"A season pass!" he cried happily when he realized what
it was. "Now I can come up anytime I want-or anytime I
can get a ride. Thanks, Mom! You're the best!"
"So, tell me Spence," she said as they walked through the
packed snow toward the main lodge. "Are you glad we
moved up here now?"
"Are you crazy?" He threw back his head and laughed
loudly. "Of course 1am!"
She had decided to pass on skiing today, choosing to
remain by the fire in the main lodge while Spencer practiced
his snowboarding. She'd brought along a novel to keep her
company, but instead found herself people-watching and
chatting with various friends from town. All in all, it was a
very relaxing afternoon. Yet, as much as she appreciated this
leisurely moment, she was also starting to look forward to
having the pace pick up when Barry and Rebecca showed up.
Even now she found herself making a mental list of last-
minute things she would do tomorrow morning before they
arrived in the afternoon. As she was making this list, it
occurred to her with some alarm that she had not gotten
Leah a Christmas present yet. She had done the bulk of her
gift shopping during the time when Leah had been holding
her at a cool distance, and had probably subconsciously
blocked her from her mind. Well, it certainly wasn't too late
to get something. She wondered what Leah would like-it
needed to be something extra special.
That night before bed, Maggie remembered the ring her
mother had given to her on her sixteenth birthday, some-
thing of a family heirloom. It had belonged to her great-
grandmother-the one who'd come over from Italy almost a 288Melody Carlson
hundred years ago. Maggie had enjoyed the ring during her
high school and college days, but hadn't worn it for years.
She opened an old jewelry box she'd had since childhood
and picked up the ring wrapped safely in a piece of flannel.
The band was of gold, formed to look like a delicate vine
with a ruby set like a flower in its center. It probably wasn't
terribly valuable, although she knew it was worth some-
thing, but its real value to her was in the family history, and
those memories of wearing it during the irreplaceable days
of stepping into adulthood. She pushed the ring onto her
finger and discovered it was slightly tighter than she remem-
bered, then, afraid it would become stuck, she quickly pulled
it off and set it on her dresser. Tomorrow she would discuss
her idea with Audrey.
The house seemed to spring into action the moment
Rebecca and Barry burst through the doors. The lights
seemed brighter, the laughter giddier, the music merrier. After
a delicious dinner of Audrey's famous homemade ravioli,
Rebecca suggested they all take a walk outside to enjoy the
moonlit snow, a walk which quickly escalated into a robust