I finally put my left arm around his shoulder with my shoes dangling over Nick's back. A small smile formed on my lips as I stood on my toes so that I could reach to wrap around his shoulders. In his arms I felt so protected, as though nothing could harm me, and it was only Nick and I. I rested my head against his shoulder so that his jacket was against my cheek. We started to just sway side to side instead of actually dancing and my eyes started to drift so they closed due to this sudden sense of safety. Standing this close to him went beyond just stealing Nick's warmth.
That was when the first snowflake of the year gracefully drifted down to earth. After that snowflake's solo dance, it was soon followed by a sky full of big, fluffy snowflakes that seemed to be twirling around us and only for us. It was like a scene from a movie that made me forget how cold I was. I giggled, staring up seeing snowflakes land on my eyelashes. I locked eyes back on Nick. He had a soft, lopsided grin himself.
"Rachel, you're shaking," Nick spoke, stopping our sway as he pushed a flyaway curl out of my face, his gesture slow and lingering. "We should go home."
"I'm fine," I lied. I didn't want to end his happiness, or mine. I did not want the moment to end at all.
Nick took off his black suit jacket and held it out for me to place my arms through. With me wrapped in Nick’s jacket, we headed back on our journey home. Wasn’t he going to get cold? Not that I wasn't happy that chivalry wasn't dead. My teeth stopped chattering a little less with each step. His steel blue button down shirt couldn't have been that warm. I appreciated the gesture, but it was December.
When we got home I went into my room, smiling over my shoulder at Nick before I disappeared. Getting into my room I quickly changed out of my short dress and into warm pajamas pants, extra thick socks, in addition to long sleeved pajama shirt. No more dress. My body already felt as if it was defrosting. When I was done I tiptoed out of my room to sit on the couch and turn on the TV. I thought Nick would come out and we'd watch a little of the Christmas movies that would be playing on all the stations since it was Christmas Eve. However, Nick never came out of his room and I didn't feel right calling him out if he had fallen asleep already so I watched TV by myself. I threw the blanket over me and lay down using the armrest as a pillow. The cheery animation filled the room as my eyelids grew heavy. Yawning, I curled up more under the blanket, telling myself as soon as the movie was done I would head back to my room so that I could sleep in my bed. My eyes blinked hard, but it got harder and harder to keep them open till the world went black.
An older, pregnant version of me was sitting on the back porch sipping lemonade, the glass moist. My hair was a little shorter and up in a high ponytail. I was wearing blue pants with a white shirt that was flowing around my swollen stomach as I gazed out across the garden in my backyard. My free hand went to my belly, slightly caressing it while the smile on my face grew by the second. A little girl of about four with Nick's chestnut brown colored hair in pigtails and brighter blue eyes came running out near tears, followed by a boy of about nine with my hair color. His hair was more curly than wavy and he had hazel eyes of bluish-green.
"Mom, I didn't do it so don't believe whatever Felicity says," the boy exclaimed, as he got close to me.
The little girl came up to me to attempt to sit on my lap and wrapped her little arms around me while still clinging onto a stuffed animal. I put my arms around her in a loving embrace as she held out her pointed finger towards my face, which didn't have anything wrong with it. Her skin was rosy and fine.
"The monster in the basement made me get an owy," she spoke in a small voice, a few sniffles escaped as her eyes were round with tears sitting on her bottom eyelids.
I kissed her little finger; knowing that mother's trick of pretending that there was actually something there, but there really wasn't.
"Is that better Felicity?" I asked kindly.
"Yes, Mommy and I want Daddy to chase the monsters away," Felicity whimpered, continuing to talk as she snuggled against the swell.
"I'll tell him when gets home from work. Now, Zachary, don't forget you have a game today," I spoke, turning quickly to glance at my son before trying to hug the little girl despite the bulge. "Felicity, you want to go to the game?"
"Can Mrs. Butter come to the game?" she questioned while squeezing the stuffed animal.
"Mom, don't let her bring that stupid bear," the boy whined.
"You're hurting Mrs. Butter's feelings! Now you've to kiss her to make her feel better!"
The boy ran back into the house with the little girl trailing behind him holding out the yellow bear with a blue hat on its head. I laughed at how cute they were and wished that they didn't have to get
