matilda oneshots i had to get out of my head

matildamas day 2: playing in the snow

hello everyone!! welcome to day 2 of our 12 days of matildamas! sorry for the gap yesterday, i did the math wrong and accidentally started a day early lol. we're on track now and updates will be daily :) sorry for any confusion :/

anyway!! enjoy day two!

————-

Matilda squints as she wakes up in the morning. She forgot to close her blinds before she went to bed, and the light from the rising sun is almost blinding.

It's almost impossible to lift her head from her pillow, but she manages and trudges sleepily over to her window. She gasps when she rubs her eyes and looks down at the ground outside.

It's completely white.

The blanket of snow shimmers like diamonds in the light of the sun, twinkling brilliantly up into Matilda's eyes as she looks far out over the horizon. No wonder it was so cold last night.

Matilda can't say she's ever really seen snow before. She's seen snowflakes, naturally. But in town everything became a grey sludge before it was any good to do anything with, and they never got much anyway.

But a little ways out in the countryside where she now lives with Miss Honey in her childhood home, apparently it sticks around.

Matilda goes rushing into Miss Honey's bedroom with hardly a second thought. "It snowed! Mummy, Mummy! It snowed!"

Miss Honey sits bolt upright in bed and rubs her eyes, looking frantically around for the source of the noise that woke her up. "What? What's happened, what's the matter?"

"It snowed!" Matilda repeats eagerly. "Come see, come see! It's so beautiful!"

Miss Honey yawns blearily as Matilda drags her out of bed and over to the window. "Mm. It is lovely."

"It's like little diamonds," Matilda says quietly. "Millions and billions and zillions of them."

"It is," Miss Honey agrees with a sleepy chuckle. "I've always thought snow looks most beautiful in the early mornings."

"I've never seen it," Matilda replies.

"Haven't you?" Miss Honey asks in shock.

Matilda shakes her head. "It never snows this much in town."

"That's true," Miss Honey acknowledges. "Well, we'll just have to go out and play in it then. Teach you everything there is to know."

Matilda looks up at her with a smile so bright it could bring back spring and tackles her in a hug.

—-

Miss Honey spends what Matilda would refer to as entirely too long making sure Matilda is bundled. Three pairs of pants, but no jeans, since denim holds moisture and would make her colder faster. Matilda appreciated learning the fact, but this many layers makes it a bit hard to walk. She has a thick, cozy sweater on beneath her big, puffy winter coat, snow boots, a hat, and a hand-knit scarf courtesy of Miss Honey's latest hobby.

"Can we go now?" Matilda asks, muffled by all the cozy layers around her mouth. Miss Honey giggles a bit as she looks at the sort of marshmallow she's inadvertently turned her daughter into, and nods.

"I think so. Let's go," she says, zipping up her own coat and tugging up the hood. Matilda waddles outside after her. As soon as she sets foot in the deep snow, her boot catches and she falls face first into the frigid crystals.

She lands with an, "Oof!" and pushes her face up, shaking her head in a ditch attempt to dislodge a few flakes.

"Are you alright, dear?" Miss Honey asks, crouching down next to her and helping her back up.

"That was fun!" Matilda cheers eagerly. Miss Honey laughs in a mix of shock and relief. "Can we make a snowman?"

"We can certainly try," Miss Honey chuckles. "I'm not sure it'll go so well, though. This snow is quite powdery, it's easier to make snowmen and snowballs and such if it has bigger ice crystals in it. We might have a better go in a few days."

"Can we try?"

"Of course," Miss Honey responds. "Have you ever made a snowman before?"

"No," Matilda responds quietly.

"Neither have I," Miss Honey replies with a soft smile.

"First time for everything," Matilda beams up at her.

It takes a bit of fiddling, and indeed, doesn't go spectacularly due to the powderiness of the snow, but they manage to make a vaguely-person shaped lump of snow they're both quite proud of. Miss Honey gathers some spare buttons from a few cardigans to make eyes, and Matilda borrows a carrot from the fridge for a classic nose. Pebbles from their now-dormant veggie garden make a handsome smile, and Matilda happily sheds her scarf to dress him.

It's more of a mound than a man by the time they decide to finish with that for the day. They take a step back and proudly admire their... creation.

"He's a bit... smushed," Matilda says sadly, tilting her head as she looks upon their snowman.

"I did warn you," Miss Honey chuckles, rubbing Matilda's shoulders fondly. "I think he's still a lovely snowman." Matilda nods. "Shall we give him a name?"

Matilda tips her head in the other direction as she mulls this over. "Edgar."

"Edgar?" Miss Honey responds.

Matilda nods. "Like Edgar Allan Poe."

Miss Honey considers this as well. "I think that's quite fitting, actually."

"He's an Edgar Allan Poe-man!" Matilda says eagerly. Miss Honey laughs and wraps Matilda in a hug.

"Very fitting."

Matilda nods again. "I like him."

"I like him too. We'll try and make a friend for him in a few days," Miss Honey says.

"Ralph Waldo Emer-snow!" Matilda squeals. Miss Honey laughs again.

"Let's get back inside. I think the chill is starting to get to you," she says through her giggles. Matilda pouts a little, but willingly takes her hand to be led back indoors. "How's a nice cuppa and a book sound?"

"Heavenly," Matilda says with a smile.

Sometimes the best bits of a snowstorm are spent inside.

———-

hope you enjoyed!! see you tomorrow!!