Catching Snowflakes

A/N: Eeww...I read over my last chapter on this story and decided I can vastly improve. So I hope this chapter is a little better. Actually, I really want to make it much better. And from now on, no more "just being nice" reviews, guys! All the reviews I got were pretty good, and I'm just not feelin' it. Be honest. Please?

Okay, so let's start the story. I'm suffering a minor case of writer's block, so if the beginning seems a little...blech, you know what to blame. :P Just kidding; I want you to blame me. Now read the chapter!

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"Good morning, Flowerbud! Today is Tuesday, and the first day of a fresh new winter season! Put on your jackets; it's freezing out there! We'll reach a high today of seventy, but don't expect it until mid-afternoon. Until then, we'll be experiencing an unusual early-season low of thirty-eight, but the average temperature will tend to stick around the forties and fifties."

Click.

The small living room television flashed to a screen of black, and I tossed the remote into the old brown armchair near the stairs. The hardwood floor was chill on my bare feet as I tip-toed around to the kitchen to check the temperature of the sink window with the palm of my hand.

Brrr...The weatherlady hadn't been joking. I could see a thin layer of frost covering the glass outside and felt an uprising of joy rising in me. Never before had I really enjoyed the cold nip of winter, but change in the village always excited me. I loved watching the last of the dead brown leaves fall, leaving the short, sturdy trees of Flowerbud naked and frozen. I loved seeing my breath puff out around my face, walking around town watching the villagers in their thick sweaters, their cheeks flushed pink, their lips shaded lavendar, with skin as pale as the sand on the beach without the light of the sun.

Two slices of warm bread popped out of the toaster, tinted brown and crisp to the touch. I hungrily grabbed them, spread my favorite strawberry jelly all over them, and proceeded to stuff my face, gazing out the kitchen window as I did so. There probably wouldn't be snow for a few days, maybe even a week. Then again, low temperatures were coming quick this year. The first of winter, and already a low of under forty degrees?

The hems of my PJ bottoms dragging on the floor around my feet, I walked back into the slightly warmer living room and pressed my ear against Kai's bedroom door. No noise. He probably wasn't in there. I glanced at the clock and read 8:24 AM. That meant he was most likely out in the cellar, labeling this, organizing that. What a boring job. I knew because I had done it before.

Suddenly the front door opened, and in walked Kai, wrapped in a big old jacket and gloves. Closing the door behind him, he smiled at me and said, "Morning, beautiful."

I swallowed my last bite of toast and answered, "Good morning, handsome," as he stepped toward me.

"It's cold out there," he said, pulling off the gloves and shedding his jacket onto the back of the couch.

"I know," I grinned, "your lips are blue."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

He pressed his discolored lips against mine briefly and smiled.

"Ooh!" I giggled. "Cold! Here, you could use a little warming up." I buried myself in his arms, pressing my head against his chest, my hands curled up against my own, and I had a feeling I was getting more warmth than he. He rubbed my back with his hands and bent his neck so he could touch his cool cheek to my forehead.

"So," Kai said, not departing his body from mine but leaning his head back so he could speak to me. "What's the plan for today?"

"Well, I haven't really got anything scheduled. It's Tuesday, so I don't have to work tonight."

"You wanna have dinner or something?"

"Sure," I said, cocking my head sideways. "Dinner sounds good. I'm eating lunch at the bakery with Jack, Ann, and Cliff, but - " I paused. "Hmm...Where is Cliff?"

Such a question was not unusual. My cousin had developed the strange habit of periodically disappearing, and then spontaneously popping up where we last expected him. Actually, we'd found him hanging around Green Ranch rather frequently lately, but it was far too early for that today. He must be out on the mountain, I decided, or in the woods, or at the beach.

"Ooh!" I jumped. "The beach! Let's go to the beach, Kai. I love the beach when it's cold out."

Kai cocked his eyebrows a little and frowned. "I don't know. I've still got some work to do."

"Aw, what work?"

"Some reorganizing. I just came in here to get some breakfast and a shower."

"Ooo-kaaay," I drawled, my voice whiny and reluctant. "Well, I can always go by myself."

"I'm sorry," he apologized sweetly, stroking my tangled morning hair with his hand affectionately. "But dinner?"

