Mrs. Hansen's Arc

Chapter 2 of 14

She climbed the ladder with a tarp bundled under her arm. The section she'd covered yesterday morning already sagged in the middle, collecting snow. She should have used more rope. Should have tied it tighter. The animals below needed shelter that wouldn't collapse on them. She was halfway through tying down the second corner when she heard it — a crack like a rifle shot. The tarped section buckled inward. Snow slid off in chunks. She grabbed for the edge but the wood beneath gave way, rotten clear through. Her stomach dropped. Winter had months left to go. The animals couldn't wait for her to do this alone anymore. Mr. Hansen appeared at the base of the ladder with another tarp folded over his shoulder and the metal toolbox in his other hand. He didn't say anything about the coffee still sitting inside or the wave she'd ignored. He just climbed up and started pulling out the drill and screws. Together they hauled up the sheet of tin roofing. She held one end steady while he lined up the edges. The wind tried to rip it from their hands twice, but they held on. By the time they secured the last screw, her fingers were numb and the tin gleamed silver against the gray sky. The roof would hold now. She looked at Mr. Hansen, his face red from the cold, and felt something loosen in her chest. He still didn't understand why this place mattered to her the way it did. But he'd come out anyway. That would have to be enough for today.