Page 64 of Snowballed

“That was amazing.” I kiss her on the forehead, the cheeks, and finally on her soft mouth. She opens her eyes and smiles in an innocent way that contradicts everything that just happened between us.

As the sweat evaporates from my body, I’m finally aware of where we are. The barn is dimly lit, chilly, and smells like straw and goats.

“Naaaaaaaa,” two goats bleat in unison.

“Should we not have had sex in front of them?” I ask. “Now they know how long it’s really supposed to last.”

Zoe laughs her huge laugh, and I feel happy in every part of my body.

22

Noah

“A parcel came for you,” Zoe tells me when I get home from school.

It’s a large box from my grandmother. Unless she’s sent the entire meal, it’s hard to imagine how a recipe turned into this.

Even though Zoe is dying of curiosity, I take it up to my room to open because it’s supposed to be a surprise for her.

Inside there’s a black puffer jacket. It’s Japanese, of course, since my grandmother believes Japanese products are superior to all other countries’. But it’s a lifesaver. I’m already cold, and everyone tells me that this is nothing compared to January. I try on the coat, and it fits perfectly. When I slip my hand into the pocket, there’s a twenty-dollar bill tucked in there. This is a typical bachan move, but these days, twenty bucks is not to be sniffed at.

The rest of the box is food related. She has sent me sembei, rice crackers I love but my dad forbids during the season. Luckily, he’s not here to see every forbidden thing I’ve been eating. But I feel great and my energy is up, so I’m not worrying.

She’s also sent me a full page of dinner instructions and a shopping list in her spidery handwriting. I’m going to be making Japanese curry, which looks pretty easy. There are also packages of microwaveable Japanese rice because she doesn’t trust Burlington Asian food markets, or more likely my cooking. The boxes of curry mix remind me that my grandmother has a great sense of humor.

Now the biggest issue is finding a night to make dinner. I guess we could do it on Tuesdays when Denise has night class, but I have a late seminar.

I go back downstairs where Zoe is cooking and studying a textbook at the same time.

“What was in the box?” she asks.

“Stuff.”

I go to get a snack, but she stands in front of the fridge. “You’re not getting anything until you tell me what was in the box.”

“Threats? That’s not nice. What if it’s something for you?” I ask.

Zoe smiles. “Is it?”

I nod. She throws her arms around me and kisses my cheek. “That’s so sweet. I made you a snack already. I hid it in the cupboard.”

I retrieve my snack, which is an amazing platter of homemade protein balls, bran muffins, cheese, and raw veggies. “Was I not getting this if I didn’t tell you what was in the box?”

She laughs. “You would have had to wait longer.”

I eat my snack and drink some water. Zoe has an exam tomorrow, so I don’t bother her until she takes a break.

“I’d like to make you dinner. What would be a good night?”

“Can you cook?” Zoe asks suspiciously.

“I don’t know what would make you say that other than seeing me in the kitchen.”

“Exactly. We both like eating, and I don’t mind cooking,” she says.

“Don’t worry, I have a full set of instructions.” I pull her into my lap. “I want to make you a special dinner. It was supposed to be our first date, but you were so impatient that you attacked me in the barn.”

Zoe snorts in reply. Sure, the sex was great, but what I’m really enjoying is the closeness between us since that night. It’s the intimacy of getting to know each other physically that’s brought us together emotionally.

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