A walk in the snow.(Kevin Hughes) The snow was falling. Thick heavy flakes that were piling up fast. The kind of big flakes that when they fell muffled all natural sounds, prohibited driving, and made Christmas lights into muted smudged colors in windows and on lawns.

He raised his cup of tea to his lips and stared out into the falling snow. He had all the lights, except for his Christmas Tree turned off. He liked the mood it set. Staring out into the darkness with the twinkling and glitter coming off of his tree reflected back into his house.

As the snow fell heavier and heavier…he sipped from his tea and let his mind muffle the present snow to replace it with a clearer image from years ago.

He closed his eyes and smiled.

*****

“Is that someone walking up the driveway?”

“What?!”

She joined her Mom at the big bay window. Soon her brother and Dad did the same.

Her Father spoke first:

“What kind of idiot would wander out in the middle of a snowstorm?’

“Hush, dear. Maybe it is someone who needs help. Maybe their power is out.”

“Hmrph. Could be.”

She could hear the doubt in her Dad’s voice, but she had to agree…what kind of idiot would venture out in this kind of weather. Whoever it is must be frozen stiff.

The figure grew closer and once it hit the tiny cone of yellow light from their lamppost they could see it was a boy…or man…wrapped from head to toe in winter garb. Hat, scarf, thick coat, mittens, galoshes.

Her Dad spoke first…again:

“Well, whoever it is, at least they dressed for the weather.”

Everyone chuckled. The mysterious form plodded onwards. Somehow knowing where the sidewalk leading to their porch was.

All four of them had the same thought.

“How in the world does he even know where the sidewalk is. The snow must be over six inches deep already…and still piling up. “

And then, the doorbell rang. It made her almost jump out of her skin. She had seen him get to the front door, but from the bay window, nobody could see who was on the porch.

Her Mom opened the door to a blast of cold wind, a flurry of snow trying to beat its way inside and a forlorn looking figure with icicles on its face looking up at her.

“Hello, Mrs. Slovak. I was wondering if Deirdre would like to go for a walk with me?”

“Kevin?”

He pulled down his scarf. His face was red and chafed by the wind. His eyes were smiling …as little puddles formed from the melt coming off his eyebrows and eyelashes. His smile was …well…hopeful.

Deidre peered out from behind her Mom. A part of her heart was trying to skip a beat. The rest of it was swollen with anticipation.

Once again, it was her Dad who spoke first:

“Kevin, you idiot, get inside before you let all the heat out. And stay on the mat! I don’t want you dripping all over the carpet while my daughter decides if you are crazy…or just nuts. And joins you.”

Everyone laughed. Deirdre reacted by opening the front closet and reaching for her coat and boots. Kevin hopped from foot to foot. Partly to get the blood flowing again, and partly because he was so excited. It was obvious she was going to go walk with him.

Her brother slapped Kevin on the shoulder.

“Good move Dude! You have to be in love to want to walk in this stuff.”

She turned to say something to her brother, her neck burning bright red. But her brother soothed her before she could speak.

“I will have some hot chocolate ready when you get back… with marshmallows.”

Her Mother nodded assent.

Her brother leaned over to her and whispered into her ear:

“You are one lucky girl, Sis. Nobody ever walked through a snowstorm to ask me to go for a walk. He’s a keeper.”

Then her Dad spoke again:

“Just around the block kids. If you aren’t back in half an hour, I will get in my car and find you. If I have to do that…well, you can kiss Christmas Dinner goodbye.”

Kevin gulped. Looked at his watch and set the timer. Fifteen minutes out…fifteen minutes back. That should be enough time to circle the block. He wasn’t giving up having dinner with Deidre on Christmas…just two weeks away.

Soon the two figures were already out of sight. The three of them stood in the window and watched as Deidre and Kevin faded out of the little yellow circle of light from the tiny lamp pole near the driveway.

“Idiots.”

Was what the Dad said.

The Mother, much wiser and closer to the truth whispered:

“Nope. Just young kids in love.”

“I hope we have enough milk. I will get the hot chocolate going in about twenty five minutes or so.”

The Dad looked back up from his chair.

“You think they will be back on time?”

He laughed at his Dad’s comment.

“You think he is going to risk not being here for Christmas Dinner. Don’t think so.”

Out in the snow, muffled and quiet…two cold hands clung to each other. Occasionally ice cold lips would meet and soft warm breath would change cheeks.

Thirty minutes later, two young happy people stomped their feet. A cheery voice yelled from the kitchen:

“Hey you two snowmen…hot chocolate’s ready!”

*****

That memory was more than twenty years ago. Their walks had become shorter and shorter until they finally led to different paths.

He had never walked with anyone else in the snow. The sadness of that present day thought was interrupted.

Someone was knocking on his door.

“Hold on a minute. I am coming.”

With that he flicked on the porch light, set down his tea, and in stocking feet went and opened his door.

Through the storm door was a figure wrapped from head to toe in winter garb. With all those clothes, jackets, mittens and scarves…gender was impossible to determine. He thought it was a she…but he could be wrong.

Then he saw her eyes.

She unwrapped her scarf. He unwrapped a love he thought he would never see…or use…again:

“Deirdre?…Dee...?”

The eyes twinkled back at him. The lights from his tree making them glitter, sparkle and shine.

“You want to go for a walk in the snow?”

He lifted her from the small porch to inside his hallway in a double clutched hug and handful.

He pulled the door shut, opened his front closet and started pulling on his coat, rifling around for his boots, and all the while glancing up to see if she was real.

She looked around his house as she waited. It was like him. Neat, tidy, no clutter. Warm and safe. Her eye came to rest on the only picture in the room. Her heart swallowed hard.

She knew that picture. She had the only other copy of it in her scrapbook. It was the one thing she kept when her soon to be husband said he didn’t want any of her old relationships junk around their house.

That husband was gone. She didn’t care where. She had spent the last five years trying to find what she had lost.

Tonight…she found it.

He was ready. He turned the lights off, except for the tree. He didn’t lock the door.

“Aren’t you going to lock the door?”

He smiled at her as he helped wrap her scarf back up.

“Nope. As your Dad used to say:

“What kind of idiots would be out in this weather?!”

She laughed. She knew the answer.

Loving ones.

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