in her hair.
"Did i mention I was a baseball star in my youth?" he called out.
"I was in softball," she answered, shaking the snow out of her hair.
"No wonder you throw like a girl!"
She ran around the other side of the car and her snowball caught him in the chest. She laughed when he jumped up, skidding a bit, and chased her into the street. Snowflakes stung her cheeks as she ran. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt from the cold and smiling too much. She couldn't remember the last time she had played and laughed and smiled so much. If ever.
He caught her around the waist and lifted her off of her feet. She screamed, her voice echoing off the quiet buildings that surrounded them. He swung her around in a half-circle before she wiggled out of his grasp. She swooped down and grabbed more snow.
“Hell no!" He tried to backtrack, but slipped back and landed on his ass. She leaned over him.
“ Oh my god!” She laughed. “Are you okay?”
“ You're going to pay for this.” He scrambled up on to his knees. She grabbed the lapel of his coat and held up the snowball.
"What will you give me to not smash this in your face?"
"My pride?" he laughed.
"Not good enough!" She made a movement toward him.
“How about...” His face got serious suddenly and she felt her stomach drop. He kneeled before her, his smile gone. He opened his mouth and then shut it again. Maybe it was just her, but she suddenly got a vision of him proposing to her. She shook her head of the ridiculous notion.
"A piggyback ride," she said. "That's the deal. Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it." His smile didn't seem to reach his eyes, but she willfully ignored it. She dropped the snow and hopped up onto his back. He hooked his arms around her legs and lifted her up. She threw her arms around his neck and held on. She laughed, the sound muffled in his wet coat. He carried her as if she weighed nothing. “Where do you want to go?” he asked her. She pointed ahead.
“ Just walk?”
“ Just walk.” She tightened her legs around his waist. He trudged through the snow. He bobbed her up and down. She laughed.
“ Christophe?” She asked after a minute.
“ What, baby?” He turned his head toward her.
“ I'm happy,” she whispered.
“ You're what?” he asked.
“ I'm so happy,” she said, louder.
“ What? I can't hear you,” he taunted.
“ I'm happy, goddammit!” She called out with a laugh. Her voice echoed off the buildings again and she tightened her arms around his neck. He spun her around in a circle and she squealed again. “Don't fall!”
“ If we fall, we fall,” he said, trudging on. They came to the cross street. He swung her one way and then the other. “Which way?”
“ This way.” She pointed right. The snow swirled around them as they moved down the street. Christmas lights twinkled in windows and the streets were empty. Somewhere, a distant song played. She couldn't make out the tune. They came to a fountain at the center of a roundabout. He let her down and they went to the lip of the giant stone fountain. A single street light illuminated the details of the ancient stonework.
“ You have some change?” she asked, while checking her pockets of her coat. He dug his hands in his pockets, and pulled out a a few dimes and pennies. She took a penny. “Let's make a wish.” She closed her eyes. Then she tossed it into the unfrozen water at the bottom of the basin. He watched her, working his jaw. His face was partially in shadow. He looked almost dangerous, like a predator stalking his prey. “Make a wish,” she whispered. He closed his eyes for a moment, then flicked the penny into the fountain.
“ What did you wish for?” she asked.
“ I can't tell you.” He smiled. “Then it won't come true.” In a swift motion, he grabbed a handful of snow off the edge of the fountain and flung it at her. She felt the frosty wetness hit her on the cheek.
“ You!” she exclaimed, her mouth open in shock.
“
"Did i mention I was a baseball star in my youth?" he called out.
"I was in softball," she answered, shaking the snow out of her hair.
"No wonder you throw like a girl!"
She ran around the other side of the car and her snowball caught him in the chest. She laughed when he jumped up, skidding a bit, and chased her into the street. Snowflakes stung her cheeks as she ran. Her cheeks were beginning to hurt from the cold and smiling too much. She couldn't remember the last time she had played and laughed and smiled so much. If ever.
He caught her around the waist and lifted her off of her feet. She screamed, her voice echoing off the quiet buildings that surrounded them. He swung her around in a half-circle before she wiggled out of his grasp. She swooped down and grabbed more snow.
“Hell no!" He tried to backtrack, but slipped back and landed on his ass. She leaned over him.
“ Oh my god!” She laughed. “Are you okay?”
“ You're going to pay for this.” He scrambled up on to his knees. She grabbed the lapel of his coat and held up the snowball.
"What will you give me to not smash this in your face?"
"My pride?" he laughed.
"Not good enough!" She made a movement toward him.
“How about...” His face got serious suddenly and she felt her stomach drop. He kneeled before her, his smile gone. He opened his mouth and then shut it again. Maybe it was just her, but she suddenly got a vision of him proposing to her. She shook her head of the ridiculous notion.
"A piggyback ride," she said. "That's the deal. Take it or leave it."
"I'll take it." His smile didn't seem to reach his eyes, but she willfully ignored it. She dropped the snow and hopped up onto his back. He hooked his arms around her legs and lifted her up. She threw her arms around his neck and held on. She laughed, the sound muffled in his wet coat. He carried her as if she weighed nothing. “Where do you want to go?” he asked her. She pointed ahead.
“ Just walk?”
“ Just walk.” She tightened her legs around his waist. He trudged through the snow. He bobbed her up and down. She laughed.
“ Christophe?” She asked after a minute.
“ What, baby?” He turned his head toward her.
“ I'm happy,” she whispered.
“ You're what?” he asked.
“ I'm so happy,” she said, louder.
“ What? I can't hear you,” he taunted.
“ I'm happy, goddammit!” She called out with a laugh. Her voice echoed off the buildings again and she tightened her arms around his neck. He spun her around in a circle and she squealed again. “Don't fall!”
“ If we fall, we fall,” he said, trudging on. They came to the cross street. He swung her one way and then the other. “Which way?”
“ This way.” She pointed right. The snow swirled around them as they moved down the street. Christmas lights twinkled in windows and the streets were empty. Somewhere, a distant song played. She couldn't make out the tune. They came to a fountain at the center of a roundabout. He let her down and they went to the lip of the giant stone fountain. A single street light illuminated the details of the ancient stonework.
“ You have some change?” she asked, while checking her pockets of her coat. He dug his hands in his pockets, and pulled out a a few dimes and pennies. She took a penny. “Let's make a wish.” She closed her eyes. Then she tossed it into the unfrozen water at the bottom of the basin. He watched her, working his jaw. His face was partially in shadow. He looked almost dangerous, like a predator stalking his prey. “Make a wish,” she whispered. He closed his eyes for a moment, then flicked the penny into the fountain.
“ What did you wish for?” she asked.
“ I can't tell you.” He smiled. “Then it won't come true.” In a swift motion, he grabbed a handful of snow off the edge of the fountain and flung it at her. She felt the frosty wetness hit her on the cheek.
“ You!” she exclaimed, her mouth open in shock.
“
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