WINTER ME & YOU

WINTER NIGHT

Winter. The frostiness of a winter night. A cold winter night.

It bestows on us, motivations to draw close to one another, to feel the tenderness. Winter, the coldest season of the year that brings people together while time stands stills. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Icyln Mendes.

Outfitted in her trench coat and beanie, Iclyn grabbed her mittens plus her boots, slipping them on her delicate hands and feet respectively. She picked up her luggage and glanced around the room reflecting on the thousands of thoughts and memories that shuffled through her brains. Icyln straightened, The pain of her memories streaming in, wiggling out the fond recalls. She then discovered that this wasn't the home she nurtured. A home with the now unpleasant memories-A home now defiled.

She closed her eyes attempting to block out those horrible and unpleasant sights, Oh Aubin. The man she adored and respected, Aubin had betrayed her by locking lips with her best friend at another friend's party, two weeks to their wedding. She was punched to the guts, It was a terrible scene for her as she didn't see it coming. Who would have such sickly impressions about the most significant figures in their existence? Icyln never knew her best friend had a thing for her fiance and till now, it was sensitive for her. She knew her friend to be a tease but never anticipated her next prey to be her beloved.

Aubin was her high school sweetheart while she met her best friend, Amber when she was at college. Aubin and Icyln came from the same hometown so they never worry about the holidays, They fell in love watching themselves mature and grow. Icyln was very delighted to see her fiance and her single best friend get along with each other so the three hung out quite a lot, You could imagine her shock when she caught them kissing.

Her relationship with Aubin wasn't that smooth from the outset, it had its own ups and downs. This wasn't actually the first time She would be quitting the relationship. When they both got into different colleges, Adulthood starts to take its toll on their relationship but during that time of change and confusion, they withstood and stayed in-love. But now, it was all worthless, Aubin had thrown away everything they had together.

Icyln found Aubin in the living room studying his cup of coffee, waggling the liquid absently. She inspected him for a while, adoring his blonde hair, Oh how she loved him. She lowered her luggage in an attempt to attain his awareness. Aubin plopped his cup on the side table and perked up at her offering a smile encompassed with sadness.

"I'll get you some coffee." Aubin stood, heading for the kitchen.

Icyln stopped him. "I have to go now. Could you perhaps, drive me home to my mother?"

The silence which arose afterward surrounded them like a delicate, pristine, white cloak of snow on a winter's day, leaving her curious as to what was going on in Aubin's mind. The calmness was poison to them, lingering in the air, for in that emptiness of sound the shallowness of their conversation was laid naked.

She heard him sigh. His sigh was a mixture of sorrow and despair.

"Baby, it's cold outside."

Icyln stared at him, coldly. "Don't call me that. Winter is just like you. Cold and merciless."

Aubin sighed again, this time a heavy one. He recognizes the fact that Icyln is difficult to persuade primarily when her mind is made up but he wasn't ready to give up. She was going to hear him out.

"I don't know if I can convince you to stay but I just want to say this. I'm sorry Icyln, I understand how you feel right now, something inside you is damaged and I hope to rebuild it and maybe this will support me; I didn't kiss Amber."

Icyln's derisory gaze swept over him. "I'm not a fool Aubin. Good gracious, Aubin, I caught you both."

Aubin cursed quietly under his breath as he ran a frustrated hand through his wavy blonde hair pacing back and forth while Icyln's eyes followed his constant pace around the room.

"Icyln, She kissed me!"

"What do you mean by she kissed you?"

"Amber told me she required my help to plan this exotic bachelorette party for you. I agreed and during the party, she approached me when you weren't with me, " He said.

"When I discovered she had other intentions, I told her to leave the party because I didn't want to wreck your relationship with her. I guess she saw you moving towards us and the next thing I know, she is kissing me, " He added rubbing his head tiredly.

Icyln darted confusedly at him for several seconds, then lowered her head, gazing at her luggage. She couldn't believe it, Her best friend was the evildoer.

"But, why didn't you tell me this, Aubin?"

"Icyln dear, you never gave me a chance to elucidate myself. Our love is like a rose, blooming in spring. Why would I ruin something so beautiful? It keeps growing as time passes. It is everlasting like the sun. I cannot exist without you. I can never betray you, " He expressed.

Icyln approached him, a sad smile on her face. "Oh Aubin, By putting my friend before you, I was about to obliterate the most tremendous thing I have with you. I'm sorry."

Aubin quietly stood and cupped her cheek with one hand, the calm courage spreading as his thumb stroked her cheek lightly. When Icyln looked up at him, he leaned down and took her lips.

When they pulled away from their passionate kiss, Aubin asked, " Will you stay? You know Christmas with you is my favorite thing to do."

Icyln chuckled softly. "Much as I love that offer, I would love to visit my mother. You can stop by anytime."

He nodded and smiled." You would like to listen to a secret?"

"What?"

"You know, no matter how much we fought, I've always hated watching you leave, " He declared.

Icyln smiled. "I promise you, I'll never leave you again."

Aubin embraced Icyln warmly and excitingly and then Icyln realized, Winter wasn't just winter.
It was a season of recovery and trial, it wasn't just Winter.