Who Was Amelia Coldwell?

\Chapter sete\ winter days and a gold christmas

Days went by, the colorful leaves went away, instead, the ground and trees were decorated by the mystical snow of winter. Carena loved the feeling of the ice-cold snow on her hands. She also loved watching the red foxes who looked even lovelier during the winter.
The Wellingtons had gone to one of their other houses, somewhere warm, away from the cold. Her mother's work wasn't needed anymore, being the cook, luckily her father's work was still needed, somewhat.

Today as she walked threw the empty corridors of the house, there was a knock at the door. She went to answer, expecting the mailman. But to her surprise, the person in front of her was Charles Coldwell. 

"Charles? What brings you here?"

Her heart was beating fast. It surely wasn't because she liked him, she was simply excited to see someone other than her parents and the people in the expensive drawings.

"I said I'd come to visit my friend, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. I just wasn't expecting you to just- You should come in."

She moves aside, letting him into the warm house.

"I meant to come sooner, but I've been pretty busy."

"That's alright. Do you something to drink? Coffee, tea, cacao?- I mean, um, cocoa. I make great hot cocoa."

"I can go for a hot cocoa."

She leads him to the kitchen, where he sat at the table while she made the cocoa.

"So how's married life treating you?"

"Well, it's hard work, like all marriages."

"How did you two meet?"

"My mother is acquainted with her family. After I divorced my first wife she set me up with her.." 

"That's...romantic, I suppose. I mean it's not my place to say, not all relationships start off in a fairytale type of way." 

"It's alright. I know our relationship didn't start off very romantic, but love grows, at least that's what my mother says."

Carena served the hot cocoa and they chatted for a while before Charles had to leave.
For the next few weeks, Charles would come to visit her. They would chat, sometimes they'd play in the snow, or Carena would sing a song for him, per his request. 

School had ended, decorations had long been put up, and Christmas came. Carena and her parents' Christmas Eve was celebrated with a big dinner made by her mother, and small but meaningful presents.
Like a music box from her mother, a book of adventures from her father, and she had made an album filled with photos of all the three of them for her parents and a small song. Lucian gave his wife a perfume with a smell that reminded her of home in France. And she gave him a special pastry that tastes like happy memories of home.
The next morning Carena found Charles at her door once again.

"Merry Christmas." He held out a present for her to take.

"I shouldn't -"

"Please."

"I didn't get you anything."

"That's alright, just please take it."

She bashfully accepts the gift.

"I was actually planning on doing some ice skating today. Do you want to join me?", she asks him as she puts on her red scarf.

"Sure, that'd be nice."

They walk to a nearby frozen pond. After putting on their skates they got on the ice.
Carena easily glided through the ice while Charles had a bit more difficulty. When she notices him struggle to keep his balance, she has a giggle before going over to him. She tried helping him by grabbing onto his arms, but he leaned on her too much and they both ended up falling onto some snow.