Page 39 of Snowflakes and Sparks

Alex let out a chuckle. “That’s one way of looking at it.”

We parted ways and I ventured into the gift shop. There was a section with snow globes depicting all the town’s buildings, like Dave’s Diner, and the town square with its big Christmas tree. They would make perfect gifts for my friends and family back home.

I browsed through the items and decided on a snow globe with a reindeer pulling a sleigh for my parents and a snow-globe-shaped mug for Dean that said “Don’t shake me”.

Should I get Alex something? As I walked from shelf to shelf, not finding anything special enough to gift him, I worried that maybe I didn’t know him that well. Then again, how could I? I had only been living in Old Pine Cove for a few weeks. That was hardly enough time to get to know someone well enough to make an informed decision about what to buy them, right?

Still, we had spent a lot of time together. I forced myself to think about Alex long and hard. I knew he loved yoga. That he was a great chef. That he was a neat freak. That he’d never say no to a day at the ski slopes and that he was the kind of guy who’d always help someone in need, even though his sometimes tough demeanor suggested otherwise.

As I was waiting in line at the cashier’s desk, a medium-sized snow globe caught my eye. It had a detailed scene of a smiling person flipping pancakes. The globe was positioned on top of a restaurant all decked out in Christmas décor. It was perfect and it screamed Alex.

A smile spread across my face as the cashier gift-wrapped the snow globe. Ididknow Alex. So why did I want to let myself believe we were strangers who had nothing more to give to each other than a few weeks of neighborly friendliness?

I thought back to what Becca had told me earlier that day. She’d made me realize that sometimes we’re so afraid of winning, we’d rather let ourselves believe losing is better. But it never is.

I sat down in the waiting area. Was I being led by fear? Should I open myself up to… love? I winced. How did people do it? How did they let themselves go past the point of no return? To the land of vulnerability where the likelihood of getting your heart broken was sky high?

“A penny for your thoughts.”

Alex seemed to have materialized out of nowhere. His hair was peeking out from under his wool hat and he gave me the kind of smile that erased every last shred of doubt I had. What he stirred up inside of me was something I had never felt before. I was falling for him and there was no stopping this train of feelings. It had left the station, loud and clear.

“I was just thinking about snow globes,” I said, which wasn’t a complete lie.

“I’ve got a truck full of them. Although, I have to say that I’m nervous about having you on board as well.”

“Oh?” I said.

“You don’t have the best track record with the snow globe and truck combo.”

I gave him a playful push. “Oh, shut up. You know what? If it eases your nerves, I’ll walk.”

He gently grabbed me by the arm and pulled me toward him. “Don’t be silly. We’re in this together. I guess it’s our history that’s making me feel this nervous.”

I swallowed. “I know how that feels.”

“Fear has a strange way of sneaking up on people, right?”

“Are you afraid that we’ll crash and burn? The truck I mean.”

“You have no idea.”

“The way I see it, there’s only one option. We commit to the ride and we’ll see where we end up. It doesn’t have to be a disaster.”

Alex nodded, our fingers intertwining. “You’re right. It could be smooth sailing.”

“The snow globes could all arrive in one piece. As long as we take extra special care of them.”

“I want to take care of them so badly,” he whispered. “I want to make sure they feel cherished and loved.”

I nodded. “Yes, please.”

He looked at me, his dark eyes full of desire.

A faint ringing sound broke the magic moment like a popping balloon. I tried to ignore it, but whoever was calling wasn’t planning on stopping any time soon.

“I think your phone is ringing,” I said.

He put a hand on my cheek, the tip of his strong thumb grazing my skin. “Let it ring.”

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