A Prayer for Every Year

December 11th
Saturday dawned bright and clear, sun shining down on the blanket of white across Washington DC. It was luck – or coincidence – that the next picture was that of a snowman. Levi was just as anxious as Sue to romp and play in the snow to the point where he scampered out the door when Sue opened it for Jack. Both laughed when Levi wasted no time, jumping into a pile at the end of the apartment's walk.
They took their time, strolling to the park, and goofed around with Levi before getting started on their snowman. Jack began on the biggest snowball, Sue the middle, but when her back was turned, Jack couldn't resist packing a small snowball of his own and throwing it at her. He discovered he still had perfect aim when it hit her in the back. She jumped and turned, glaring playfully at him as he grinned unrepentantly.
"You've messed with the wrong woman, Jack Hudson!" And so it began. The snowballs for the snowman were left unattended as they bombarded each other with smaller balls of the white flakes. Sue was good, but Jack had better experience in the manoeuvres and dodged most of her projectiles. She on the other hand, the under dog, caught many a cold ball on some part of her body. They laughed hysterically as they fought, skipping around snowballs and trees, Levi not far off their heels.
Jack finally caught her, gripping her tightly around the waist and spinning her. He then proceeded to drop her into a snowdrift. She squealed as she dropped and glared at him when she landed. He held out his hand and she took it, giving it a good yank when he wasn't expecting it and pulling him down with her. He scowled playfully.
"Now look at what you've gone and done! Now we're both wet and we'll have to get back and make hot chocolate and warm up!" he exclaimed, trying in vain to keep the smile off of his face. Sue looked unrepentant, much like him when he'd instigated the whole thing by throwing the first snowball. They lay there for a few moments, looking up at the clear sky and catching their breath. It was that moment Levi decided to join them.
"We never did finish that snowman," he told her as they stood, Sue firmly leashing Levi. She cocked her head to the side, considering.
"Well, we'll have to finish it some other time then, won't we?" He smiled at her as they headed back to her place.

Jack, Sue decided, made the very best hot chocolate. It was a childhood weakness of hers that had never gone away. As a skater, there was many a time where she would beg her mother for hot chocolate after two hours of skating. She'd had many different hot chocolates, but none she found as good as this. They sat on the couch, snuggled under the blanket that Lucy and Sue kept there and had Rudolph in the background on the TV. They were silent. Jack, who was substantially dryer and therefore warmer than Sue, could feel her shivering against him. Part of him regretted dousing her in snow but she had been a willing participant and said such when he apologized.
"Freezing is worth the fun," she said with a grin. He smiled, wrapping an arm around her and making an excuse of sharing body heat. Her next words surprised him.
"You don't need an excuse to hold me." To stop the awkward moment before it started he smiled down at her, a soft smile that held more than just understanding and more than just a touch of caring.
"That's nice to know."