Frost

19. December

2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 stick of melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
1 cup of dark/light chocolate chips

- Oven at 325 F, preheated.

Summer read the recipe slowly as she begun measuring out all the ingredients and added them as the recipe instructed. It was her grandmother's and it was the best batch of cookies that existed in the world. They were chewy inside, but crispy on the outside, and that was exactly how Summer felt right now.

After what happened yesterday with Jack, Summer really needed something to distract her, and with all the sadness currently dominating her days, what better way to reverse it by baking cookies and heading down to the local homeless center to distribute them?

And of course stopping on the way to deliver a batch to Bev who was recovering from her concussion. Summer really missed her.

Summer therefore combined brown and white sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and melted butter in one bowl and all the dry ingredients in another bowl, whisked both bowls before she added the dry to the wet. When the dough came together to a hard batter, she added the dark chocolate chips. Finally, she scooped out small spoonfuls and rolled them into small balls, adding them to a baking sheet. When she had a full tray of nine cookies, she popped them into the oven and then played the waiting game.

While they baked for 12-15 minutes, Summer decided she might as well wrap the presents she had bought for the few people she had bought gifts for. She busied herself with primping the ribbons into fat bows until the egg timer rang and it was time for the next tray to go in.

One hour later, after all the dough had been baked and cookies had properly cooled, she packed them up nicely in small containers and then packed them into her bag, before covering herself up in thick layers and her long snow boots. The snow hadn't stopped falling since yesterday and everywhere around, thick dungs of snows had been plowed off the street and resembled small hills. Children were enjoying them like bales of hay, jumping into them and crawling on top of them, then sinking into them, waist deep.

Summer drove to Bev's house first, dropped off some cookies for her and talked to her for a good while. She told her what had happened with Jack and it was nice to finally get it off her chest. After receiving a big, bone-crushing hug and some wonderful encouragements from her friend, Summer drove on.

She made it to the homeless shelter by 3pm and met up with all other volunteers who came there almost every day. She knew all of them and smiled happily back to them when they lit up by her homemade contribution. The cookies quickly got distributed out to all the homeless, whose faces were what instantly warmed Summer's heart and made her feel all better again.

It was their love; Something as simple and easy to make as cookies brought these sweet people so much joy. That someone cared for them and was selfless enough to come wish them a merry Christmas as well, it cheered them up as much as other people did when they received expensive gifts. It really reminded Summer of the simple joys in life, how so many people took them for granted. 

That was what Christmas truly was about; coming together in merriness and helping each other out, no matter what side of the fence you came from.

Summer had such a great time at the homeless shelter, sharing her love and cookies, that she didn't leave before late that evening. At 7pm, she was driving home, pulling into her unshoveled driveway. She shut her engine off, and as she stepped out into the brisk cold, she decided to stop up. The suburban area she lived in revealed the clear, starry night above her, and right then, Summer realized it had been ages since she had gazed up at the stars.

Funny... Jack had done that. She could hate him for many reasons, but for admiring and loving the simplest things that she had just been reminded of, she couldn't. Grown people hardly every stopped to admire the stars anymore. Who had the time for it? Nobody truly did it anymore, did they?

Summer exhaled a long breath that turned white in the minus degrees. She looked around and found the neighborhood totally deserted. Besides the occasional street light, it was almost completely dark, yet beautiful.

And cold.

Shuddering, she dropped the tiny smile that had crawled onto her lips. No matter how hard she tried, the cold was always there. Always interfering. Always screwing things up.

"Fuck it," She whispered and then spun around on her foot—and then remembered she was standing on ice, her balance immediately slipping.

In the haze of snow, scarfs and fear, Summer felt as she lost her balance and tipped over on the icy splotch in her driveway. She didn't even get a chance to scream; one moment she was standing, the next she was heading for the pavement.

And then there was a bright flash. Summer first thought it was her head hitting the hard pavement and her sight bursting, but the pain she had expected to follow never came. Instead she felt something catch her, only the catching came beneath her. It didn't pull her up, rather it pulled her down, but not to the ground. She landed in a warm lap, whereafter the thud of something—someone—hitting the snowy ground then caught her ear. After that, everything was still.

Summer had instinctively shut her eyes during the fall. All she had managed to see was a bright flash, like a beam suddenly lighting up the pavement, and then a flash of silver. The next thing she knew, she was being cuddled safely in someone's warm, strong arms.

"Summer," A breathy voice then whispered above her.

No, Summer thought and squeezed her eyes tighter together. Not him. Why him?

Because you have nobody else.

Slowly, she cracked her eyes open and looked up. She was met by the brightest icy-blue eyes she had ever seen. They were looking down at her, worry shining inside them.

"Summer," Jack whispered again. He squeezed her a little against his chest and it made her blink.

Her heart was racing from the adrenalin rush. Hyperventilating, she tried to find heads and tails of everything; Jack was clutching her tightly against his chest. He was sitting in the snow with her in his lap, shielding her firmly from the cold. It was like he had popped up beneath her, out of nowhere and caught her as she fell.

But... how? Where had he come from?

"How did you..." She whispered, but couldn't find the words. Was this how Bella felt when Edward pulled a fast one on her? Was this really happening?

"I don't want to lie to you anymore, Summer," He whispered, his voice cracking. He lifted his hand and brushed her cheek with his cold, but scorching thumb. "I can't stand this. I need you to know... the truth."

Blinking perplexed, Summer's lips shaped into an 'o'. "What truth?"

"I'm..." He slowly said, his Adam's apple bobbing. He then sucked in a deep breath and calmly spoke; "I am Jack Frost."

Frowning, Summer closed her mouth. "I know that." Had he hit his head when saving her or...? "I know who you are—"

"No, Summer," He said and looked directly into her eyes, just as the snow around them started whirring up, storming, as if magically summoned; "I am thee Jack Frost."

• • •

Finally. Jack gave it up.
- His identity, that is.