Page 92 of One Foggy Christmas
“Great question.” My hands go to my hips, assessing my design flaws.
“I’ll just climb in myself.” Sadie holds onto the edge of the dock as she lowers into the boat.
I can barely see around the tree to where she sits opposite of me, but it’s fine. It’s romantic, like I said.
“Watch this.” I tap the remote on the battery-operated lights, making the tree glow. It's the perfect ambiance between the moonlight and the fairy lights around the tree.
“Very impressive.” She leans her head to the side so I can see her smile.
“Thank you. I’m impressed with myself.” I grab the oars and begin rowing us away from the shore. “There’s a blanket by your feet if you’re cold.”
“You’ve thought of everything.”
“Yeah.” It’s my turn to lean my head out so she can see me.
I didn’t think of everything, or else I would’ve thought about how a tree in the middle of the boat would put miles between us.
Stupid.
I blame Pinterest for this.
I keep rowing, trying to engage in conversation, but it’s useless. The tree is a problem.
“I’ve had enough of this.” I stand, finding my balance between the rocking of the boat.
“What are you going to do?”
“For starters, I’m moving this stupid thing.” I try and lift the fake tree, but one of the legs is stuck under the seat.
Sadie half stands, reaching to undo it.
I can’t explain what happens in the next few seconds. All I know is that inertia takes over, and before either of us can stop it, our weight tips us—and the stupid tree—into the icy water.
A thousand tiny pinpricks stab my skin, and my breath freezes inside my chest the second I hit the water. The force of the fall slams my body into the ground, letting me know I can touch here. My feet scrape against the bottom as I come up for air. All I can think about is Sadie. She gasps beside me, finding her feet in the three feet of water.
“Are you okay?” I huff as my lungs thaw.
Her heavy breaths and frantic movements to get back in the boat let me know she’s at least alive and not frozen to death.
“I’m…going to kill you…Nash.” Her teeth chatter as she tries to get the words out.
I do my best to push her butt to hoist her back in the boat. Her body flops over the edge, and instead of climbing in, I decide to push the boat fifteen feet to shore.
“It’s a memory. You need more of those.”
“Not one this cold.”
“Use the blanket,” I say through my clenched jaw.
“I think my clothes are frozen to my skin.”
“Almost got it.” I give a final push, hitting the boat's bow onto the rocks. “Come on!”
She stands, and instead of helping her out of the boat, I pick her up and cradle her in my arms. My adrenaline kicks in, givingmy frozen body the strength to carry her into the house. By the time we get inside, we’re both laughing through our shivers.
“I hate…your tree…idea.”
“This isn’t how I saw it going,” I say as I climb the stairs.
