Author's Note: I've decided to do a re-write of the Moments With Family series as I felt looking back, the writing could've been improved on. The original version will still be up for those who still want to read that version.
Chapter 1: Playing In The Snow
While cold weather tends to be a rare occurrence in Gallia, the town of Bruhl, being so far to the east and bordered near the Empire, the cold was just inescapable during the winter.
It was already evening and everyone from the average townsfolk to the Town Watch was wearing winter clothing in order to stay warm. The local radio station had even predicted earlier in the afternoon that it might even start to snow by the time night arrived.
While some of the townsfolk were in the outskirts of town preparing firewood for the fireplaces in their homes, others were buying or preparing heatable meals and foods that their kids and families can eat.
"My, it's quite cold outside. I don't think we older folks have had chills like this since we were children!" an middle aged women said making conversation to the local baker.
"Yeah, the radio even said it could possibly snow tonight." the baker with a red and white hat replied as she handed the lady a bag full of bread.
Alicia Gunther was in the middle of getting the last order of bread ready for the day. It was only 5 minutes away from closing time and was only a matter of time before she could close the bakery for the night and go home to her husband, Welkin.
"Thank you for shopping at Alicia's! Make sure to heat up the bread before you eat it tomorrow!" Alicia said cheerfully as the last customer walked away.
Alicia then yawned. Today was exhausting not just due to the weather but the sheer amount of customers, she couldn't wait to go home. She then felt a small hand tug at her dress.
"Mama, is it almost time to go home? I'm starting to feel really cold." Isara Gunther, Welkin's and Alicia's adorable little daughter, asked her mother. She was starting to shiver a little.
Alicia bent down so she could talk to her daughter at a closer height. "Yes. I just finished serving the last customer. Are you ready to go home?" Alicia gently replied to Isara.
"Yay…I'm so tired…" Isara said as she proceeded to yawn.
Alicia smiled gently at her daughter as she locked up the store for the night. Afterwards, She held onto Isara's hand as they walked home together.
Isara began thinking about what her mother said to the last customer and began to feel a little excited.
"Hey, Mama, is it really going to snow tonight?" Isara asked her mother curiously.
"Well, it might but it might not." Alicia replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was really hoping we could all play together tomorrow. I've always wanted to play in snow." Isara replied. She seemed really intent on wanting to do so.
Alicia could only respond with a warm reply, "Of course, It's a promise." She replied.
Isara looked very happy and almost energetic despite helping out all day at the bakery, "Thank you Mama!" she squealed.
—
"We're home!" Alicia said as she walked through the door.
"Hey! How was business today?" Welkin asked as he hugged his wife.
"It was very busy! I'm pretty sure everyone and every family in town ordered some bread!" Alicia replied happily and with exhaustion in her voice.
"Papa!" Isara squealed as she ran to hug her father.
"Hey Isara! Did you help a lot at the bakery today?" Welkin asked his daughter.
"Yep! I helped lots and lots but…."
Isara started to shiver again.
"…I'm really cold." Isara replied.
"Well, I just got the thing for that! You want to try some hot cocoa? I'm just about finished with the first batch!" Welkin asked with excitement.
"What's hot cocoa?" Isara asked with curiosity.
"It's a sweet tasting drink that's supposed to make you feel warm after you feel cold." Alicia explains to her daughter.
"Yes please!" Isara replied with excitement in her eyes.
"All right, let me get it ready!" Welkin stated as he went into the kitchen and prepared to pour the first cup.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me, how was your day Welkin?" Alicia asked her husband.
"It was wonderful as usual. The students we're all asking if they were really going to see snow tomorrow. A number of them said they had never seen it before." Welkin responded.
"Aww, that's adorable." Alicia replied.
"But, it's still really hard to get through winter, All the animals and bugs are hibernating, and everything is else is nonexistent." Welkin went on to say with some level of frustration.
"Oh, you and your obsession with nature." Alicia responded holding in the urge to giggle.
—
"It's so delicious!" Isara squealed as she sipped the hot cocoa for the first time.
"Is it good, Isara? I tried my hardest to make it the best as I can." Welkin asked.
"Yes, I like it a lot Papa!" Isara replied happily.
Alicia and Welkin both looked with warm and gentle smiles as they looked at their daughter enjoying the hot cocoa.
"Oh, that reminds me! Papa, can you play with us together tomorrow if it snows? I've always wanted to play in it! asked Isara energetically.
"Of course! We'll all play as a family! Right Alicia?" Welkin responded.
"Yeah, I already promised Isara, we would do so if it does. So a promise is a promise!" Alicia responded with a thumbs up.
"Great, I'll make sure to make some more hot cocoa after we're done playing too!" said Welkin.
"Hey, Mama, how about you try some hot cocoa? It's really good! Isara asked her mother.
