Outside the wind whistled, steadily rising to a howl. She shivered and lowered her eyes, sloshing her hands in the suds.

        "So, as I told you already," she said, washing a plate with a stained towel. "I told him that I'd get out if he was going to be that way." Her wide lips formed into a half smile, causing her doubled chin to rise and tighten. A strand of her coal black hair had fallen over her eyes and bobbed on her pointed, arched nose. "Hm." She inspected the clear plate, shrugged to herself, and placed it in the drying rack by the sink. "What do you think, mother?" She turned. "Was I harsh?" She leaned her back against the counter, wiping her hands on her faded jeans.

        "You know him best," Evelyn Pinteel said soberly, exhaling a puff of smoke. She twisted her thick lips, inching her way to the edge of the foldout chair. "I never understood 'em." She scratched her scalp, nudging her fingers amidst her thick, curly-grey hair. "He's not very. . ."

        "He'll be real mad when he finds I'm not home." Kerry swiped her hair away from her face. "Real mad." She crossed her arms. "Can you finish the rest of the dishes? I'm beat."

        "Was it a good idea to run on over here?" Evelyn spread her arm across the circular table, wrapped her fingers around the aluminum ashtray, and moved it closer, ashing her cigarette. "I haven't been feeling so good lately. I don't want Harry comin' over."

        "Don't you worry, mother. He ain't gonna come here. Can I have one?" She pointed at the pack of cigarettes on the table.

        Evelyn shook her head. "I only have a few left. Didn't you bring any?"

        "I forgot." Kerry untucked her plaid flannel shirt from her jeans. It fell around her wide hips, and wrinkled around her thighs. "Harry wants me to quit. So I'm not gonna."

        "Oh." Evelyn put her cigarette out and waved her arms to clear the smoke.

        "I need one." Kerry snatched the pack of cigarettes from the table and removed one, placing it between her lips. "I think I have a light." She buried her hand in her pocket. "Yep, here we go."

        "You're not staying the night." Evelyn sighed, rubbing her chest, folding her polyester, floral print shirt. "I can't have you running over here whenever you and Harry get in. . ."

        "He should be home right about now. The Quickie-Mart closes at eleven." Kerry smiled, revealing her crooked, yellowed teeth. "He won't have a dinner tonight."

        "Did you let Tabitha out when you came over?" Evelyn stood, her brown slacks scratching together. "I don't let her out in the cold." She walked out of the kitchen, slapping her bare feet on the fading linoleum, and into the television room. "Tabby?" She called, speaking softly. "Where are you?" She bent over the tattered, brown and black loveseat, and peered beneath. "Come here girl." Darkness. She stood, wheezing, her back cracking. "Oh no," She whispered, covering her dry lips with her hand.

        "You're phone works still, right?" Kerry said from behind. "I thought for sure Harry would have called. I bet he's drunk again." She sat on the loveseat, exhaling a puff of smoke.

        "Did the cat run between your legs?"

        "I didn't see the darn thing. Will you bring me the ashtray?" She rested her arms on the back of the couch.

        Evelyn brought the ashtray from the kitchen and handed it to Kerry. "I'll look in my room." She started for her bedroom, walking quickly down the narrow hallway. "Will you look on the porch?" She said to Kerry. Kerry didn't move.

        Evelyn got down on her knees, glancing around her room. Her hands were rolled into fists, and her mouth was dry. "Tabby?" She checked under the bed, in the closet, and went back into the hallway. "I can't find her. She must of gotten out."

        "The cat'll be fine." Kerry had put her cigarette out, and was leaning back with her arms crossed over her head. "You worry too much."

        Evelyn crossed the room to the front door, arms dangling at her sides. She unlatched it and pulled it open. The hinges creaked.

        "Mother! It's freezing." Kerry hugged herself, wincing as a gush of icy air swept into the room. "Close the door."

        "Tabby?" Evelyn was saying. Snowflakes melted on her face. "Come here." The wind answered.

        "Close it!" Kerry shouted. "Mother."

        Evelyn closed the door.

        "If you didn't open that door like you do, you wouldn't be complaining about your power bill all the time." Kerry checked her watch. "Why hasn't he called?"

        "If anything happens to her," Evelyn paused, sitting in the maroon reclining chair. "Your father would never forgive me."

        "Not like he's here to do anything about it. Now it's cold."

        Evelyn rubbed her eyes. They were wet.

        "Did I tell you that Harry was going to hit me?" Kerry was sitting up, facing her mother, her hands cupped around her knees.

