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He met her in the spring on a cold day no one would ever assume was actually spring if not for the date on the calendar. He glanced up and cursed the grey ski as heavy flakes fell around him creating a muddy slush on the street. Ignoring the dampness that was creeping into his work boots, Kristoff stomped into the hardware store for yet another emergency run for supplies.
Grumbling at the prices, Kristoff shoved the receipt in his jacket pocket and stepped back outside. A run to the big box store would have saved him money, but it was all the way across town and traffic with all the snow it would have taken the whole morning to get there and back. The unexpected snow had changed all their work plans on the house, setting them back at least two days. What was important now was making up for as much lost time with other work that wasn’t impacted by the weather.
There were times he hated how much the weather dictated his life. Especially since he and Sven had broken off on their own. Building custom homes had a rhythm to them… when you broke ground, when you moved inside; it all had to be timed out just right. Summer he was in his element, hoisting joists into place, building frameworks, up on roofs. Summer kept him busy. Fall was invigorating; the rush to finish last minute outdoor projects as the cool air hit his lungs was enough to keep him going through the long weeks. Winter was his solitude, with more solo projects with a move to the indoors once the roofing and siding had been completed. He liked winter and what he was able to accomplish. But spring… spring was unpredictable. It delayed his plans and caused constant upheaval and adjusting, which all led to costing him unnecessary money. The whole season could disappear as far as he was concerned.
Kristoff caught the laughter a split second before the ice cold sting hit the left side of his head. Broken chunks of slushy snow slid down his face, under his collar, causing him to shiver as it trickled down his shoulder. To his right two boys scurried away from him as fast as they could. He pinched his brow and closed his eyes a moment before looking in the direction from where the snowball came.
She was standing there with an embarrassed smile, lifting her hand and offering a small wave. “Sorry,” she said meekly. “I was having a snowball fight with the boys and I guess we got a little carried away.” She shrugged and smiled again.
“You think?”
He barely had time to set the scowl on his face before she was over to him, apologizing again. She was a mess of red hair, topped off with the fluffiest hat Kristoff had ever seen, using her scarf to wipe away the remaining snow while she rambled on about how her aim was usually right on, but she hadn’t seen him.
“There,” she said, brushing a flake off from the front of his jacket then stepping back. “As good as new.”
She looked up at him with a bright smile and he found himself returning it with his own grin and not remembering what he possibly could have been so annoyed about.
Sven was waiting for him as soon as Kristoff pulled on to the site asking what took him so long. They made quick work of unloading the supplies and sorting them out.
Sven held out his hand to Kristoff. “Let me have the receipt and I’ll put it in the folder with the rest of them for the week.”
Kristoff reached into his pocket and pulled it out along with a small cube.
“What’s that?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Sven shrugged and turned away. Kristoff held up the small rectangle wrapped in wax paper. “Its national caramel day,” Anna said to him with another grin before they parted. Anna, she had told him her name before exchanging numbers with him. Kristoff removed the paper around caramel, thinking for a brief second how it was odd there was a caramel day and someone would actually know about it. He popped the sweet in his mouth, knowing he wouldn’t be waiting very long to contact her.
~*~
He learned to see the world differently that spring. Anna altered his perception of it quickly. He wouldn’t admit anything changed; only that it was nice to have her positive outlook around. When he caught himself whistling or taking a little longer than necessary to smile and say thank you, he explained it away that it was simply because he was in a good mood
The truth was Kristoff was happier than he could remember being in a long time. He liked how Anna challenged and kept him on his toes. He was even starting to grow accustomed to her quirks and eccentricities.
“So,” Kristoff started one early morning. They were sitting on the tailgate of his truck, Anna swinging her legs freely off the end. “You got up early to come all the way over to the job site to bring me donuts?”
“Yes, its donut day,” Anna said completely serious. “These are for you and the crew.”
“There are a lot of chocolate ones in here.”
“Okay, they’re for me too. You know chocolate is my favorite.”
“I think anyone who knows you longer than five minutes is aware of that. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” Anna responded half distracted as she searched over the selection of donuts for the perfect one.
“Why all the days?”
“You didn’t enjoy them?”
“I didn’t say that. Picnic day was nice and I didn’t even know there was a mini golf day…or a donut day. I guess I’m just curious why you like them so much.”
“Oh….” Anna put her donut down and wrung her hands in her lap. “It’s silly really, I know. I should stop with them.”
“Hey.” Kristoff took Anna’s hand in his. “It’s not silly. Tell me. I want to know.”
Anna took a deep breath. “When I was growing up there were so many days where it was just…nothing. They blended together and it could be so lonely sometimes. But most of these days are fun and yes, sometimes a little silly. I like that it’s a way I can make someone smile…a way to turn an ordinary Friday…”
“Into donut day?”
