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Isla inhaled the cool December air. Winters got slightly colder in Hanover, New Hampshire than they did in New York and Paris. This forced Isla into thicker clothing, longing for the warmer seasons. Both she and Josh hated the cold and found themselves very sensitive to it. But instead of pushing apart in this likeness, it just led them to cuddle up together whenever possible.
Which is why Isla was so cold at present. She was without her Josh, standing in the snow, outside, and had been for the last 5 minutes. Each of those five minutes had felt like an hour as the snow drifted down and the street remained silent. When she’d first stepped outside Isla had liked the peaceful way each snowflake fell to the ground, joining itself once again. But the cold had turned Isla bitter, glaring at each icy snowflake like they were personally responsible for Josh being late. And Josh was never late.
Waiting for Josh to come pick her up for their mystery date led Isla to remember their first December together. The day she’d broken both of their hearts. And the snow reminded her of the night Josh had waited outside her dorm for hours, shivering in the cold. The night they’d gotten back together and never stopped.
“I hope you’re not thinking of someone else with that look on your face!” Josh’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Her head whipped up and found his face in an instant. The smile that broke across her face made it seem like they’d been apart for weeks and not hours, but that was the effect Josh had on her.
As they walked towards each other she responded, “And what exactly is the look on my face?”
“From my perspective it was… remembrance, and happiness. Love.”
“Well, I do love you.” Isla replied, giving him a French greeting, a kiss on each cheek, before pulling back just enough to see both of his whole face. His beautiful lips smirked before pulling her into a kiss.
“So, what’s this mystery plan?” Isla asked, “What about this date made you late so I had to stand alone in the cold?”
“You’ll see.” Josh said, “Follow me.” And so he led her, holding both of her hands as he walked backwards. “So, are you too cold?” He asked, making a turn without even a glance behind him.
“I was, but I’m feeling warmer now.” She smiled and squeezed his hands, “I hope we’re going inside though” She was getting a little too cold, her nose already bright red and her ears burning with cold even under her hair.
“I hope that some blankets will do.” Josh said, leading her around another corner. He turned, and as Isla’s focus shifted off of him she saw it. A carriage.
“Josh!” She exclaimed. She was speechless, not knowing where to start.
“I figured a limo was out of the question, and carriage rides do seem to be a part of the season.” Josh explained. “There are blankets. It’ll still be cold though, so…?”
“Are you seriously asking me if I don’t want to go on a carriage ride with my caring boyfriend?” “Because the answer is yes!”
Once Josh opened the door, Isla excitedly climbed into the carriage. Taking his hand as he climbed in with her. They sat, side-by-side, as the horses pulled them. They talked about their days, and the stars. Their families and their friends. Until eventually they had nothing more to talk about and just sat together. The snowflakes turned from demonic to romantic and Isla and Josh replaced their nightmarish limo ride with a fantastic sleigh ride. They continued opting out of limos for big events, and took carriage rides at least once a year.