Alicia nodded her head in response. "Of course, I'd like to try some. Welkin is there any left?"
"There's plenty left." Welkin replied gently.
"Great! But I should probably make dinner first. I bet my family is really hungry by now." Alicia stated.
Growl~
Just then Isara's stomach started to growl. "Yes! Very hungry!" Isara replied rubbing her tummy.
"Well, I guess it's time to for me to get to work then!" Alicia responded happily.
—
Soon after making and eating a very satisfying dinner with her family, Alicia tried the hot cocoa and she not only liked it but was very impressed with Welkin's ability to make it.
"This is really good Welkin! I could sell this at the bakery during the winter!" Alicia said excitedly.
"You can if you want if you want to. I bet it would sell really well." Welkin replied.
"Of course it will! But you'll have to teach me first!" Alicia responded.
"Yeah, I can do that tomorrow." Welkin said.
"I look forward to you teaching me then, I hope you're as good a teacher as the kids all say."Alicia said teasing him.
"O-of course I am!" Welkin said slightly embarrassed.
"Papa, your face is red!" Isara said giggling.
The three spent the rest of the evening bonding as a family.
—
Later that night, Alicia tucked Isara into her bed.
"Are you warm?" Alicia asked gently.
"Yes, my bed is so warm tonight!" Isara happily responded.
"That's wonderful to hear." Alicia replied cheerfully.
"Goodnight, Isara" Alicia said as she hugged her daughter.
"Goodnight, Mama" Isara sleepily replied as she yawned. Alicia smiled gently as she closed the door to her daughter's bedroom.
She then walked back to her own bedroom with Welkin, passing by Hans who was napping in the hallway.
Meanwhile outside, snowflakes started to gently fall from the dark night gray sky one by one.
—
The very next morning, Isara slowly began to wake up. She yawned and stretched a bit.
As she got out of bed she noticed her bedroom window and couldn't see through it. It looked as though it was covered in something.
She placed her hand on the window out of pure curiosity, not only was it cold but as she moved her hand around she noticed the window began the look more and more clear.
She gasped when she finally looked outside, the grass, plants and trees that she usually saw outside her window was all covered in white. The sky was a beautiful light gray which complimented the now whitened landscape of Bruhl.
Isara just couldn't hold her excitement at all. She quickly ran to her parents room to show them what she had just saw.
"Papa! Mama! It snowed! It snowed! It's looks so beautiful outside! You have to see!" squealed Isara as she entered her parents room. Welkin and Alicia simply moaned in their sleep. Apparently, they had a good night's rest.
Isara simply frowned a bit and she jumped onto the bed and started to shake their bodies.
"Mama! Papa! Wake up!" Isara said quite loudly.
The two parents quickly woke up and embraced their daughter.
"Good morning Isara." Alicia said hugging her daughter.
"You're awfully cheerful today. Did it snow?" Welkin asked Isara half awake and rubbing one of his eyes.
"Yes it did Papa!" Isara squealed in a very joyful matter. "It's looks so pretty! I have to show you all!" Isara pleaded.
"Of course." Alicia said gently to Isara.
Alicia and Welkin quickly got up from bed as their daughter lead them to her bedroom window.
"W-wow…She wasn't kidding." Alicia said looking out her daughter's window.
"Amazing! The town of Bruhl hasn't seen snow like this since I was a child!" Welkin responded with a childlike enthusiasm.
Alicia herself also started to feel very nostalgic. Looking at the snow made her remember that the orphanage she grew up in had a snow day like this once. She recalled it as being one of the more happier moments in her childhood.
"Isara, once we're done having breakfast we'll go play in the snow. Okay?" Alicia said gently to her daughter.
"Okay, Mama." Isara said smiling.
Alicia quickly went to work making a quick breakfast for her family.
—
"Hey Papa, How do you make snow angels?" Isara asked her father.
"I'll teach you once we get outside." Welkin said patting her daughters head gently.
"Alright you two, breakfast is ready!" Alicia said.
As the family proceeded to eat their meals, Isara just couldn't hide her excitement at all and continued to ask her father all sorts of things about snow. Alicia looked gently at her daughter. She already had a feeling that today was going to be very memorable.
Afterwards, Alicia quickly got to bundling up her daughter in some rather cute winter clothes. She wore a thick light blue jacket, scarf and boots with matching red winter hat, scarf and ear muffs.
"You ready to have fun Isara?" Alicia asked her daughter confidently.
"Yes Mama!" Isara responded with a lot of energy
Alicia and Welkin opened the door and a very cold breeze greeted them as soon as they did.
Isara quickly ran out the door and jumped into the snow rolling all around in it.
"Ah, it's so cold yet soft!" Isara squealed.