I smiled up at him. "Yeah. I'll meet you here at seven?"

"'Kay. I'll probably see you before then, but just in case..."

Kai's hand, on the back of my neck, pulled my face close to his until our lips met. I placed my hands on either side of his face and felt the motions of his jaw with my palms. He pulled me deeper and deeper into himself as though we both lasted for an eternity. His hands felt up and down my partially-extended arms. Our bodies were pressed together firmly. I felt electricity between our lips and couldn't get enough. It wasn't just a thrill to kiss him, but a passion, a love. It was an example of romantic perfection.

My hand slid down his neck, to his chest, where I felt for a button on his shirt and found one. Immediately it was undone, and I undid the rest just as quickly. I felt him temporarily hesitate in his kiss, but instantly the level of passion between us intensified.

Suddenly I realized we had fallen on the couch. His shirt was off, his warm skin bare beneath me. My heart was racing, my blood pumping, my mind reeling, all faster than ever before. His fingers found the edge of my small nightshirt and took hold of the hems, swiftly pulling it over my head. Our lips parted just enough so that the shirt could come off and be tossed aside.

He moved so that I was underneath him, shivering and quaking uncontrollably. Whether from nervousness or excitement or fright I don't know, but my body shook with adrenaline as Kai reached for the waistline of my pants.

There was a noise at the front door, and I don't know how we heard it in the midst of such a riot of unimpeded passionate lust, but we did. Immediately, I put my hands beneath Kai's bare shoulders and pushed him off of me. My cheeks red not only from heat but from embaressment at my naked chest, I hurriedly got up off the couch. I caught Kai's eyes for a split-second and gave him a look of reluctance. I truly, truly wished we hadn't been interrupted. Never had I wanted something so badly as I wanted this.

I heard the soft metallic clink of the doorknob being turned and, not knowing what else to do, darted into Kai's bedroom, slamming the door behind me.

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Two hours later, alone in my bathroom, I was still crying. By then I had remembered the conversation I'd had with Jack those weeks ago, and had entirely mixed emotions about the whole ordeal.

On the one hand, I was upset at the interruption. I was disappointed because I'd felt so connected to Kai, so close to him, so in love with him. Truly. I'd felt an honest love between us. I felt sad because such a wonderful, beautiful, perfect, passionate, romantic experience had been stopped before it had fully begun.

However, on the other hand, I hated myself for letting it get so far. What about what Jack had said? He'd told me that if I saw God in my future, not to do something like this. Not to lose my virginity. Didn't I want my first time with a man to be pure, and not some irresistable temptation?

Umm...Maybe?

No: yes. I did want it to be pure. But more than that, I just wanted it. I wanted that special bond with Kai. Surely he was the right guy. Guys didn't come much better than Kai! He'd treated me like a real woman, not a temp girlfriend. He'd made me feel more beautiful than I'd ever felt before.

And what really moved me was that Kai wanted it, too. I knew. I knew from the way he touched me. I knew from the way his lips were eager and excited when we kissed. I knew he wanted me because I felt it. I felt it in his hands, his lips, his words, his motions, his body.

But we hadn't done it. We'd been so close, and yet at the same time, so far. And we would've had a chance to be together, but it was over. It was all over. And so I didn't know what else to do but cry.

So that's what I did. All alone, on the tile floor of my upstairs bathroom, leaning my back against the cold tile wall, I sobbed into my folded arms. I was numb, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My tears fell so hot into my sleeves that after a while I couldn't feel them anymore; I didn't even know if they were still coming. I felt closed off from the world, alone, like a child. A small, inexperienced, unknowing, virgin child, without even a mother to pick me up off the floor.

I wished Jack was there to hug me.

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I didn't leave the house that day, not even to meet my friends for lunch at the bakery. But six o'clock rolled around, so I decided to get ready for my date with Kai.

I didn't know where he would take me, so I just guessed someplace casual. He'd be tired from working all day and probably wouldn't want to go anywhere special. Not like there was anyplace special on this ignorant island.

I was sitting on the counter in my underwear, shaving my legs in the sink when my mother knocked on the bedroom door. "Karen?" she called. "Karen, can I come in?"

