Snowstorm Connection

Chapter Two

A woman who appeared to be in her late fifties entered, bearing a striking resemblance to Nora. Her questioning eyes roamed over the three men.

“Hello, I have never seen you around here,” she said, smiling broadly as she extended her hand to greet the men.

“Good evening, we stopped by to eat because of the coming storm,” Alex answered.

“Mum, I was about to close the shop when they entered. Why are you here?” Nora asked.

“Your Aunt Melissa asked me to get some of the leftover bread for her. She wants to make mac and cheese and needs breadcrumbs,” the woman replied, her eyes drifting to the bread on the counter. The men hadn’t touched the bread yet.

“The bread is for them, and I am about to make soup and tea for them, which will be paid for,” Nora said, walking away.

“Do you have a place to stay tonight?” the woman asked.

“No, we don’t. We were hoping Nora could allow us to stay here. I know it sounds impossible, but we would really appreciate it if we were allowed to stay,” Alex said.

“Stay here? How about you boys come over to my house? It’s just a few blocks away from here. You can spend the night with warm blankets and proper heating. The shop will get cold as soon as we cut off the electricity. We can’t leave it running overnight because of the outrageous electricity bill,” she explained.

“Do you mind us staying at your house, ma’am?” Alex asked, raising his eyebrows. Nora walked back, having overheard their conversation.

“Mother, we have enough people in the house. Where will they sleep? I’m sorry, I wish we could help, really. Don’t mind my mother, she can be impulsive when she wants to help people,” Nora said.

Donovan stood, towering over all of them.

“Can we start going?” he said, walking towards the door.

“What?! Mother, we can’t bring them into the house,” Nora protested, but her mother was already hurrying to shut the windows. The driver and Alex stood and helped her close up. Nora packed the bread into a plastic bag, and they all left the shop after she locked it.

They walked a couple of blocks. The temperature had dropped significantly, and just a few steps made them shiver. The house was a small bungalow with well-kept lawns adorned with Christmas lights and snow. None of them had spoken since leaving the shop. Nora rang the doorbell, and a small girl opened the door and jumped into Nora’s arms.

“Come inside,” Nora’s mother invited the men, and they entered. Donovan’s face couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction.

As the men stepped inside Nora’s cozy, yet small house, Donovan’s dissatisfaction was hard to conceal. He glanced around, taking in the cramped space and worn-out furniture.

Nora’s mother, being the warm and hospitable woman that she is, led them into the living room. The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air, emanating from the crowded space. Nora’s cousins and a few other relatives had gathered for the holiday season, seemingly unaware of or unaffected by the arrival of the unexpected guests.

Introductions were made, and the men were welcomed with open arms, much to Nora’s visible dismay. She shot her mother a disapproving look, silently pleading with her to reconsider. But her mother insisted, insisting that their guests deserved a warm place to stay during the stormy night.

As the evening wore on, Alex, and the driver mingled with Nora’s family, engaging in conversations and they shared a camaraderie Spirit. Laughter echoed through the room, momentarily creating a sense of unity.

“Where do you work?” Aunt Melissa asked. She was done preparing the Mac and cheese, and she began dishing out the food to everyone. One if the older cousins opened three bottles if cheap wine , and poured it out for everyone.

“We work in a logistics company,” Alex volunteered and Donavan glared at him.

“Your friend doesn’t talk much,” Aunt Melissa said and smiled at Donovan whole Alex nodded in agreement.

“Where were you going before you got held up by the storm?”

“To Donovan’s sister’s place, to spend Christmas there. Also She just had a baby and we were invited over,” Alex responded. He couldn’t believe that none of the recognized him nor Donovan. It was a refreshing feeling, they were being treated nicely not because of their wealth or status.

“It’s thirty minutes to Christmas,” Nora’s mother said, she and the older cousins were re-arranging the sitting room and big heavy blankets were being spread on the floor.

“I’m sorry ,we have just two rooms and both rooms are fully occupied,” Nora’s mother explained.

“It’s fine, thank you for your hospitality,” Alex said.