        "No." Evelyn's eyes were on the tan carpet.

        "He didn't though. He was gonna. I could tell." She nodded to herself. "And did I tell you that he was an hour late from work the other day? An hour here, an hour there. It adds up, you know. Where is he?"

        "I don't want him coming."

        "Is that him?" Kerry bolted to the window. She spread the curtains. "Yeah. He's here. Oh, tell him I don't want to see him." She disappeared down the hall.

        Outside a car door slammed.

        Evelyn batted her eyes.

        Footsteps on the front porch. Coughing.

        "Hello, Eve." He was in the house, towering over his mother in law. "Sure is coming down out there. Had to do twenty the whole way here."

        "Oh," Evelyn said, not making eye contact.

        "Cold too." Harry swiped snow from his black, leather jacket, and slid his hands over his light brown hair, melting the lingering flakes. His stubby nose twitched as he began to speak. "Can I see her?"

        Evelyn shrugged.

        "What she thinking walking all this way in the blizzard? She down there?" He pointed down the hall.

        Evelyn nodded.

        "She's crazy, I tell you." He walked around Evelyn and sat on the loveseat. The springs groaned. "You have a cigarette?"

        Evelyn shook her head.

        "There's new licenses now. I saw one in the store tonight." He ran his fingers through his curly beard. His needled eyes remained on Evelyn. "Don't know why New York keeps changing 'em."

        "Did you see Tabitha?" Evelyn lifted her head. Her eyes were red. His were distant.

        "Sure didn't."

        She firmed her lips.

        "What are you doing here?" Kerry entered the room. She was blowing her nose with a shred of toilet paper.

        "Come home." Harry stood, holding out his large hands. "Storm's bad. We have to go." His voice was husky, deep.

        "Nope. I'm staying here tonight. You ought to think about how you been treating me." She sniffled. "I gotta help mother with the dishes."

        Evelyn eyed the picture on the mantle. It was a framed elderly man. He was smiling, dressed in camouflage, holding a trophy with a shotgun in his other hand.

        "You gotta come clean the trailer." Harry stepped closer to Kerry. "I come home from work and it's trashed. I knew you wouldn't leave me. You think I'm stupid? Get your coat."

        "The way you act ain't gonna change things." She crossed her arms, wadding the toilet paper between her fingers.

        "I ain't drunk, am I? I drank nothing tonight."

        "You did."

        "Uh-uh. Lets go. I got you a bag of them cheese puffs." He reached for her arm.

        "The big bag?" She twisted, avoiding his touch.

        Evelyn went into the kitchen.

        "A really big bag." He touched her shoulder.

        "You should have got two."

        "I won't drink tonight." He pulled her close. "Can't make any promises after that."

        "You're doing this for me?" She took his hand off her shoulder. "Not much of a favor."

        "Lets get home. I'm hungry. And storm's bad." He lowered his arm. "Get your coat."

        "It's in the kitchen. But I'm staying."

        "No, you're not."

        "Harry?" Evelyn was drying her hands with a towel, standing in next to the front door. "You think you can look around outside for Tabby?"

        "Whatever. I'll look when I go."

        "You could go now." Kerry walked around Harry, brushed passed her mother, and went into the kitchen for another cigarette.

        "Don't touch those," Evelyn ordered. "I only got two."

        Kerry dropped the pack. "Fine."

        "Get your coat," Harry said in the background.

        "I said I'm staying."

        "Put on your damn coat and. . ."

        "Just do it," Evelyn said, tossing the towel on the counter.

        Kerry's mouth opened. "What?" She asked Evelyn.

        "I said for you to go with him."

        "Oh, thanks, mother." She was still, eying Evelyn. "Fine." She snatched her pink and blue coat from the table and stuffed her arms into the sleeves.

        "Finally." Harry went to the door and opened it. "Come on. I'm starving here. Storm ain't gonna wait." He went onto the porch.

        "I'm your daughter," Kerry huffed, passing Evelyn.

        "And I'm your mother," Evelyn said under her breath, shaking her head.

        Kerry followed Harry, leaving the front door open.

        Evelyn walked slowly to the mantle and stared at the man in the picture.

        "She's gone from me, David. You're all gone. Even Tabby." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

        Coldness flooded the room. She faced the open door. A gust of wind thrust it against the inside wall, rattling the dishes in the sink.

        Evelyn was still, motionless. She watched the snowflakes spiral into the trailer.