Wishing On Snowflakes

I bend over and gather some of the freshly fallen, first snow of the winter into my hands and shape and pack it into a tight little ball and playfully lob it at Niles, striking him in the back his head. I quickly run behind a tree for protection and from his forthcoming retaliation.

Seconds pass.

Then longer seconds that turn into minutes pass.

I dare a peak around the tree, fully expecting a face full of snow, but to my surprise, I see My Love slumped in the snow with his head down and cradled in his hands.

I leave my protective environment and carefully approach him, as not to startle him.

When I get closer, I can hear his soft, muffled, and barely audible sobs.

I kneel down in front of him. "Niles? What is it My Love?"

He lifts his head and his wet cheeks glisten in the moonbeams.

"I'm sorry," he sniffs and wipes his running nose with the back of hand. "The snowball just brought it all back," he informs me, his voice quivering.

I cradle his face in my hands and wipe away at his tears with my thumbs.

"Brought back what My Love?"

He shudders. I don't know if it's a reaction to the cold, or the memory.

After first taking in several deep and equally long releasing of those breaths, (more then likely, a preventive measure against an anxiety attack, I surmise) he begins.

"When I was a young boy Danny "the weasel" Kriezel would often pelt me with snowballs. Because of my heart condition, I couldn't run very fast before I got winded, so, he would always catch up with me and pummel me good. He would just hit me to show off to the others boys or to impress the girls. Once he got me locked into a trembling, tight little ball and cowering and begging for mercy, he would either demand my completed homework assignment or just laugh and tell me, "Got ya again Piles".

"Piles?" I echo and question. "As in what dogs make?"

Niles sadly nodded as a fresh batch of tears slid down his cheeks and were absorbed by my mittens.

"I remember one afternoon, he threw one at me and, to this day I don't know if he knew this or not, but, there was huge chunk of ice in it and it hit me right above the eye and cut me. I remember it bleeding and blood sliding down the side of my face. When I put my hand up to stop it and then saw the blood I passed out, hitting my head and getting a concussion. Luckily, Frasier came along so I didn't freeze to death out there."

By the time he is done sharing his memory with me, it has started snowing again. Flakes start to lazily fall and swirl around us, surrounding and trapping us as if we were in a snow globe.

"Close your eyes and stick out your tongue."

"What on heaven for?" I ask.

He looks at me lovingly and with that glint, that sparkle, in his eyes, that are now also hypnotic.

"Haven't you've ever wished on snowflakes before?"

"I can't say that I have." I close my eyes and stick out my tongue.

"Now, catch the snowflakes with your tongue and make your wish as you do so."

I catch and I wish. Afterwards, I open my eyes to find his loving ones looking at me.

"Have you made your wish already?"

"I no longer need to make wishes." He gathers my hands into his. " Cause I have you. And I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone. I love you Daphne Moon, will you marry me?"

I wrap Niles' overcoat tighter around me as the wind blows through both the terrace and me. I look down at my engagement ring that catches and reflects off the new winter moon.

I wipe at my tears with one his hankies.

A few, stray flakes, the first snowfall of the season, start to fall.

I close my eyes and stick out my tongue.

And I make my wish.

To be continued…