Snowflakes In Autumn (A Novella)

Three

Faith stepped off the plane three days later. Her mom was due back in town in a few days and if it was any other situation wouldn't have noticed Faith missing. But seeing as she was supposed to be fully moved in to her home by then, she was bound to notice and Faith didn't want to do this trip while being under her mother's radar.

She had packed away everything at lightening speed. Faith put all her belongings in the storage unit she had at her mom's husband's storage facility. All the furniture was put for sale online and marked as 'free', so it went within two days. After giving it a thorough cleaning, Faith left the city she'd lived in for the last ten years behind.

She grabbed her other two bags from the belt, having no idea how much to pack or how long she'd be gone. Noah had made her ticket one way to give her as much time as she needed there, upgrading her to first class, which she hadn't found out until she'd reached the airport to fly out.

Now as she rode down the escalator, Faith scanned the crowds of people, hoping to pick out his aged face from the crowd. She didn't need to. Eyes were already on her to tell her who he was.

She didn't know how old he was in any of the photographs, or how old he was on the day it happened. He was in a class with her sister, who was a sophomore in college, so she guessed nineteen the last she saw him. That would make him thirty-three now. His hair was much shorter than in the photos, and his features appeared more prominent. Noah's complexion was slightly darker than her own, with an almost European look to him. He was actually handsome, more so than in the photographs. And when he smiled back at her, it was much smaller than the ones she saw in all in all the pictures, but instantly reminded her of them.

After Faith stepped off the escalator, she walked toward Noah and set her bags down at her side. "I was going to ask how you spotted me, but my brother says I look like my sister."

His smile faded at the mention of her sister. "You look like you. Older, but still you. That's how I spotted you."

Where his smile faded, Faith's grew. She wasn't used to being seen as herself, but as the image of the life her remaining family lost.

"I want to ask if I can hug you, but I get that you don't know me."

"Doesn't hurt to ask," Faith spoke casually with a shrug.

His smile returned. "Can I hug you?"

She didn't know him, but it felt like she did in so many ways she could not explain. "I could actually really use a hug."

His arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight against his body. At first it felt odd, being hugged by a virtual stranger. Like his voice on the phone, there was something so familiar to her and just barely out of reach. The man felt safe, and something within her couldn't resist hugging him back.

"I missed you, little snowflake."

Those two words caused an image to pop in her mind. Not an image, but video that only last a few brief seconds. The two of them building a fort made of snow.

Then another, the one from her dream. He hadn't just said 'do you trust me' but 'do you trust me, little snowflake'.

"That's what you used to call me." Faith couldn't hear him saying it in her memory, but somehow knew he did. "Because I always wanted you to come outside with me and play in the snow."

Noah tilted her head up by her chin and wiped a fallen tear away with his thumb. "Yes."

The last several days, it was if something had been guiding her every decision, almost as if her father was there, silently forcing her where to go and what to think. It was a beautiful thought, and one she hoped was true. She'd been lost, and he was showing her where to go to find some light in her life.

He was the one who'd led her to Noah and this town.

Noah released her and grabbed two of her bags and Faith grabbed her carry on, following him through the crowded airport.

"Is there a pet or a boyfriend you have to get back to?" He asked beside her.

She knew what he was asking. He wondered how long she had to stay. He hadn't asked her that question while ordering her plane ticket, probably because he was afraid she'd only have a few days.

The answer held a pathetic truth. She had nothing and no one to return to. "Nope. No job, no boyfriend, no pets, no friends and now no apartment. The place I was working went bankrupt, so I had to move in with my mom until I found something new to avoid draining my savings.

"I can only imagine how much fun it's going to be when she finds out where I am." That was a conversation and living arrangement Faith was definitely not looking forward to and flat out dreaded. "I'm not in any rush to get back."

"Well, you have a place to stay here for as long as you want it. If she has a problem with that, give her my number."

So far, any time her mother had been brought up, Noah seemed indifferent about her. Faith wondered if that indifference had always been there, or if it stemmed from them moving or her doing everything in her power to make sure Faith forgot his existence.

He led her out the doors and through the parking lot, stopping at a shiny blue SUV near the edge of the lot. After Noah popped the hatch, he tossed the bags he carried inside, then took hers from her grasp. Once the door closed, Noah turned to her, leaned against his vehicle and looked at her.

After ten seconds, Faith felt her cheeks grow warm and had to look away. Still, it was the longest she remembered ever holding eye contact with something, an act that always had her feeling uncomfortable.

"Just wanted to memorize you," Noah explained, "In case you disappear again."