“Exactly. Can I show you something?”
Kristoff nodded and watched as Anna pulled out a leather bound date book from her purse.
“I don’t look up the days all the time, but when I do and find something I like, I try to do it and then I write down the memory in here on the date. See?” She flipped through the pages where there were notes from earlier in the year. “Now I get to add what I did today with you.”
“Wait, wait a second. Go back to the other page. What does it say about mini golf day?”
Anna flipped the page back and pointed. “That I won.”
“More like cheated.”
“Do you see what’s written under it? ‘Kristoff has not accepted his defeat’ It’s still true today.”
Kristoff chuckled then pulled Anna closer to him, hugging her around the waist. “I guess we’ll agree to disagree on that one. Thank you for sharing that with me. I, umm…” He cleared his throat. “Would be up to doing any of the days you wanted to do with me. Within reason,” he added quickly.
Anna’s face lit up. “You would?”
“Yeah. Sounds like fun. Does there happen to be any beer days?”
She leaned closer to Kristoff. “Several. But you know what days are better?”
“What?”
“Kissing day.”
“Intriguing.”
“Both National and International. There’s one coming up soon.”
“Then we should practice. Don’t want to mess that one up.”
“No we don’t.”
He dipped his head down to meet her lips for the sweetest kiss with her.
He vowed that day to find as many ways as he could to help fill up Anna’s book. His next opportunity came two days later when it just so happened to be chocolate ice cream day. Anna was giddy holding her cone as he told her. He decided then that he’d try to surprise her with days he could find that were chocolate related. His first opportunity came when he made her homemade cookies for chocolate chip day. By the time he sent her chocolates to her work for chocolate day, he had become an expert at finding ways to make her smile and fill up her date book.
~*~
He told her he loved her the next spring.
For a long time, he didn’t have the words to put to the swirl of emotions running though him. It was overwhelming. He felt like he couldn’t breathe sometimes when he was around her. By the end of the year he pinpointed those feelings. By spring he was wracking his brain trying to figure out the perfect way to tell her. He was in love with her. He had no doubt. But the timing and the right setting always seemed to elude him.
Then one day Anna pulled onto his job site unannounced in the early afternoon and declared it was time for him to leave. She waited impatiently while he came down from the roof, tapping her toe on the gravel until he finally made it over to her.
“You’re a little over dressed for a work site.”
Anna ignored him and reached for his hand. “It’s leave the office early day, so let’s go.”
“What?” Kristoff didn’t budge. He was used to this by now, but he wasn’t going to make it easy for her. He folded his arms at her to feign seriousness. “But I don’t have an office,” Kristoff answered in a teasing tone.
“What do you call this?” Anna threw her arms out and twisted around, nearly tripping as she moved. “This is where you work. It’s your office!”
“No, it’s not.”
“Then your truck is.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Ok fine. But I have an office and I left early and now I need you to come with me.”
“Babe, I don’t…” Kristoff turned back to the house. “I don’t know if I can go. What’s the rush anyway?”
“What is the point of leaving the office early if you don’t do something with the time?”
“Ok, but maybe if you told me about this earlier.”
“That defeats the whole concept! Now let’s go before we waste any more time.”
“Yeah, but we have the whole crew here and…”
Sven, walked out to them, already hearing the conversation. “Go. I have it handled. We don’t need you. In fact you’ve been useless to us since lunch. Anna, thank you for taking him off my hands.”
Anna let out a triumphant whoop then grabbed his hand and pulled him in the direction of her car before he could give any objection.
“We’ll take my car and swing back and get your truck later.”
“So, what do you have planned? Because I know you’re up to something.”
“Well, yesterday was go barefoot day, so I’m thinking picnic over at the park. We may be a day late, but it still counts.”
“Let me guess. You have everything in the car already.”
“Of course. It’s so nice out. How could we not go?” Anna patted his chest. She took a step away, but slipped on the gravel.
Kristoff caught her and pulled her back to a standing position. “Anna, I love you, but you know you have to be careful out here. You’re going to give me a heart attack one day.”
He moved towards the car, but her hand caught his. Kristoff stopped, looking down at their hands and then up to her face. Her head was tilted; eyes narrow like she was trying to make sense of something.
“What did you say?”
“To be careful.”
“Before that.”
His heart started beating out of his chest when it dawned on him what he blurted out. “That…I love you?”
“Do you mean that?”
It was the last place he ever thought he’d tell her, but it was out there now. No going back. “Yes, I love you.”
Anna jumped into his arms before he knew what happened. She answered him back with a kiss full of passion he had never known before her.
