Watching snow fall

A shiver, unrelated to the cold evening air, snaked down her spine. Her grip tightened on the wineglass, Cabernet Sauvignon, the condensation chilling her fingertips. She stood before the double doors of her master bedroom, which opened to a patio overlooking the private golf course below.

Anticipation for the snow the meteorologists had predicted filled her. They were forecasting a significant snowstorm, the worst in a decade, with twelve inches or more expected in her area, it dredged up memories of a winter long past.

` Alone in her penthouse apartment, she dismissed her staff earlier, and she began to pace. As the temperature plummeted outside, she tightened her heavy sweater, trying to ward off the chill. Thankfully, the fireplace blazed, offering some warmth. Usually, the crackling of the wood was a pleasant, soothing sound, but not tonight, it did little to comfort her. She couldn't shake the thought of the impending snow. She reached for the half-empty bottle and poured herself another glass of wine.

The howling wind outside her window brought back the memory of that dreadful night that changed her life forever. She reminisced about the last time she saw snow falling, at least a significant amount of snow, a decade ago. It was when she, her husband, and their best friends, Jenna and Ray, rented a cabin in the Pocono Mountains for New Year's Eve weekend. The weekend promised fun times: cocktails, champagne, good food, games, and a fabulous New Year. Tyra and Maurice arrived early, delighted to spend some time alone together. He had been doing double shifts in the Emergency Room for over a week. She was busy trying to meet deadlines as editor of a trending magazine.

After unpacking and staking claim to the largest bedroom, with its own bath, they carried a bottle of wine to the Zaccuzi, where they made passionate love. This weekend, surrounded by all the people she loved, was what she needed, especially to rekindle her life with the man she loves so dearly.

Jenna, Ray, and Maurice were college friends who had met and dated in their Junior year at Penn State University. Jenna, her wild-and-crazy roommate, had been her roommate since her freshman year. On the first day she met Jenna, Tyra discovered that she had no filters. Jenna, unlike Tyra, said and did whatever she felt, without caring what people thought. Tyra, who had been sheltered her entire life, thought Jenna was cool. Tyra came from a strict family whose whole life was centered around their church. Her father, Pastor Taylor, disapproved of Tyra going to college and disliked her being so far from home. None of her family witnessed her marriage to Maurice. Going away to college was more about spreading her wings and flying.

The semester was ending, exams were over, and now it was time to party. Jenna and Tyra studied hard and wanted to have fun before going home for the summer. Jenna convinced Tyra to crash a popular fraternity party. Later, Tyra was glad that Jenna had convinced her to crash the party. She literally let her hair down and let loose.

That night, Tyra met a fraternity brother and immediately fell in love. Jenna also met and fell in love that night. After that night, Tyra and Maurice were exclusive and inseparable. Jenna and Tyra didn't go home that summer. They decided to find jobs and move in together. Spending time with her best friends was the best summer ever!

Jenna and Ray got married right after graduating from Penn. Tyra and Maurice wanted to wait until Maurice graduated from Medical School. They moved into a small apartment in East Orange, New Jersey, close to the University of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark. A week after Maurice graduated from Med School, he and Tyra went to the justice of the peace. The four of them remained close friends for years and tried to see each other as often as they could.

Tyra smiled, remembering her college days. But became sullen in the lead-up to that dreadful night of the snowstorm a decade ago. She could almost feel the crisp, cold air against her cheeks, the sting of snowflakes on her exposed skin, the wind sucking the air out of her lungs, stealing her breath away. Tyra remembered that awful sound. The sound of white noise, she will never forget; it was the soft hiss whispering to her, saying, "It's too late, it's too late!"

It was approaching midnight, and the partying was in full swing, when Maurice received a call from the hospital explaining that he was needed in the emergency room. Something about being short-staffed: they required him stat. Tyra could hear him trying to convince the person on the other end of the phone that he was in the Pennsylvania Mountains, an hour or more away. He lost the battle and had to return to Newark. Disappointed, she kissed him goodbye, and he reassured her he would be back in time for breakfast. Tyra will never forget the sad look on his face as he saluted her, something he often did instead of saying goodbye. Tyra decided to go to bed, she didn't feel much like partying anymore.

At two a.m., she was awakened by the sound of ice pellets hitting her window. She fell back asleep, but at three a.m., Tyra was jolted awake again by her phone ringing. It was a staff member who worked with Maurice in the ER.

"Hello this is Doctor Skinner. Is Doctor Ransome there? We haven't been able to get in touch with him. He was suppose to have been here hours ago!"

Tyra quickly sat up in bed, "What, what did you say? Yes?" "Hello, can you hear me?" The line went dead. Outside, she could hear the wind howling. Tyra ran to her friend's room, and without knocking, she burst into the room and yelled, "Get up, get up! Maurice never made it to the hospital! We must find him!" Jenna and Ray, asleep, jumped out of bed and began asking questions Tyra couldn't answer, and she began to cry uncontrollably. Jenna wrapped her arms around Tyra, trying to console her. Through her sobbing, she managed to tell them that the line dropped when she was talking to Doctor Skinner. They each tried their phones, but the phones were dead.

Ray decided he needed to take charge, the girls were a mess. He asked Jenna to make coffee. His next decision was to walk down to the main road to look for Maurice's car. "Keep trying to call the ER, and stay calm!" Ray didn't want to alarm the women, but he figured something must have happened for him to be three hours late when it only takes an hour to get to Newark. On a cold winter night in the Pocono Mountains, in a snowstorm, two hours tops.

Gearing up for the cold weather, Ray opened the cabin's door. He was astonished to discover how much snow had accumulated and how fast and thick it was still coming down. His fear took him to a whole new level! He ventured out several feet, making his way to the main road. But the snow was too deep, and he had to return to the cabin. When he returned, Tyra had calmed down. Jenna was trying to get her to eat something, but she refused. Ray wanted to give them good news, but he couldn't lie to them, there was none to give, good or bad.

She remembered pacing back and forth, as she is now. She paused and thought about the term her therapist used in one of her sessions. It was called Post Dramatic Syndrome. Whenever there was a thought or a conversation about a snowstorm, Tyra would have a panic attack.

After much debate, Tyra, Jenna, and Ray decided to look for Maurice. Slowly, they ventured out, each tied to a rope to the other, ensuring that neither would be lost in the low visibility of the snowstorm. As Tyra walked into the storm, the freezing pellets stung her face, but, determined, she forged forward, ignoring the wind and the hissing sound that, deep down inside, she knew was hopeless. It's too late, it's too late.

A little over half an hour later, they came upon tire tracks that skidded around a curve. Tyra's heart sank. A few yards beyond, you can see where Maurice's car had apparently hit the side of the mountain and plummeted off the hill. She fainted!

Tyra reached for another bottle of wine, but decided against it. She watched as the snow began to fall. Despite her feelings, she thought it was a beautiful sight. Then she remembered what snow represented—a new beginning, a fresh start. As hard as it's been in the last ten years without Maurice, it's time to let go and heal! Enjoy God's gift of purity and transformation. It was time for her to embrace the meaning of snow.

She grabbed a bottle of water from the small fridge in her bedroom and prepared for a good night's sleep. As Tyra drifted off to sleep, she thought of making angels in the snow. Angels of mercy and God's love!