Everything in the Mason house had an air of modernity about it; from the furniture to the art everything seemed to have been acquired in a single lifetime. Izzy was never sure what to think of the house itself. On one hand it made the house seem like it fit together better, planned and in order. Everything had a purpose that was easy to discern and nothing seemed placed meaninglessly or left there by happenstance. But on the other hand it seemed unnatural to her. Her home felt like it had grown up out of the land itself, slowly and gradually over lifetimes, but she couldn’t help but feel like a single storm could wash the Mason home, with its shallow roots, away overnight.

Everything in the Mason house had an air of modernity about it; from the furniture to the art everything seemed to have been acquired in a single lifetime. Izzy was never sure what to think of the house itself. On one hand it made the house seem like it fit together better, planned and in order. Everything had a purpose that was easy to discern and nothing seemed placed meaninglessly or left there by happenstance. But on the other hand it seemed unnatural to her. Her home felt like it had grown up out of the land itself, slowly and gradually over lifetimes, but she couldn’t help but feel like a single storm could wash the Mason home, with its shallow roots, away overnight.

“Now Miss…” Martha was interrupted before she could finish. “Mother is not here; please just call me Izzy,” The young lady said, some of the anger draining out of her voice to be replaced by the tired tone of one who has made a request a thousand times and knows she will have to make it a thousand more.“It would not be proper, Miss,” the older woman said with the same tone of exhaustion with the exchange.Her anger of moments ago forgotten Izzy asked, “Don’t you ever get tired of being proper?”With a smile Martha replied, “I am old; everything makes me tired.”

“Now Miss…” Martha was interrupted before she could finish. “Mother is not here; please just call me Izzy,” The young lady said, some of the anger draining out of her voice to be replaced by the tired tone of one who has made a request a thousand times and knows she will have to make it a thousand more.“It would not be proper, Miss,” the older woman said with the same tone of exhaustion with the exchange.Her anger of moments ago forgotten Izzy asked, “Don’t you ever get tired of being proper?”With a smile Martha replied, “I am old; everything makes me tired.”