I remember the crackling fire and the sweet smell of roasted marshmallows. Others came and went, hustling to catch the last candlelight for that day. We stayed to warm ourselves by the fire, surrounded by presents and stockings someone hung by the fireplace. I believe we ate a great deal of those treats while sharing stories of how you celebrated the holidays (and how I didn’t).
The fresh snowfall coated the rooftop of the office and froze over its shallow pool. I pulled my scarf up to cover my nose from the cold. It was a scarf I didn’t really think much of when it first came. It was yellow, a shade of gold, like a sunflower in full bloom. My favorite color. You thought it looked good on me; I just liked the color. I've worn it ever since.
I tried to dance while skating, perhaps I’d lose my balance and fall over. It was easy to skate in this world, every movement was meant to be graceful — even landing from that first flight three years ago. It was harder to slip on ice than to do a pirouette here. I wanted to try the former. We both laughed when I did.
You invited me to race with you down the new course, from Hermit Valley to the village. We tried to see who could collect the most light the fastest. I thought I’d win but you overtook me at the last minute. I asked for a rematch — but of course, you won that one as well.
This year, I didn’t realize winter arrived until today. I took a walk around the new village. The fireworks were pretty and the seasonal guests were back. It’s been a while. A lot has changed, but your star stayed dim from my constellation and the heart I sent you still stayed in its stamped envelope. No matter, I thought to myself, you must be having adventures of your own outside this world.
I still have that scarf around my neck, the one you chose for me. I often think of it as a hug, frozen in time, cozy and warm. I thought of you as I wandered around the new village alone, watching others run to explore the different shops. They even added a spell shop! I do hope we could brew a potion of our own soon.
As I sat down in front of the hair salon’s fireplace, I wondered when would I see your star light up as it did many times before. Maybe one day, when we find ourselves once again in the right place and time.
