A TANGLE OF LIGHT 

By Tessa Harvey


        With a small cry of pain, Adrienne raced forward and placed her arms around her grandmother, startling them all. "Nana," she cried, sounding shocked, "what has happened to you? You were great when I saw you on my birthday! Are you ill?" Her tears began to fall. The stress of her parents' strange discordant marriage, the fright she had had in the storm and Jono's increasing dominant presence overwhelmed the young student.
    Ava straightened up. The change was remarkable. The absent expression, the hostility were gone. She felt needed again and responded instinctively.
    Damien noticed grey clouds approaching, the wind increasing. "We need to get inside," he stated, smiling at the three women. "Come on, Mrs. Hopper, I could use your help and so could my wife, I think!" Ava responded with a nod.
"May I lock your car, sweetheart?" Adrienne passed him the keys gratefully. They hurried inside and Damien wound up his window, checked both vehicles, looked up saying "Thank you Lord," as the first chilly raindrops began to fall and the distant hills were obscured in curtains of rain.

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