~*~
He followed her in the spring. The first time she showed it to him was in March. Anna gave him directions until they finally turned into a wooded lane that winded up to a clearing full of daffodils in their early spring glory.
“So this is it?” Kristoff asked, putting the truck in park.
“This is it.”
He could tell Anna was nervous. She chewed at her bottom lip anytime there was silence while he drove.
“Hey.” Anna turned and looked at him. “Check under the seat.”
She gave him an inquisitive look, then reached below her and pulled out a package.
“Happy Oreo day.”
Kristoff couldn’t stop from cracking a smile when Anna started laughing. He had gotten her again. She opened the package, took a couple cookies for herself and handed several to Kristoff. “For the walk,” she said.
Anna guided Kristoff up the small hill, telling him all about the property until they reached the top.
“So what do you think?”
Kristoff scanned the land. “I-“
“It’s okay if you don’t like it,” Anna said nervously. “I know you and Sven said I could help scout for property. Please be honest with me if it doesn’t work or if there are problems I should have been aware of. I thought the price was reasonable and the area is flat to build on. But tell me, if that view isn’t to die for.”
“Would you buy it?”
Kristoff’s question took Anna by surprise. “I…what?”
“If it was a property for a house for you, would you buy it?”
“In a heartbeat.”
“I need to talk to Sven, but I don’t think he’s going to have any objections. The view alone would sell the property before anyone walked inside the house.”
“So, you like it?”
“I love it.”
Sven was an easy sell on the property and within the month, they broke ground on their latest build. Kristoff asked Anna what she thought of the design of the house when the first layouts came in. She gave him her ideas and he found himself making changes based on a lot of her suggestions. It became a routine for them, Kristoff asking Anna for her opinions on materials for the exterior and then inside as they moved to the interior work.
It was late one night when Kristoff and Sven were discussing tile for the kitchen floor. Kristoff’s first instinct was to call Anna and ask for her opinion. It hit him at the countless times he had made these decisions on his own, yet he felt compelled to ask Anna what she wanted. Everywhere he looked had her influence. There wasn’t a major decision he had made without consulting her.
That’s when it dawned on him. Perhaps he had been building this home for Anna all along.
~*~
He asked her to marry him in the spring. After almost three years together, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he wanted to. Kristoff had made his decision that night in the house and talked to Sven about the possibility of him purchasing it. Sven had no issues. He only requested Kristoff make up his mind before April, when the house would hit the market.
It took longer than Kristoff expected to come up with a plan. He wanted it to be perfect for her, to be something unique to them. Then he remembered it by chance. He saw it last year when he was scrolling through national days in March to find something for Anna. A quick check on his phone confirmed the date.
They walked hand in hand on the first day of spring, up the driveway instead of a hill this time, Anna pointing out all the changes outside since she had been to the house last. The warmth of the afternoon sun hit his face; so opposite from the day they met.
Anna gasped when they got in front of the house. “Kris, are these original from the property? They are gorgeous!”
Kristoff nodded. He had some of the daffodils dug up and replanted before they broke ground. “I thought you’d like them.”
They went into the house. Anna marveled at everything, going through the rooms, talking a mile a minute about what she would do with each area of the house.
“I saved the best for last,” Kristoff told her as he opened up the back door to a deck that overlooked the view they both gazed at almost a year before.
Anna took Kristoff’s hand. “Imagine someone will get this view every day.”
“You know, it could be us if that’s what you want.”
“Don’t joke about that. This is everything I ever wanted. I’m going to be sad to see it go…” Anna stopped abruptly, lost in thought for a minute before looking up at Kristoff. “Wait. Why did you say that?”
“Do me a favor and check your phone and tell me what National Day it is.”
“Kris, I…”
“Humor me.”
Anna took out her phone and scrolled to the date. She stepped towards the railing as she looked through it. “It’s ravioli day. Ha-ha. Oh, wait. There’s more if I scroll down let me-“
He knew she had seen it when her hand flew to her mouth. “Its National Proposal Day,” she said barely above a whisper. Anna turned around agonizing slow, not daring to look over at Kristoff until she was facing him. He was waiting for her on one knee, ring held out to her. Then he took a deep breath, and gave her all the love he knew how to when he asked her to marry him.
They stayed out there for a long time embraced and holding onto the moment as long as possible. Anna held out her hand again, admiring the ring.
“You really got me this time. How did I not know it was proposal day?”
“I was kind of banking on you not knowing.”
“Well, it worked. And the house? It’s really ours?”
“If you want it to be.”
Anna leaned forward, placed her chin on Kristoff’s chest and grinned. “I do.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Their lips met again, holding each other tight knowing whatever lay ahead, they would face head on together.
Kristoff never liked spring. Then he met Anna on a snowy day in April and his life and view of the season changed forever.