by R.J. Shie

Created on: October 26, 2008   Last Updated: March 07, 2012

Rachel Wood

"Dad, don't forget I'll be late tonight. There is some leftover meatloaf in the fridge," said Rachel Wood hopping on one foot, while putting a shoe on the other one.

"Ray, you said that you would watch the fight with me tonight. Terry Marsh is coming out of retirement." Neil Wood sometimes acted more like Rachel's child than her father.Rachel leaned over to kiss her fathers cheek as he sat where he always sat in his recliner in front of the TV. She loved the man but he sometimes worked her nerves. She could not seem to get him up and out. "I am sorry Dad but we have a staff meeting after work. They don't let me chose the times for those. Record it for me and we can watch it tomorrow" she reasoned.

"By then I'll know who won. What fun will that be?" Neil whined.

"Well, you can taunt me then." Rachel was confident in the way that she handled her father. She had learned it from her mother who always knew the right things to say to appease him.

"Damn right I will!" There was excitement in his voice.

Out on the street, there was a stiff wind. Rachel turned up the collar on her suit jacket. She was thinking that she should have brought an overcoat, but she was late for work and did not want to go back again. She would just have to be cold. It seemed that winter was coming early this year. She hated winter in Maine. It was so endless. She wished that she could live in Florida
or someplace else that was warm all the time. Forced to walk to work because her clunker of a car was in the shop again, Rachel hurried. By the time that she made it to the office, she was freezing. A hot cup of tea was in order.

On her desk was the usual flower arrangement from Tommy Sterling. It came every week with a marriage proposal. Every week, the answer was no. Sitting down at her desk with the tea, she took a sip and let the hot liquid warm the insides of her throat and stomach. Part of her wanted to tell Tommy yes. He was a fine man, a local contractor. He earned a modest but adequate living. He was not unattractive and Rachel knew that he would treat her well.

It was just that there seemed to be no challenge to life anymore. She wanted to solve mysteries and be absorbed in people of complexity. Everything in Orono was simple. It was as if the fight had been knocked out of everyone. She could marry Tommy, buy a house, squeeze out a few puppies, maybe join the PTA and then her children would grow up and do the same thing. "What's the point?" She asked herself out loud. She

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