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A thick fluffy blanket of snow covers the Andrews’ front yard. The Christmas decorations are the same she’s always seen since they were little. Even the reindeer with a missing eye – the one Archie accidentally broke in the middle of a snow fight. Mr. Andrews tried to fix it but the thing kept falling off, and then Mrs. Andrews just took it off and said it gave it character. But now Veronica feels the reindeer is looking at her intently, fully knowing what happened last night.
“I can’t,” she finally breathes out, turning her face to look at Archie. Like her, he hasn’t moved either.
“We have to. We can’t stay in the truck forever, Ronnie.”
“You want to tell my dad we got together?” Her eyes widen, and she can’t blame him for the blush bathing his cheeks, reaching the tips of his ears to a point they almost blend in with his red hair.
“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at him in the eye again.”
She snorts a laugh. For someone who was so sure in the throes of passion, taking the initiative and doing things she never thought her sweet Archiekins had even thought about, now he’s the little boy who spilled ink on the wool rug of her father’s office when they were seven and they were signing Valentine’s cards. Then he was scared, now he’s terrified.
And not only are they thinking about the bad things that could happen – mostly her father threatening Archie’s life if he hurts his precious palomita. They will also be subjected to the I told you so’s from their mothers.
Veronica steals a glance at Archie who finally turns the engine off, deciding it’s time to face their new reality. She bites her lip and thinks about last summer when her mom asked once again what was going on with Archie. It was the first time Veronica couldn’t hide it anymore. She liked him. She had always liked him, he was her best friend, but when Hermione asked this time she couldn’t deny it anymore. She was in love with him. Just thinking about his smile or how his clothes smelled, how good his hugs were, or how badly she wanted to kiss him, made her feel a bevy of butterflies in her belly.
“Are you ready?” Archie asks, sweet amber eyes on her, waiting for her to make up her mind. Sensing her hesitation, he takes her hand in his. “I’m with you, Ronnie. I love you. I didn’t just say it.”
“What if they think it’s wrong? What–”
“Are you kidding?” He laughs and reaches out to take her face between his hands. “We’re talking about our moms who have pictures of us marrying each other in the backyard when we were five. My mom probably wants you more in our family than she wants me.”
Her hands wrap around his wrists. She smiles at him. “My dad doesn’t hate you. He’s just testing you.”
“For nineteen years?” He quips, but the truth is her dad has been hard on him. Veronica has always thought is his way of caring – Hiram is never easy on the ones closest to him because he expects excellence from them.
Veronica snorts a laugh. “Am I not worthy of that?”
Instead of replying, Archie presses a kiss to her lips, sweet and tender. He’s all the reassurance she needs. “I’d drive through a storm for you.”
This time she holds his face and pecks his nose. “I love you too, Archie Andrews.” He smiles, bright teeth and stretched lips because neither of them can hide it anymore.
Veronica makes sure to keep herself close to Archie as they make their way to the door, holding his hand not to slip and also because she’s freezing. Hopefully, Fred has made hot cocoa with lots of marshmallows and a pinch of cinnamon just like she likes it.
Archie is about to reach for the doorknob when the front door is opened by Fred dressed in an old flannel shirt, soft smile in place, and with two mugs of cocoa in his hands.
“Drink up, kids.” Fred moves aside to let them in. “Your mothers saw you, so…” he chuckles. “Any time now I start working on the backyard to have a recreation of your previous wedding.”
The brand new couple is caught off-guard when a cooing Mary wraps Veronica in a hug and Hermione’s cold hands frame Archie’s face to give him a motherly smile. The new couple can see a frowning Hiram over their mothers’ shoulders.
It’s now they wish they could’ve been snowed-in a little longer. Maybe let it snow, again.