Emily and Hilda stood in the sunshine outside the store in White Hall. They finished their Magnum Dove Bars, put the wrappers in the trash, and took swigs from their bike bottles. Hilda swung smoothly onto her bicycle throwing her right leg over the saddle and coasted to a halt to watch Emily put her leg over her top tube and slide to a position straddling her bike. With some wobbling, she got rolling and picked up speed. Hilda waved her on and rode up alongside as they headed back toward Charlottesville on the TransAmerica Trail. Continue reading
Hampton Roads
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Friday evening, Hilda rode to Brandywine Drive. The flowers and bright green leaves were reaching their peak in the heat of the late spring. Soon, just crossing town like this would be a sweaty affair, even with the shady tree cover of the Greenbrier neighborhood. 
Hilda switched on Channel 29 News while the coffeemaker gurgled on the counter top. She didn’t watch much TV, but she would rather let Dave Rogers tell her what the weather would be than look it up on her computer. She assembled a three-egg omelette as the commercials droned on. She was not really paying attention, but she noticed that the commercial had been interrupted for breaking news. 
“It’s just above freezing, Emily. I can drive you to school.” The kitchen was bright with the sunlight reflecting from the winter wonderland in the back yard.
Emily carried her cleated racing shoes into the kitchen. She had her long-sleeved winter racing kit on, with a bright orange microfiber buff around her neck. Katharine motioned to the table and set out bacon and eggs. Emily put the bread in the toaster. 
Emily wrapped her scarf twice around her neck and stuffed it snugly in her jacket before starting down 12th Street again. The snow had come suddenly – it had been sunny and pleasant on the way to school. By the time she turned north into her neighbourhood, the white stuff was beginning to stick, in that dangerous phase where the road is most slippery. Fortunately, she did not have any turns or hills ahead, and her Schwalbe Marathoner tires were reliable going straight. 