Sighing, I called back, "I guess."

I heard the door open and then her say, "Where are you?"

"The bathroom."

She stepped into the doorway. "Date tonight?" she asked, a small, wistful smile on her face.

I smiled a little. "Yeah. I don't know where he's taking me, but I was thinkin' I'd wear a skirt, so I'd better shave 'cause...it's been a few days," I added with a laugh.

She chuckled some and said, "So it's been a long time, huh? I mean, you two have been together for a while now."

"Three seasons next week," I replied.

"The time's really flown by," Mother said, her voice dreamy. "The two of you really do make a nice couple. You remind me of Pappy and Lyssa Mae, rest their souls."

I smiled and felt a leftover tear trickle down my face. I didn't wipe at it; I just let it roll slowly down until it dripped onto the white foamy goop on my right leg.

"Why, what's the matter, dear?" Mother asked, moving closer.

"Nothing, it's just..." I took a breath much needed. "Nothing."

"Are you sure?"

I slowly, carefully drew the razor up my leg, letting it wipe away the cream as it went. When I'd made it all the way up, I shook out the gunk in the water-filled sink. "I just...Mother, can I ask you a personal question?"

She gave me a very typical look and a small quirk at the corner of her mouth but nodded. "Yes."

"Did you ever like...Did you ever like sleep with somebody? You know, before you got married? Even with Daddy?"

Mother obviously wasn't surprised. She just leaned against the doorframe, her calm eyes becoming misty and unreadable. "I'm not sure I'm the best example, Karen. Things were a lot different when I was your age."

"Well, I'm not the best girl, so I don't need the best example." I shook another clump of goo into the nasty sink water.

"You know it's windy out," Mother told me. "You won't be able to wear a skirt; you'll only get goosebumps and become prickly."

I rolled my eyes in spite of myself, but still continued to drag the razor against my skin. My legs needed a good shave anyway. "Don't change the subject."

Finally, she stepped fully into the bathroom, arms crossed, lips hesitant to move. "No. No, I didn't."

I flashed a disbelieving smile, letting out a huffy breath and rolling my green eyes. "I thought you said you weren't the best example."

"Well, it's not the best example. It's the twenty-first century now. It's okay to have sex before marriage now, even here in this other dimension we call Flowerbud. When I was seventeen, my parents would have killed me had I gone out and done something like that, and all the chattering hens, some of whom are still around, would've run my name into the ground. But now it's different. Now it's normal. Teenage girls do these things."

This "philosophy" didn't really make sense to me. A change in time, it seemed, should not be able to change the meaning of morality. I mean, wasn't it a matter of morale?

It was to me. What kind of girl would I be if I simply fell into such a life-changing temptation? Nobody special, that's for sure.

I found myself choking on my own thoughts, most of which I could not even understand. Finally I just quit thinking about it momentarily so I could reply. "Well, that seems a little weird."

"Now, Karen, you don't, by any means, have to go have sex with Kai to fulfill your life as a teenager. There are a lot of girls who wait. I know Ann is going to wait. But she's waiting because her father is making her. I don't want to be her father. I want you to do what you think is best. I don't want to be like my mother and father, who forced me to wait, and I certainly don't want to be like your father's parents, who practically forced him to lose his virginity before he married me."

"What?" I recoiled, startled and caught off guard. "That's ridiculous!"

"Yes, well, they are Mundells," she laughed good-naturedly.

I laughed with her, shaking my head in disbelief. "That's just so stupid. I can't believe it. So you mean they made Daddy sleep with another girl before you and him got married?"

Mother smiled and said, "Well, I didn't really choose my words correctly. What they really did was push the idea of what I told you before. You know, that premarital sex is normal, that it is a good thing, blah, blah, blah. I don't fully agree with those thoughts, but I'm not going to make your decision for you. It's an important one, Karen. You really need to make it beforehand, so that when you're caught in the heat of the moment, you know what to do."

Heat of the moment. Sounded strangely familiar.

"That makes sense, Mother," I told her. "Thanks. That really helps make my decision."

"May I ask what your decision is?"

"I'm gonna wait until I'm married...I'm just gonna wait."

oOoOoOoOoOo

"Wow." My teeth chattered together as the word blew softly through them. "It is really cold out here. Really cold."

