Familiar as Breathing

The drive up to the lake was as familiar to Claire as breathing. The family had made the drive so often that she knew every twist and bend in the road before the car even took them. Claire knew exactly when in the drive to anticipate the sharp left turn in the road and the moments when she’d need to hang on tight to the book in her lap and drink in the cupholder. She knew exactly when the Watertown water tower would be visible over the trees. She always recognized the foliage covering the sign for where to turn into the cottage’s driveway no matter what time of year it was. 

            Claire’s dad, Steven, was white knuckled as they were making their way down the freeway. He needed this break. They all did. Steven had just been promoted at his job with the insurance company which meant long hours and sleepless nights. Claire’s mom, Sylvia, was a nurse and was always stressed about her patients. Claire’s brother, Dylan, just turned 12 and had hit puberty hard in the last 6 months. Everything from acne, his voice breaking, and excessively long amounts of time spent in the bathroom were putting the whole family on edge. Needless to say, they could use this weekend away at the cottage. 

Claire’s dad’s parents, her papa and nana, bought the cottage back in 1965. Papa had a good job with the bank and he had always wanted a place to get away from the city. Built in 1982, the cottage had a good solid foundation and papa had always worked hard on any restorations that it needed. He valued the time his family could get away to this special place and be together. Since he retired back in ’07, papa had even more time free to spend up at the cottage. Nana was always with to make sure the house was clean inside and to feed papa. Nana had always been a stay at home mom and felt at home in the kitchen where she often experimented with creative twists on old recipes. 

            Nana’s presence and the smell of her cooking made the cottage feel warm and comforting, a true escape from the city. Nana’s homemade bread in the oven was the smell that Claire and her family walked into when they finally made their way up the steps and into the front door.

            “Ooh, what’s for supper nana?” Dylan asked.

            “Just you wait, Dilly-bar. Go put your stuff away and help your dad get the rest of the bags out of the car,” nana insisted. Dylan did not allow anyone but nana to use pet names with him anymore. He was 12 after all, and not a little kid anymore.

            “Hey, mom, need any help in here?” Steven asked as he entered the kitchen, arms extended and weighted down with several of the families’ bags. 

            “Oh no I’m all good. Claire can help with anything I do need” nana responded to her son’s inquiry.

            Sylvia was out in the front yard. The minute they opened the doors at the cottage, Claire’s mom always headed right for the landscaping that she had helped with a few years back. Now that nana and papa were of an age, Sylvia saw to it that the maintenance of the cabin was done by her and Steven. And whatever they couldn’t accomplish, they hired out for. It was worth it to keep this place the paradise and escape that the whole family needed it to be. 

            In the kitchen, Claire began unpacking the bag of groceries that Dylan had brought in from the car. Claire and Dylan were allowed to pick one meal while they were up here for the weekend. Of course, they chose nana’s famous chicken and dumplings. It was what nana always made on the weekends when the whole family was up at the cottage together. It wouldn’t be a weekend away without it.

            As Claire began rummaging through the fridge, making space for the food they brought, she noticed a set of keys on the shelf.

            “Nana, what are these doing in here?” Claire asked.

            “Oh my. Who in the world would go and do such a thing as that?” Nana swiped the keys from Claire, a smile on her face and crossed her eyes at her goofily. “Coo-coo” Nana chirped as she made a circular gesture with her right hand close to her temple.

            Claire finished putting away the groceries and was about to walk away when she noticed her grandma staring into the mixing bowl, half full of what looked like flour, sugar, and baking soda. 

            “Need any help, nana?” “No thanks sweets. You just go on up and put your things away. Tell the others dinner will be ready soon.”

            As Claire walked up the stairs to the little bedroom on the left with the bunk beds that her and Dylan had to share at the cottage, Claire felt a sense of unease in her stomach. A feeling that she just couldn’t quite name. Claire unzipped her suitcase, opened the dresser drawers, and carefully placed her clothes inside. Although they were only staying for a weekend, Claire liked to keep her things neat and tidy. 

            Once her clothes and toiletries were unpacked, Claire crossed the hallway and stopped into the room at the cottage her parents shared. 

            “Hi Claire-bear,” her dad said in his sing-song voice upon her arrival, “did nana need any help?”

            “No. She told me to go up and unpack my stuff” Claire responded.

            “Claire, honey, can you please make sure Dylan doesn’t just throw his clothes on the floor? You know nana doesn’t like it when he trails a mess around after him” Claire’s mom conveyed seriously, eyebrows raised, peering at Claire over the top of her glasses. The clearest sign that her mother meant business.

            “Fine…” Claire said in a huff as she stomped out of their bedroom and back down the stairs. She cut through the kitchen on her way to the living room which is where she assumed Dylan would be. Claire did a double take as she walked through the kitchen however, because nana was in the exact same spot, staring into the exact same mixing bowl, with the same ingredients inside, waiting to be made into a fantastic edible creation.

            “Nana?” Claire meekly squeaked out as she slowly crept closer to her nana. Nana did not move. Once Claire was within an arm’s length of nana, nana finally spoke. “I don’t know what comes next” nana quietly responded.

            “Well that’s okay. Where’s the recipe? I can look and help you figure it out” Claire cheerfully responded, problem solving for her nana. 

            “I don’t use recipes, sweets. I’ve been baking since I was 9 years old” nana stated.

            “Okay, well what’s in the bowl already?”

            “Umm... this white stuff? What’s it called again?” nana asked.

            “You mean, the flour?” Claire responded.

            “Oh yes. Flour, and it looks like there’s sugar and baking soda in here.” Claire watched as nana stirred the bowl slightly with the wooden spoon sitting nearby. Claire noticed a look of knowing come back to her nana’s eyes as she looked up from the bowl and looked directly at Claire.

            “I’m scared,” Nana whispered to Claire. 

            “It’ll be okay, Nana” Claire reassured her as she grabbed her hand, “I’m here. I can help you.”