Over the Wall: A Collection of Short Stories (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Day 27: Their Beginning

Note: Another pretty short one (I'm ahead so I'm just trying to keep ahead) but I hope you enjoy! It's a late update since I was unable to post but day twenty eight will be up ASAP. Question, now that we're twenty seven stories (almost twenty eight) in, what's your favorite so far?

They walked off the path and into the snow. It was not the first snow of the year, or the second. They were pretty sure it was the third but it was hard to tell. It was possible it had snowed without their knowing during the night and was changed to rain by the morning. But they liked the snow nonetheless.

Ryan and Lola had been married for about a year now. The kids, twins Brian and Madison, were being watched by their friend, Theresa, for the day. The kids were six years old now and in the first grade but did not have school today because of the snow. Ryan and Lola were playing hooky.

They hadn’t decided what they were going to do yet, the whole day was open, but had decided to first cut across the park and get some coffee. The snow was thick and crunchy on the ground but not yet slippery. The wind picked up and Lola tightened her coat around her.

“Why did we decide to go out in the snow again?” Ryan laughed and put his arm around her shoulder.

“Because we wanted to get out of the house, where it’s messy.”

“But it’s warm there.”

“Lola, if we had stayed there you would’ve spent out day without the kids cleaning.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I really do.” He said.

“No you don’t.” He laughed again.

“Yes, I do. I’ve known you long enough to know what you’re like when there’s a mess.” She hung her head a little and kicked some snow. Ryan kicked some back at her and they did that for a while while they walked.

“Not that long.”

“I knew you for a year before we dated, three years while we did, six years after we broke up that still count, a year and a half while we were reconciling and when we got engaged, and a year since we got married. That’s a long time.”

“Only twelve years...” She said.

“Twelve and a half.” He corrected.

“I don’t think we should count those six years we were broken up, we didn’t see each other.”

“Okay but I did see you a few weeks after we broke up and not long after that so lets at least add a year.”

“So seven years.”

“Seven and a half years.” He corrected, again.

“Fine, seven and a half.”

“I think that’s long enough to know what you’re like when there’s a mess.”

“It’s not that long.” She said.

“It’s a long time.” They had reached the coffee shop by now. “Now come on, lets go inside where it’s warm.”

“Ugh, fine.”

The coffee shop was one that Ryan had frequented since he was in college, when he first moved to the city. It was a two story affair, made more for lingering than commerce. The bottom level was filled mostly with the counter and smaller tables for people to meet up and study. But it was the second level that Ryan was drawn to.

It was filled with couches of varying colors and textures and a few chairs that could usually hold two people like the couches. It almost was like a bookstore, with those twirling wire bookshelves scattered around paired with varying tables, some were old nightstands.