"Yep," Kai said in response, inhaling deeply. "We've reached today's low. It's thirty-eight."

"Whoa."

"Yeah, I know. We've got a pretty good weather station. I wonder if they can guess that good in the city?"

I grinned at him, hugging myself with my heavily jacketed arms. By looking at my wardrobe, you'd guess we were already experiencing the heart of winter. Jeans, boots, long sleeves, a puffy jacket, and a dorky beanie didn't really do it for flattering my figure. My undone hair blew softly around my neck in the breeze, giving me a sort of wistful, excited feeling.

The night sky radiated, really radiated a deep, deep, dark sapphire blue, unobstructed by the clouds we'd seen all autumn, and was dotted with countless, brightly shining stars. The crossroads were an excellent place to stargaze, though it was far too cold to do this tonight.

However, we stopped in the very middle, and he turned to face me. "Listen, Karen, about earlier..."

"I'm sorry," I blurted. "Oops. I didn't mean to say that so soon in the conversation. Go on. Sorry."

He looked at me like he was about to say something like, "You're so cute," but just smiled a little and said, "I know you felt me hesitate. You know, when it first started happening."

I nodded, as if prodding him to continue.

"And I felt that hesitation from my heart. But you were just so...so good and so...perfect, I just felt I had to have you, and...a part of me loves what happened, and a part of me regrets every second."

I harnessed my words until I was sure he was finished. "I know. I feel the same way. You're a really amazing guy, and such a wonderful kisser, and the ultimate charmer, but it was all just so...heat of the moment. When I...When I have sex for the first time, I just want it to be pure. You know? I just don't want to be lost in temptation. I want it to be perfect."

He nodded.

"And I think you should know..." I paused nervously. "That I decided I want to wait until I'm married to have sex. 'Cause then, I know it won't just be having sex, it'll be making love. You know?"

He nodded again. "I understand completely."

"Thank you." I stepped into his outstretched arms, and despite the separation caused by our jackets, I felt better. I felt good.

We walked to the bakery together, his arm around me, my arm around him, our heads tilted atop each other's, feeling on top of the world.

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A few days later, Kai left town for the weekend on a really stupid, plan-ruining business trip with my dad. We'd been planning to spend a weekend with Jack, Cliff, Ann, and Elli camping in the woods, but because of the silly trip, we postponed it so we could all be there to enjoy.

The night after Kai's departure, I was alone at the house and bored out of my mind, so I decided to go visit Jack. He lived on a farm; surely there'd be something to do there, something I could help with or talk to him about. I would've gone to Ann's instead, but apparently she and Cliff were "on a walk."

So I got up, got dressed, and set out. It was still very cold, but there was still no snow. Stupid weatherlady, I thought to myself as I walked quickly past the village. She told me there was going to be snow today, but it was six PM and still the snow was a no-show.

The latch on Jack's gate was frozen stuck, so after a few tries at unjamming it, I easily hopped the waist-high fence. I saw lights on inside the house through the window, and movement, so I didn't hesitate or even knock before twisting the doorknob. "Hello?" I called after cracking it a little. "Any boxer-clad Jacks waiting to pop out and scar me?" I saw him standing, fully clothed mind you, in front of the desk on the left wall. He looked like he had just moved it, because it was closer to the front corner now.

Laughing, Jack removed his hands from its top and greeted me, "Hey, come on in; I just lit the fire."

"Ooh, a fireplace!" I marveled at the new addition next to the television, which had been moved slightly to the left to make room. "You're just changing this place up all over the place."

He nodded, sliding his hands into the back pockets of his loose-fit jeans. "Yeah, and the carpenter's crew is stopping by tomorrow to size up the area for a kitchen addition. I'm really excited. After that, I get a real bathroom!"

I giggled at his quirky humor. I noticed a stack of unfamilar things in front of the sofa. "What's all this?" I asked, pointing at it shortly with the hand that wasn't dangling from my belt loop.

"Oh, just some Christmas decorations Dad sent. I was gonna hang 'em up tonight. You can help if you like," he added with a wink.

