Northern Moonlight Read Free

obligatory polite discourse, Sabrina turned her head away and returned to her book.  She wanted to bask in as much peaceful time as she could until arriving in New York City, where her garrulous sister Cara would be waiting with dozens of spitfire questions.
     
Paris was much like London in winter, with hanging mist and falling rain prevailing over ice and snow.  Back in New York, the air was clear, but a foot of snow on the ground greeted the arriving passengers.  As Sabrina carried her suitcase through Customs, she could see Cara waving in the crowd.  Trying to plaster an energetic smile on her face, Sabrina walked into the welcoming arms of her baby sister.  At twenty-five years old, Cara could have passed for Sabrina’s twin, except for her noticeably longer physique and crystal blue eyes. 
     
“Welcome home!” Cara exclaimed, giving Sabrina a European-style kiss on either cheek.
     
“Thanks!  It’s good to see you.  Let’s go.”
     
Sabrina wasted no time, walking quickly past her sister towards the parking area.  Before they exited the airport, jet lag had already begun to set in for Sabrina.  The five hour ride to Vermont had only begun, and Sabrina was already exhausted from her sister’s well-meaning, but excessive, questions.  Completely oblivious, Cara buoyantly chattered away. 
     
“Oh Sabrina, tell me everything!  Remember, I have to report all the details to Mom and Dad.  You know they really wanted to pick you up at the airport, but your trip coincided with their New Year’s vacation in Colorado, so, here I am!  What was it like in Paris?” 
     
Cara had never left the country and secretly envied Sabrina’s jet setting lifestyle. A studious young woman, Cara was a third year law student in Manhattan but swore her graduation gift to herself would be a getaway to someplace sunny and exotic.
     
Stifling a yawn, Sabrina said, “Paris was wonderful, Cara.  I’m so grateful to have spent the holidays there.  And I was able to take hundreds of photos for the magazine.”
     
“Enough about that, Sabrina!  I don’t want to hear about your work.  Tell me about France…and the French men.”
     
“Cara, I told you that Paris was wonderful.  As for the men, some twit on the plane kept me from reading by trying to flirt and asking me all sorts of inappropriate personal questions, even though he was catching a connecting flight for a business meeting in Seattle.  See, French men are no different from any other men…especially when it comes to going after what they want. Now I promise to tell you everything else once I’ve gotten some sleep.” Sabrina rubbed her temples in a circular motion, attempting to ease the mounting stress and fatigue caused by entering another time zone.
     
“Sabrina, you’re like an old lady.  I mean, first you move out of New York City.  New York City!  The most thrilling place in the world…”
     
“I beg to differ.” Sabrina sniffed.
     
“Oh, well I suppose you’d know from all the places you’ve been to.” Cara wrinkled her nose with obvious envy. “But to choose country bumpkin land.  Don’t you ever miss that Big juicy Apple?” She implored passionately.
     
“I miss Mom and Dad…and sometimes even you, Cara, shocking as that may sound.  But I love living in Vermont.  Think about it.  New York is the Empire State, and Vermont is the Green Mountain State.  New York has countless skyscrapers while Vermont has gorgeous mountains. Some people prefer a landscape of buildings, but I prefer one of mountains.”
     
Cara interrupted, “You should work for their tourism bureau with that sales pitch.  So Vermont has mountains, but what about men?”
     
“Don’t you ever think of anything other than men, Cara?”
     
“Sabrina, you’re twenty-seven.  Mom and Dad are worried about you all alone living in the middle of nowhere.”
     
“Burlington is not the middle of nowhere!  It’s the most populous city in the state.”