Henry's Chapter
"Are you sure you don't want the rest of the champagne?" asked Steven, as Henry and Grace stepped out onto the porch.
"No, no, we have a long drive ahead of us tomorrow," said Henry. He stopped to take in the splendor of the snow-covered campus. Maybe it was the mildness of the Idaho winter, maybe it was the overhang of the porch protecting him from any wind, maybe it was even all the champagne he had already drunk while watching the ball drop on TV, but he did not feel cold at all.
"Well, here, at least take a bottle of wine with you," said Steven, turning back into the house. "Honey, grab that bottle on the counter for Henry and Grace."
"No, that's alright, Steven," said Henry.
"Look at them," said Laura, Steven's wife, who arrived with the requested bottle. "It's like they're back in grad school all over again, arguing over which one was going to get stuck grading the Astronomy 101 finals."
Grace laughed. She had not known Henry back then, but her friendship with Laura and Steven had taken fast roots since the couple's visit to Eureka last year.
"Yes." She took the wine for her husband. "Steve, Laura, it has been a blast seeing you again." She hugged their hostess, while Henry shook his old friend's hand. "But we have to get back to the hotel and pack."
"You're driving back to Eureka?" asked Steven.
"Yes, but first we're going to stop in Salem, to see Kim's folks," said Henry.
Everyone else was quiet. Laura looked down; Steven let a pained expression cross his face for a moment, and then quickly went back to masculine neutrality.
"Grace's folks," said Grace. She was looking firmly at her husband, not with anger, but sympathy, as if she could make the painful memories go away by her efforts alone.