"Hm," I murmured. "Christmas. We've never really celebrated Christmas here before."

"That's what Dad said in his note. But there's no way I going for a year with no Christmas. It's my favorite."

"What's it all about? I mean, I know about Santa Claus and blah, blah, blah, but I don't really know the holiday. So, what's it all about?"

"Well, really, it's about the birth of Jesus."

"Really? I never knew it was a Christian holiday."

"Yeah, Christianity's the base, but it can pretty much be universally celebrated. It really emphasizes the spirit of giving and selflessness. It's a lot of fun. In the city, everybody in the neighborhood puts up lights and nativity scenes and decorations, and on Christmas Eve, you can just drive around for hours and admire and judge and just have a blast. Christmas morning is really the best part, for kids anyway. That's when everybody gets presents, which, by the way, are stored underneath the Christmas tree."

"Now, I know about the Christmas tree. You hang ornaments and lights and popcorn on it, right? And as you get the gifts, you wrap 'em up and stick 'em under there."

"Right." Jack sat down on the floor next to all the stuff and started sorting through it. I joined him, just looking at all the things. Giant candy canes, real candy canes, several boxes of ornaments, several boxes of blinking lights to hang, strings of garland, and even a few mistletoes.

"Ooh, I think I like this holiday."

"Well, good, 'cause we're gonna start the tradition right here in town. Okay?"

I grinned ear to ear. "'Kay. Oh, I'm so excited, this is gonna be so much fun! So where's your Christmas tree?"

"Well, tomorrow, Cliff and I are gonna go cut some. There's some beautiful pine trees out by the Hm-Hm Spring."

I burst into giggles at the funny nickname he and Cliff had made for the Goddess Spring. It was all a joke of course. They were just being very funny. Very, very funny boys.

"And they're not too big either, so it's perfect. We can fit them in all these tiny little houses." He picked up an armload of the decorations. "So you wanna help me put all these up?"

"Absolutely."

For the next two and a half hours, Jack and I hung lights, planted candy canes, strung garland, and settled into place a big old light-up Santa Claus figure out by the mailbox. The finishing touch was a pretty little wreath on the front door with a big red bow on top.

"I love it!" I exclaimed. "I just want to do it to my house now."

"Well, lucky for you, I've got even more stuff in the barn."

"What? How'd you manage that?"

"Well, Dad's the one who thought of bringing Christmas to Flowerbud. He sent me all the goods."

"Wow. Your dad is really cool."

Jack nodded. "I know, and I never thought I'd say that." He grinned. What a cutie.

"Well, it sure is cold!" I said, white mist puffing from my lips as I said so.

"It sure is," Jack murmured, rubbing his bare hands together. "Let's get inside, and I'll get the fire goin' again. Heck, I've even got hot coacoa."

"Mmm," I hummed longingly as we made our way back indoors.

Within minutes, the fire was alive, and we were nestled in the pillows of the sofa with steaming mugs of coacoa in our numb hands. It'd been seasons since I'd felt so at home. I loved being in Jack's company. It was like he and I were created for the sole purpose of being friends like this.

We sat and talked for what must have been an hour. I asked him about his family, told him what I'd learned about him from Pappy's photo album, and together we recounted our childhood memories.

Finally I finished my coacoa and looked at the clock to see it was almost ten. "Oh, oops!" I said. "Mother'll be wondering where I'm at. Thanks, Jack, I had a great time. Christmas will be awesome this year." I stood.

He stood, too. "I'll see you later, Karen."

"Bye, Jack." I made my way to the door and opened it, ready to make my way home. But something different caught my eye. "Jack! Jack, come out here, it's snowing!"

He instantly began to laugh and bounded out the door with me. Small, fragile, beautiful snowflakes fell from the dark sky like it was magical. Jack and I caught them on our tongues, blinking them away from our eyelashes laughingly. We were cold, but we just couldn't leave the snow outside to play alone!

It seemed like we played forever, running, spinning, skipping, turning, arms spread, mouths open, fingers shivering. I was having a blast, and felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have such an awesome friend to share it with.

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A/N: Ooh, that was a lot of fun. I hope you liked it! I like it! Please review and let me know. Oh, and I do so like those long reviews. Catch y'all later!