Amnesia

Chapter 49

"Penny, it's snowing. Wake up." Avi's voice is quiet and hushed, as if he's loathe to disturb the lazy, late morning atmosphere around them.

Penny groans into her pillow and turns her head to peek up at him, her hair falling into her eyes. She finds him lying on his side, arm tucked underneath his head for support. He can't have woken up more than a few minutes before he woke her, sleep still crusted in the corners of his eyes and his hair like tousled wisps along his brow.

Peering up at the windows above her, she watches the white, powdery snow drift from the sky and land on the glass. While it had snowed on their first day at the cabin, the days have been relatively clear since their arrival and she knew Avi was eager for it to snow again. Turning to face him, Penny scoots herself forward, pressing into him and resting her forehead against his chest.

She inhales deeply and releases the breath as a sigh. "I'm awake. Now what?" she mumbles against his skin.

Avi's chuckle vibrates against her skin and he presses a quick kiss to the top of her head. "Let's go build a snowman and-oh! Let's have a snowball fight!"

Penny barely has time to process his words before he's rolled out of bed, stealing the warmth of his body away from her. She watches in amusement as he rummages through their bags, shimmying on a pair of jeans and leaving them unbuttoned while he pulls on his socks. Avi pauses as he notices her stare, and reaching for her hand, he tugs her closer to the edge of the bed.

"C'mon, Penny," he whines as she resists his tugging and remains on the bed, albeit half hanging off the edge. "Come play with me. Please, please, please?"

"You," Penny begins pointedly, sitting at the edge of the bed, stretching her arms above her head, "are an adult."

Avi smirks, a mischievous glint in his eyes. Penny quirks her eyebrow in question, a yelp lost in her throat as Avi pounces onto the bed next to her, pinning his arm across her waist. His fingers brush dangerously close to her sides, threatening to tickle at her wiggles of protest. "What are you doing?" Penny asks softly, testing the limits of his grasp.

"I'm gonna pin you down until you agree to come outside with me," he replies, his breath warm against her neck.

"Wow, you're even going to forsake food just to prove your point?" Penny asks, turning to face him, her smile spreading across her face.

He frowns at her, just slightly loosening his grasp. "Okay, let's not push it. I'll just shackle you to me while I get food."

Penny scoffs. "You would."

"C'mon. Please. It's snowing," he whines, releasing her and falling onto his back. Penny scoots from his embrace and props herself up onto her elbows, glancing down at him. "I love the snow, Penny. Every winter my family would come up here and we'd go sledding and build snowmen. And after we were all soaked and frozen from the cold, we'd come inside and drink hot chocolate in front of the fire."

The image of a young, curly-haired Avi caked in snow pops into her mind and she smiles at the thought. "That actually sounds nice," she agrees, lying on her back beside him, linking her fingers within his. "Alright. I'll play outside with you."

Avi's grin splits across his face and he jumps from the bed, nearly pushing Penny over the edge as he moves.

+++

Penny adjusts the hat on her head, feeling the sweat bead along her brow. She sniffles quietly, her nose long cold and red from the chill in the air. Pressing against the wall of the house, she cautiously peeks around the corner, praying Avi isn't just around the corner, waiting to throw a handful of snow in her face. Finding her path clear, she releases a slow breath before continuing along the side of the house.