom of her shoes. Trevor sat drinking coffee at the dinning room table with an older man who seemed vaguely familiar.

Trevor looked up from his coffee cup and was about to say something, when the old man spoke. "Good morning, Sharon. My name is Robert Nelson. I am the former owner of this house." He extended his hand in greeting as Sharon stared suspiciously at Trevor.

"I thought that we were going to talk?" Sharon asked pointedly. "And where are the girls?"

Trevor finished another sip of his freshly brewed coffee. "Don't worry about the girls. They're at a sleep-over at Donna's house and her mom will bring them back to the house this afternoon," he said.

"Would you like some coffee? It will warm you up from the cold outside." Mr Nelson offered as he shuffled to the kitchen. "I really like what you guys have done with the place!, except for the entry way...." He opened the correct cabinet as he waited for an answer from Sharon.

"I guess..." Sharon said somewhat mystified to what was happening. "I came here to talk to my husband," Sharon said.
"And we will talk," Trevor said.

"What kind of creamer would you like in your coffee, Sharon?" Mr. Nelson asked from the kitchen.

"The peppermint mocha please..." Sharon said absently.

"Mr. Nelson, can she get that coffee to go?" Trevor asked over his shoulder. He did not want to break his eye contact with Sharon. "We are going to go for a walk," He said with a smile.

"Great idea." Mr. Nelson said, also smiling.

Mr. Nelson handed her an insulated coffee cup and headed slowly towards the front door.

Sharon was miffed that they were not alone and was becoming increasingly confused and irritated because her husband was so calm. She was there to talk to Trevor about him lying to her and what that will do to their relationship.

"Alrighty then, who's ready for a walk?" Trevor asked as he headed to the front door to open it for Mr. Nelson. He took a handful of wrapped bubble gum from the dish on his way to the door and slid them into his pants pocket. It was Sharon's favorite gum ever since she was a kid.

"Look out the window! It's snowing outside, why would we want to walk in this? And don't you need a coat, Genius?" Sharon asked smugly.

"I won't need one and neither will you," Trevor said with a smile on his face.

Trevor opened the door and the light from a sunny, early spring day came spilling through. Sharon had opened her mouth to argue that it was snowing outside when her eyes caught sight of what her own brain did not comprehend.

Trevor held the front door open as Sharon and Mr. Nelson made their way outside, then he shut the door behind him and looked at Sharon. She was in total disbelief.

"I will be back around noon. Does that work for you?" asked Mr. Nelson.

"That works for me. Have a good visit and we will see you then." Trevor said as Mr. Nelson slowly climbed down the front steps with a smile on his face.

"Have a good talk, you two." Mr. Nelson said then headed off toward downtown.

A warm, southerly breeze brushed across Sharon's face. Breaking her confused silence, Sharon exclaimed. "It was just snowing...".

"Yes, it was," said Trevor. "But now it is not. Here is this morning's paper."

He bent down and grabbed the paper, then folded it to view the front page and handed it to her. She took it from him, confusion plastered on her face. She looked at him and his smile was one of confidence and wonder.

"Read the headline..." he said, "...and the date."

"March 21,1981"