Bridges

I love mint tea, it smells like gum." Mary sniffed the foil envelope, and dunked her bag into the boiling water.
Patty nodded in agreement.
Mary continued, "you know not bubble gum, but like double-mint".
"I gathered that much" she said. " are all your things packed?"
"Uh huh"
"Good"
Patty pushed back from the counter where she was leaning,
"I have a few things left to do"
She rinsed her cup out and placed it in the  strainer, then with a quick nod towards her daughter she walked out of the kitchen, calling out behind her. "I want to leave within the hour".
Mary surveyed the kitchen and sighed, "oh well, at least I won't have to clean you for a few months."

As they drove through the canyon to her Aunt’s house, Mary worried that the summer might be a little dull. She loved her Aunt Dani but only had her before in small doses before, after a while she thought making things like lavender pillows and dandelion tincture might get a little old. She wished she could go with her mother, but Patty assured her she would be really bored in Fresno. She was going there for a medical conference where her mother would become more informed on third world diseases. It sounded fascinating to Mary, but Mom could not be persuaded.

Patty steered the car,  crawling in and out of the shadows cast on the blacktop by the over grown oaks. Mary lost in her thoughts, was only vaguely aware of the light and dark as it played upon her face, lulling and hypnotizing her into deep thought. Lost there, she was surprised when her Mother swung the car wide and stopped in front of Aunt Dani's house. The house was back a bit from the road, and even though it sat in the shadows of the pines that surrounded it, it was cheerful and looked expectant, like it was waiting for her.