Alicia could only look with the most cheeriest expression. Seeing her daughter enjoying the snow this much made her feel very happy.
Welkin quickly got on the snow covered ground and showed Isara how to make a snow angel.
"See, Isara? This is how you make one, just move your body like this on the snow!" Welkin explained.
Isara quickly started copying what her father was doing.
"It's so much fun to do!" Isara squealed as she was soon making countless snow angels all around the yard near their home.
—
"Hey Isara, do you wanna make a snowman?" Alicia asked her daughter.
"What's a snowman?" Isara asked out of curiosity.
"A snowman is a type of sculpture you can make out of snow. They're really fun to do." Welkin explained.
All Isara could do was squeal in delight in response.
"Yes, please Mama! Show me how to make one!" Isara replied.
Alicia smiled. "Of course Isara." She replied.
Alicia quickly got to work rolling up the snow to build the body. She then got two sticks from a nearby tree and stuck them on as arms.
"How do we make a face?" Isara proceeded to ask.
"Just a moment." Alicia said gently.
She quickly got a carrot and bunch of spare buttons from inside. She proceeded to make a happy face with eyes and a smile on the snowman's head. Isara looked at it with amazement and utter joy.
"How do I put the nose on?" Isara asked.
"That's very easy." Alicia explained. She proceeded to pick Isara up just high enough so she could insert the carrot on to the snowman's face.
"Mama, can I put my scarf on the snowman as well?" Isara asked.
"Of course!" Alicia replied.
After Isara put her scarf on the snowman, she could only look at the snowman with sheer amazement and awe but soon asked "What about a hat and a coat for Mr. Snowman?"
"Hey, I know just the thing!" Welkin said as he ran inside and got something he hadn't even used in ages.
About a minute later, he came out with his old military uniform that he wore during the war with the Empire.
"There that should do it!" Welkin said proudly.
Alicia simply looked at it and couldn't help but giggle. It was cute seeing Welkin use his old military uniform for the snowman.
Isara looked at the snowman again with joy in her eyes. She then proceeded to hug her parents.
"Mama, Papa, I love you. I'm having so much fun today." Isara said.
Welkin and Alicia could only look at their daughter with smiles on their faces.
"We love you too Isara." Welkin soon replied in a gentle tone.
The family proceeded to embrace for a few seconds until...
A-a-a-Achoo!" Isara sneezed. It was clear the cold was starting to get to her a little bit.
"How about you go inside for now Isara, We'll make you some hot cocoa when we come in. We wouldn't want you catching a cold after having so much fun." Alicia said kindly to her daughter.
"Okay Mama." Isara said and went back inside the house.
—
Alicia stood looking at the snowman she made with her daughter. A peaceful looking smile could be seen on her face.
"You looked really happy today when you were playing with Isara." Welkin said standing next to Alicia.
All Alicia could do was smile blissfully.
"I was. Making that snowman with her was really something else." Alicia said.
"You know, it snowed like this once when I was a kid." Welkin explained. "I remember having so much fun with my father just playing in the snow."
"Your father played in the snow with you?" Alicia asked.
"Yeah, he seemed so happier than usual that day, he even made snow angels with me." Welkin explained further.
Alicia couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Welkin's father, the stoic military hero of the First Europan War doing something like that.
"Did you ever have any memories like that involving the snow?" Welkin asked.
Alicia simply smiled gently as she continued to look at the snowman.
"When I was kid growing up in that orphanage, It snowed like this once. Even though I was all alone there, one of the few times I felt truly happy there was when I got to make a snowman that day." Alicia explained.
"For once, at least up until that point in my life I truly felt happy. In fact, I was so happy that I remembered being so upset when it melted days later." Alicia further explained laughing a little.
Alicia proceeded to look at Welkin.
"You know, I hoped I would get to make another snowman someday. But today, not only did I get to do it again after all those years but this time it was with a family, our family…" Alicia continued.
"Alicia, I think you gave Isara a memory that she will look back on with fondness." Welkin said as he simply embraced Alicia, hugging her.
"Oh Welkin…I love you." Alicia said looking into his eyes.
"I love you too, Alicia." Welkin replied gently looking into her eyes.
They proceeded to share a deep kiss.
"Mama, Papa, can we make some hot cocoa now?" asked Isara innocently interrupting the tender moment between her parents.
Welkin and Alicia then blushed momentarily.
"S-sure. Be right there Isara." Welkin replied.
"Okay, Papa!" Isara replied cheerfully.
"Don't forget Welkin, you're going to teach me how to make out cocoa." Alicia said to her husband.
"Yeah, I'll guide you through the whole process of making it." Welkin replied happily.
The two then went back inside their home, holding hands and prepared a wonderful batch of hot cocoa they would all share together, as a family.