Winter, the time of year when the snow blankets the ground. The light flakes fall down gracefully, like little ballerinas pirouetting through the night sky. He stared at his cup of coffee, watching as the steam from the cup swirled around the icy crystals that fell around it. Nights like this calmed him, the stars glittering through little cracks within the clouds, the peacefulness of it all relaxed him.
Matthew felt a yawn escape him. He couldn't help it with how late it had gotten, but he didn't want to fall asleep. He wanted to stay outside and enjoy the brisk air. He needed to finish this paperwork anyways, and it was an excellent way to stall time. So despite his eyelids desperately trying to close, Matthew diligently focused at the task at hand, occasionally taking a sip from his coffee cup. He readjusted his scarf, then took one more glance towards the fresh snowfall covering his driveway, excited for the next day and the possibilities it held.
Suddenly, his phone lit up and buzzed, sending vibrations through Matthew's bench. At seeing the name written on the caller ID, Matthew's breath caught in his throat with excitement. He quickly grabbed the device, fumbling with it and his gloves for a moment before hitting the green accept button.
"H-Hello?"
"...Hey, Mattie."
Matthew grinned at the voice of his boyfriend. It had been far too long since their last conversation. "Hey Carlos. How-"
"Mattie listen..." Matthew's smile dropped at the tone of Carlos' voice, and the fact that he had cut him off. Carlos never cut him off. Something must have happened. Did he mess up? Was this the dreaded break up call? Matthew bit his lower lip, waiting for Carlos to continue, "I don't think I'll make it there by the morning. My flight's been canceled."
A wall of relief hit Matthew like a ton of bricks. He let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding, the warm air drifting upwards in spirals past his cold-reddened cheeks. "Canceled...? Can't... Can't they just reroute you?"
A bit of silence met him from the other line, then what seemed to be muffled arguments before Carlos replied. "Sorry, Mattie. They said it's inclement weather, a big storm supposedly... So they wont be letting any flights to Ottawa take off. I might get there tomorrow evening if I'm real lucky, but it's looking like a couple days..."
"Oh..." Crestfallen, Matthew dropped his pencil on the small table in front of him. This paperwork was not going to be finished tonight after all. There no longer seemed to be a point to stress and hurry through it anymore if he was going to have the next few days to work instead of doing what he had planned for Carlos' visit.
"Damn. Mattie, are you out in it right now? I can hear your teeth chattering from here!" The concern in Carlos' voice sounded like static in the chilled wind, snapping Matthew out of his daze. There was definitely a storm rolling in. "Get inside right now, you dork!"
Matthew nodded, then remembered that Carlos couldn't see him. The only sound he could manage to produce was a slight "Mm." He slowly gathered his documents, unable to tell if the numb feeling was from the cold or the news that Carlos wouldn't be there.
"I'm going to take that as an alright, and I hope you're going in now. Next time, you'll have to just come to Havana for the winter instead. I have to make some more calls, so I'll talk to you later, alright? I'll keep you updated. And get some rest soon. Please don't be too upset, corazón." With that, the line went dead before Matthew could respond.
Matthew removed the device from his ear, the screen still glowing to reveal a picture of Carlos as the background image. He slumped his arm into his lap, phone still in hand, and stared at the digital version of Carlos with a knot in his chest. It had been at least half a year since they last saw each other, and now he was being forced to wait longer. Sure, It was just a few days more, but it felt like an eternity.
With his other hand, Matthew gripped his pencil, almost snapping it from frustration. It wasn't fair. He angrily chucked the writing utensil into the still-falling snow, losing it in the thick white blanket. Matthew sighed, then wiped the beginnings of tears out of his eyes with his sleeve. He wasn't going to cry over this. Carlos would still be here soon. He finished gathering his papers and coffee cup, then stood to head inside per Carlos' demands. He reached the door and turned the handle right as a large gust of wind forcefully blew through, which would have sent his work flying had he still been sitting where he was. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him, leaning against the frame in defeat. The warmth of the house began to thaw his ears and nose, causing them to sting a bit.
Matthew locked the door, then made his way towards his dining room table to set everything down and begin removing his layers. Another gust of wind sent a tree branch scratching across a window, capturing Matthew's attention. He walked over to said window and gazed out upon the winter night. The stars could no longer be seen, and the flurries were picking up speed. The storm was here, and he had made it inside just in time. Snowflakes stuck to the glass, melting and freezing again within moments. Matthew frowned at the sight. Normally nights like this calmed him. But tonight... Tonight was painful.