“You are still paying the thousand dollars,” Nora said, she was sitting in an arm chair close to the TV. The TV was running a Christmas soap opera.

“What? A thousand dollars for what?” Nora’s mother asked, stopping with the blanket arrangements.

“It’s an agreement,” Alex said and laughed. The door to the sitting room opened and a teenage girl stood at the door.

As the evening progressed, Alex and the driver mingled with Nora’s family, engaging in conversations and sharing a camaraderie. Laughter filled the room, momentarily creating a sense of unity.

“Where do you work?” Aunt Melissa asked, as she finished preparing the mac and cheese and began serving the food to everyone. One of the older cousins opened three bottles of cheap wine and poured it out for everyone.

“We work in a logistics company,” Alex volunteered, although Donavan gave him a disgruntled look.

“Your friend doesn’t talk much,” Aunt Melissa remarked, smiling at Donavan while Alex nodded in agreement.

“Where were you going before you got held up by the storm?”

“We were heading to Donovan’s sister’s place to spend Christmas there. She just had a baby, and we were invited over,” Alex responded. He found it refreshing that none of them recognized him or Donavan. They were being treated kindly, not because of their wealth or status.

“It’s thirty minutes to Christmas,” Nora’s mother announced, as she and the older cousins rearranged the sitting room and spread out heavy blankets on the floor.

“I’m sorry, but we only have two rooms and they’re already occupied,” Nora’s mother explained.

“That’s alright, thank you for your hospitality,” Alex said.

“You’re still paying the thousand dollars,” Nora interjected from her armchair near the TV, which was playing a Christmas soap opera.

“What? A thousand dollars for what?” Nora’s mother asked, pausing in her blanket arrangements.

“It’s an agreement,” Alex chuckled.

Donovan’s gaze kept wandering, observing the interactions and dissecting the scenes before him. As the night progressed, the storm outside intensified. Rain lashed against the windows, and thunder rumbled ominously in the distance. The cozy atmosphere within the house provided a stark contrast to the chaos of the storm outside.

Donovan excused himself from the lively conversation, feeling the need for some solitude and fresh air. He stepped out onto the front porch, the wind soaking him within seconds. The cold chill bit through his clothes, but he welcomed the discomfort as an escape from the disquieting atmosphere inside.

Leaning against a wooden pillar, Donovan let his mind wander. Just then, a sound caught his attention. It was faint, almost imperceptible amidst the howling wind and rain, but it made his heart skip a beat. A muffled conversation, coming from somewhere within the house. Donovan strained his ears, trying hard to decipher the words.

“Why did you lie about your job?”

“Is your friend really the heir of Hartwell’s Empire? Is that really the Donovan Hartwell?”

The voices sent a shiver down Donovan’s spine.

The door opened and Nora stepped into the rain. As she crossed the threshold, his eyes met hers, and he saw a flicker of curiosity and anger in them.

“The noise woke up my cousin, she recognized your friend, Alex and she claimed he is friends with Donovan Hartwell. The name Hartwell rings a bell, who doesn’t know the Hartwell Empire? But I guess I am just too busy with baking, calcullating how many bags of flours the shop needs and how to pay off my f*****g debt, that I happened to not know who the heir of this Empire is. She showed us your pictures, and it’s really you. That’s why you are f*****g snobbish and arrogant, you think you can scare off everybody and get what you want?” Nora said heatedly.

As Nora vented her frustration, Donovan felt a mix of anger and desire. The intensity with which she spoke only made him want her more. He moved closer to her, stopping just inches away. The temptation to embrace and kiss her was strong.

“Why are so mad that I am wealthy?” Donovan asked, his voice coarse and thick.

The door opened and a young child stood by the door.

“Mum, grandma wants you and him inside. She said you will catch a cold,” The child said and closed the door

“Mum?” He asked, almost angrily.

“I need you out of my house at the first light break tomorrow,” Nora said and walked inside.

Donovan stood there, angry and shivering in the cold. The realization that Nora was a mother lingered in his thoughts.