I Smell Snow

December 25th

It was christmas morning. I knew this because I could smell the roasted coffee beans and gingerbread cookies all the way from the coziness of my bedroom.

Yet I stayed wrapped up in my thick blankets. They covered me from head to toe. I would usually be the first one downstairs but seeing as I stayed up late talking to Alex, I could use the sleep.

"You awake, pumpkin"? My dad knocks on the door lightly.

"No".

"Your brother and mother are downstairs already. She's pulling out the baby albums and showing them to Theodore."

You're here?

In an instant, I sit up straight, sliding on my my slippers. I rush to wash my face and brush my teeth. I give my dad a kiss on the cheek and jump down the steps.

I meet your gaze, a smile spreading onto your face.

"Mom, please don't show the baby pictures", I beg.

"I think you were a cute baby," you say, grinning.

"He's only saying that because he's your boyfriend". I shoot Alex a glare.

"Mom, can Theo and I go outside for a bit?"

Mom nods, a sneaky smile on her lips.

You stand up as I slip on my winter coat by the door. You close the door behind you. I grasp your hand in mine, partly because its cold but mostly because I like the feeling.

It's not until we get down the block that I turn to face you. I get up on my tiptoes and plant a kiss on your lips. After the initial shock, you kiss back. You wrap your arms around my waist and I wrap mind around your neck.

"Merry Christmas," I whisper against your lips.

"I love you".

"I know", I whisper, leaning my forehead against yours. Our breath is frosty from the snowy climate.

"I got you something," you say quietly. You reach into the pocket of your coat and pull out a small white box tied with a green ribbon. I grab it gently, as if it's very fragile.

Pulling the ribbon to untie it, I lift the lid and notice a tiny silver key attached to a keychain with a snowflake. "What's this?" I ask curiously, meeting your gaze.

"You'll find out soon enough," you reply simply and then place a kiss on my forehead.

I don't decide to question it, instead, I kiss you again and grasp your hand in mine. "I have something for you, but i'll show you later."

It's something I've been working on for a few weeks now and I finally completed it last night. I really do hope you'll love it.

We finally get back inside my house. Everyone is talking and drinking hot chocolate. "Finally. It's freezing out there. Come on, sit by the fire. I'll get you two something warm to drink," my mom says with a smile on her face.

I sit near the fire, next to Alex. "So Alex, this is Theo, my boyfriend. Theo, this is Alex my brother."

"We already met officially while your ass was snoring but I appreciate the introduction little sister," Alex jokes and you laugh along with my brother.

My mom comes back with hot chocolate for us. I thank her and she goes back to talking to your dad.

Hours go by. Mom makes an amazing christmas dinner with turkey and all. We tell stories about us being kids. Alex tells us about college life and all the amazing things he has done. Dad and Mr. Anderson talk about the company and how promising the new year is looking.

You tangle our fingers together under the dinner table as you talk about the first time we met at the coffee shop. Of course dad interrupts and claims that that was not the first time. He continues to tell the story of us being each other's first kiss when we were kids. I blush bright read, looking down at my plate of food. You give my hand a squeeze.

Mom goes to take pictures of all of us, to the point where we start saying enough is enough. I think she took so many pictures that she can make a christmas photo album from just this one night.

At the end of the night, mom and dad go upstairs. Alex goes out to reunite with some old highschool friends. Your dad goes home because he's tired. You decided to stay a bit longer.

We are laying on the couch, snuggles in blankets and watching ELF.

Not long after the candy spaghetti scene, you get into a coughing fit. I tap your back gently, hoping it helps but it does not.

"It's probably cold, I'll turn on the fire. I don't want either of us catching a cold," I murmur.

I stand up to turn on the fireplace as your coughs continue. My heart tightens in my chest.

Finally, after a few minutes you stop.

I sit back down on the couch, snuggle closer. "It's just a cough," you say as you wrap your arm around me and I bury my head against your chest.

But we both know that's just a lie.

A lie I'll believe for both of our sakes.

"C'mon I want to show you my christmas gift to you."

I grab the tv remote and press play.

Your face flickers on the screen. It's you trying hot chocolate for the first time. Then it cuts to a video of our burnt cookies and my terrible paper snowflakes. Soon the screen shows hundreds of pine trees covered in snow. I zoom in with the camera in order to show your goofy grin as you stare up at the grumpy tree you picked out.

The next scene is black but you can hear your soft singing. I recorded it because it's one of my favorite sounds. It cuts to various scenes of us in Boston. Lastly, I appear on the screen.

If you listen closely, the shower is on in the background. It was the morning we were packing up to go home. You were getting ready so I got my camera out.

"Theodore. I didn't expect to fall for you. I did not expect to find love, but I did. I found it with you and I have fallen so hard. We found love where I didn't think we ever would. I can tell you I love you everyday until my last breath but it wouldn't suffice. It would not show how much you mean to me. You still make me blush. I can't breath when I'm around you and when I'm not around you, I can't think straight. I feel like I sound incredibly stupid saying this because we are just two young adults who haven't lived life. If someone told me I'd find love in a month, I'd ask them what fairytale they were living. Because it does sound crazy, and I can't explain it to anyone. The good thing is, I don't have to because you understand me and I understand you."

"You're it for me," I say, knocking you out of your trance. You turn to face me and your eyes are glossy. A tear slips and I wipe it away with my thumb.

"Evangeline. Why'd you have to make me cry? This totally destroys the whole manly persona I clearly have going on" You try to laugh but it comes out more like a soft sob.

"I'm so glad I mustered up to courage to say hi to you at that coffee shop," you continue.

"Me too."

I throw myself onto you but it doesn't take much for you to flip us over. Your rainforest eyes stare down at my brown ones. Neither of us say anything, all you can hear is our soft breathing. You suddenly bend down and place a subtle kiss on my jaw, and then my neck. I tilt my head to the side, letting my eyes flutter shut.

"I'm going to miss you," You whisper, placing another kiss on the tip of my nose.

"I'm right here."

"I know."