ice ice baby

It was snowing, but of course the library didn't close. Ian guessed he was used to this now. But it was his first year to really drive in it. Only he'd walked today because he lived close, and he wanted to be in the snow. He brought a trash bag of yarn. His step-mom's. She was going to take it to Salvation Army, but she hadn't yet. He thought Josie might could use it. She set up a little table in the children's area every Sunday afternoon to help kids learn to crochet and knit.

"My God, that's a lot of yarn." She was surprised. As it was, she had her dark hair hidden under one of her own creations. Josie was a rather creative sort. She was crocheting little squares, already.

"Can you use any of it?" He wondered.

"Well, of course." She smiled. "What do I owe you?" Josie just gazed at him as if he'd made her day.

"Nothing. Really. My-my mom doesn't have time to crochet or knit or what ever it is you do with this stuff." He felt like having a melt down that he'd let the word Mom slip.

She looked at the black fingerless glove on his left hand. "He hated them, didn't he?" She looked a bit off kilter then as if she were mad at someone.

"Oh, no, no..I was just bugging Derrick about them. How he got a pair and I didn't." Ian managed a smile then.

"I see." She turned to the empty table.

"How much would another cost?" He wondered.

"I don't mind making you a pair." She told him.

"Well, could they be mittens. I would pay you." He told her.

Josie smiled as if she was happy with that idea. "I never made mittens."

"Sorry." He walked off then to get to work even if it were so quiet. It was just the two of them in the children's area. Ian really couldn't understand why Derrick didn't like her.