Page 1 of Once Upon A Snowfall
Chapter One
Annie
“Are you sure you have everything packed? Your phone charger, extra pair of boots, thermals, tweezers—”
I roll my eyes, listening to my sister, Madison, rattle off over the phone another ridiculous list of things I need for our trip. Tweezers, though? I’m not exactly sure what I’d use them for, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to toss them in my checked bag. Maybe she knows something that I don’t.
We’ve spoken the last three nights and each time she’s mentioned something off-the-wall. Take last night, for instance. She wanted to know if I’d tossed an extra roll of toilet paper in my suitcase. You know, just in case, she’d quickly pointed out when I insisted the cabin should have more than enough. And the night before that, it was a first aid kit. Okay, so I could see where a couple of bandages might be a good idea, but an entire first aid kit? I was already getting close to the weight limit on my checked bag from all the sweaters and jeans I’d packed, so if she felt that having a kit wasthatimportant, then she’d have to put it in with her own things.
“Seriously, Madi. I have everything I could possibly need. In fact, I’ve probably over-packed considering how much this suitcase is bulging.” I look down at the red American Tourister sitting over by the front door. There’s no way I can fit one more thing inside of it.
“You should’ve listened to me and gotten the hard-body. It just seems sturdier,” she points out. “And then there’s the snow to factor in. You certainly want to make sure it doesn’t get wet.”
It’s a good thing she’s still in Florida and I’m here in Texas or else she’d be getting another stern look from me. I’d done my homework on luggage—overall quality, durability, and price—and I didn’t need her two cents. Plenty of travelers still used suitcases similar to mine, so Madi just needed to chill. And if I know my sister, she’ll probably have something snarky to say about the red and green ribbon I have tied to the handle, too.
I’m equal parts nervous and giddy about this trip—nervous about seeing so much snow for the first time in my life and giddy about spending time with my baby sister. It’s a shame we don’t get to see each other more, but now that I’m teaching, my schedule doesn’t allow me to take time off to see her as much as I’d like. Originally, Madi and her husband, Vernon, were going to Nevada together, but at the last minute, Vernon’s schedule at the hospital was changed and now he’s on call thru New Year’s. I’m sad I won’t get to spend the holidays with my brother-in-law too, but Madi and I are going to have the best time together. I just know it. Two weeks is hardly long enough, but I’m going to enjoy every second.
Madi’s living the good life now, married to a doctor and living in a beautiful condo near the beach. Her husband plays golf on the weekends while she goes to the spa and hangs out with her girlfriends regularly. Sigh, one can only hope for the same one day, right? I’m not saying my sister doesn’t deservethis carefree lifestyle, but I can’t help wondering where did I go wrong. At thirty-four, things aren’t looking all that great.
“Just to confirm, we’re meeting up at the café outside of gate thirteen?” I ask, quickly diverting our conversation away from my suitcase.
“Yes, my flight should land around noon, as long as we don’t encounter any delays in St. Louis.” she replies.
“I can’t wait.” I let out a squeal. “We can’t go this long without seeing each other again.”
“See you tomorrow, Annie.”
We end our call and I do a quick glance around the room. I swear, my sister has me all kind of paranoid that I may be forgetting something now. I shove an extra sweatshirt and a pair of leggings into my carry-on just because, well, you never know what might happen.
I double-check that my alarm’s set and crawl into bed. Exhausted doesn’t even come close to describing the way I feel, but come this time tomorrow, Madi and I will be sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping hot cocoa and catching up on everything we’ve missed these last few months.
Chapter Two
Annie
“Have a safe trip, Annie,” my good friend, Judy, says as she closes the trunk of her car.
Judy and I are both third grade teachers at our school. She took me under her wing when I first joined the staff several years ago, and since our classrooms are side-by-side and we share the same lunch period together, it was only natural we became good friends. She’s more of a mother figure to me, since my own passed away from cancer when Madi and I were still very young. When Judy suggested bringing me to the airport for my getaway rather than leaving my car in long-term parking, I took her up on her offer.
“Thank you for the ride this morning. I hope you and Buddy have a Merry Christmas.” I lean over and give my friend a hug.
“Let me know when you’ve safely made it there. Oh, and please stay warm. I’ve been following the weather and it’s supposed to be in the single digits by mid-week. The wind chill will feel even colder than that. Quite different from what we’re dealing with here.” Judy looks down at her open-toed sandals.“It’s crazy how unseasonably warm it is compared to up-state Nevada.”
“Trust me, it was so hard to pack for this trip, having never experienced such brutal temperatures before. It’s going to be interesting, for sure.” I grab hold of the handle on my suitcase and heave it up onto the sidewalk. “I’ll message you as soon as I land.”
“Don’t worry about a thing here. I’ll stop by your place mid-week and collect the mail for you,” she says and takes a step towards the door of her car. “Take lots of pictures, too.”
Waving goodbye to my friend, I take in a deep breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”
I wheel my things thru the sliding doors and proceed to the ticket counter. For once, the line for TSA moves quickly and I’m able to grab a light snack from one of the shops closest to my gate with plenty of time to spare. I pull out my phone to check the time and find a message from Madi.
Madi: I’m on my way. See you soon, sis.
When it’s time to board, I scoop my things up and hurry over to the line. Luckily, I was able to secure a window seat, and I slip my Kindle out of my purse before stowing it underneath the seat in front of me. When we’re safely in the air and on our way, I open it up to a book one of my fellow teachers recommended I download. After the first couple of pages, the low battery light begins to flash in the upper right-hand corner. In my haste to pack everything last night, I guess I forgot to charge it.
Without disturbing the passenger beside me, I manage to retrieve the charging cable from my purse and plug it into the port at the bottom of the seat in front of me. When we make it to Denver, I’m thankful I don’t have to change planes and I continue reading the wonderful Christmas story that’s consumed me for the last hour. At the rate I’m going, I’ll have it all finished by the time we make it to Reno.
That is, until I look out the window and see the tops of the mountains covered in snow. I press my nose against the window, completely in awe at the breathtaking view below. After a few moments, I realize my mouth is hanging open, similar to that of a kid discovering his or her gifts from Santa on Christmas morning.
