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."How would you feel if my life didn't follow that path? I mean …" she stumbled for a moment, "what if I never marry, never have children.How would you feel?"Katharine watched Ann's face carefully."I must admit that I've looked forward to having grandchildren running around this house someday, but," she squeezed Ann's hand and made her look up, "you must make your decisions based on what will make you happy, Ann.You can't let anyone else's expectations sway you, not even your mother's," she added with a smile.She sat back and took another sip of coffee."What brought all this on?""I guess Paul's visit was a big catalyst," Ann replied honestly."And so many of my friends are married now.I've just been thinking a lot about my future."She looked at her mother with eyes incapable of deceit, and Katharine saw a parade of emotions in them – joy, doubt, worry.She longed to reassure Ann about what lay unspoken between them, but she sensed that she needed to let Ann reach the point of being able to talk about it.Further conversation was interrupted by Owen's sleepy entrance."Good morning," he yawned."Kate, those cinnamon rolls smell heavenly," he said as he kissed her.He kissed the top of Ann's head on his way to the coffee pot."They'll be done soon," Katharine said with a smile."Ann, why don't you go see if Emily is up?""She is," came Emily's voice from the hallway as she popped into the kitchen."Who could sleep through the aroma of those rolls? Ummmm," she took another long whiff."Refills anyone?" she asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee."I'm ready for more," Ann said.Katharine did a double-take at the radiant expression on Ann's face as Emily refilled her cup."Katharine?" Emily offered, and Katharine held her cup out."How did you girls sleep?" Owen asked innocently.Katharine almost choked on her coffee as Ann's face turned a deep crimson.She looked over at Emily who was smiling at the coffee pot."We slept well," Emily came to Ann's rescue."That bed is very comfortable.""Good," Owen said, looking a little perplexed.To everyone's relief, the timer on the oven went off.After Katharine iced the warm rolls, they all ate until they hurt.After they had finished, Ann and Emily stacked the dishes in the dishwasher.Katharine then shooed everyone out of the kitchen."How about a walk?" Ann suggested."That sounds wonderful," Emily said as she rubbed her stuffed belly.They put on boots and jackets and walked down the long driveway.Emily looked over at Ann."Are you all right?"Ann stopped and looked at Emily with shining eyes."I'm very all right.Did you think I wouldn't be?""Well, you know, morning after syndrome," Emily shrugged.Ann laughed."Sorry, but you're not getting out of this that easily.You made me wait until I was sure," she took Emily's mittened hand, "so now you're stuck with me.""Gladly," Emily grinned."Come on," Ann said as she hopped the fence lining the drive.Emily followed, and they had to stoop to push their way through the drooping branches of a stand of hemlocks, which had filtered out most of the snow, leaving only a thick mat of needles."This place always felt holy to me," Ann whispered as they stopped and listened to the hushed rustle of pine boughs in the light breeze."I always felt completely enclosed in here."She sat down at the base of one of the largest trunks, a vast network of gnarled roots spreading out about the tree.Emily joined her and they sat for a while in silence."I used to pretend that this was an ancient forest with elves and gnomes and fairies," Ann remembered with a smile."You must have had quite an imagination," Emily laughed."Oh, I did," Ann agreed."I would pack myself a lunch and be out here all day, playing and pretending.""All alone?""Usually.I had no trouble making up enough characters to keep myself entertained." She turned to look at Emily."What were you like as a child?"Emily stared off as if trying to see a picture of her younger self."I liked to read a lot, but playing usually took the form of baseball, basketball or football with the boys in the neighborhood.In high school, I took up tennis and running, more individual sports.""Did you have lots of friends?" Ann asked curiously."No, lots of acquaintances, but only a couple of friends," Emily responded."We've pretty much lost touch since high school and college.My fault mostly.You probably had a huge circle of friends."Ann smiled."I'm afraid so.By the time I was in high school, I loved being involved with everything.I was on just about every school committee." She paused for a moment."But while I was in Europe and Africa, that all seemed to change.My contact with those old friends seems very superficial now.When I do see them, the conversation doesn't seem capable of moving past children or redecorating, which is okay, but if you're not at that point in your own life, there's just not much in common
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