One
Christmas Eve and the blizzard outside was raging. The wind whipped and moaned as it sashayed down the chimney, sloshing the fire which roared in response. I sat wrapped in a fluffy blanket on the worn, brown leather couch wearing my uniform of sweatpants and tank top. I'd managed to finally get a hold of my dad since the blizzard had interfered with the phone lines. That was frustrating enough, so I was thankful that it hadn't tripped the power completely. Being alone in a cabin on a mountain six miles away from the outskirts of Forks meant that I'd have to sit alone in the dark by the fire until the power came back, or brave the frosty outdoors and walk to my parents. Being the klutz that I was immediately cancelled out the latter and I really didn't fancy trudging through the snow just for a night of electricity. I prayed that this snowstorm would clear by morning so that I didn't have to spend the first Christmas without my husband, alone. My parents were supposed to be driving up tonight but the fact that the weather was far harsher up here than it was in civilisation meant that the roads were too dangerous.
"I'm sorry, Bells, but with the storm they aren't allowing access up the mountain. Hopefully, it will have cleared by morning and your mother and I can travel up then," Dad told me regretfully. "Or I can come and pick you up and you can come back with me."
We had never spent a Christmas apart in my twenty-five years of life; and as much as my dad was willing to accommodate this year, he preferred his own chair in his own house.
"I know, Dad. It's just..." I trailed off. I didn't want to make them feel guilty; it wasn't their fault that Mother Nature had decided to torment me and it wasn't their fault that I was alone in the first place.
"I guess that means more marshmallows for me, right?" I joked. My voice was laced with disappointment given that it was my first Christmas without Jake and I really didn't want to be alone.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright up there on your own, honey?"
"Yeah, I have plenty of wood and a stack of Christmas films. I'm a big girl, Daddy, I'll survive." I rarely called him that anymore but on holidays I felt like a little girl again and I knew that he secretly loved to hear it.
"You've survived more than your fair share this year already." His voice was laced with regret. "And you'll always be my little girl."
I smiled despite the situation, "Honestly, I'll be okay. It's only one night. And if I get lonely, Mrs Cope is right next door."
"We'll try and get there for the morning, Kiddo. Merry Christmas. See you soon 'kay?" He told me in his usual gruff voice.
"Okay. Merry Christmas, Daddy."
