Page 98 of A World Without You
Monday, December 18th
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“WAKE UP, SUNSHINE!It’s a snow day! Work and school are canceled, so we’re sledding!” Bennett throws a pile of snow gear on top of me and I push through the polyester and sit up.
“Really?” I ask, feigning annoyance.
He grins. “Josie has been up for an hour, begging to wake you, Sleeping Beauty, and we cannot wait any longer, so get out of bed. The perfect sledding hill is just down the street, and we are sledding!” He is far too enthusiastic for the morning...or simply for being Bennett. I don’t have the heart to tell him what he thinks is the perfect dusting of snow is probably two inches of ice on the ground, covered in one inch of snow. He sets a cup of coffee and an omelet on the nightstand next to the bed in the guest room where I slept last night.
I eye him curiously, a helpless smile pulling at my lips.
“It’s gluten-free. I promise. I even used your special pan.”
“Aww, that pan was just for me?” I question with every ounce of skepticism I have.
“Yes. Don’t be weird about it,” he answers way too quickly and I try not to smile at him.
“Bennett, whose snow clothes are these? Do you have a secret wife somewhere?” I gasp at the realization to mask the twinge of jealousy in my gut. “You have a girlfriend, don’t you?”
He makes a clicking noise and shakes his head like the possibility is ridiculous. “They’re mine. You’ll be swimming in them, but at least you’ll be warm.”
I hold up the black and gray snow overalls and unleash a giddy smile. I haven’t had a real snow day in a long time.
“Hurry!” he says, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.
I hurry out of bed and get ready, dressing in the snow-clothes monstrosity and scarfing down the eggs and coffee before making my way down the hall to find Josie in a bright pink snow jumpsuit with a green wool cap and a green overcoat. Her grin is so wide, you’d think today is Christmas and Santa just brought her everything she asked for.
Bennett appears behind me in all gray snow gear and a childish grin. “Bringing your camera?”
I hold up the camera strapped around my neck and nod.
“Ready?” He opens the front door and before I can warn him, he steps outside and slips long and hard on the sidewalk. Josie gasps then laughs, clearly not knowing what emotion to let take charge.
“Oh! Shhhhiii—ooot! Are you okay?” I ask, wincing as I see him splayed out on the walkway covered in two inches of ice.
“Did you know about this?” he asks, his back still plastered to the ground.
“You didn’t give me a chance to explain?” I offer, uncertainty in my tone and he rolls his eyes.
“Help me up,” he demands, rolling over.
“You know I’m terrible at ice skating,” I say.
“Olivia June Baker. Help. Me.” He demands.
I look at Josie and she’s giggling at her dad. I crouch down, slowly creeping toward him, and he unleashes a full smile.
“You look ridiculous,” he says.
I glance down at my crab walk and then stare at him, blinking once. “Says the six-foot-two grump sprawled out like a starfish on his walkway.”
His jaw drops at my insult. Josie is still laughing. “Whatever, Sebastian, help me up,” he chides, reaching out and as he takes my hand, I slide right into him until we’re a heap of limbs spinning around on sheaths of ice. Josie is keeled over, silent laughing. Her laughter is contagious and Bennett and I are both unable to talk or steady ourselves on the ice.
When I finally catch my breath, I say, “We’re going to have to slide to the hill.”
So we do. We crouch on the sidewalk and slide across the slick sidewalk until we make it down the block to the hill behind his development. There on the hill, the snow is less icey and more snowy.
We go up and down several times until my thighs start to give out, so I plant myself at the bottom of the hill with my camera and get shots of Josie flying down the hill with her dad seated in the sleigh behind her. Their smiles are jubilant—simply sheer joy and laughter-screaming. I realize Bennett is truly the happiest I’ve ever seen him when he’s with her.
