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The Gift
16
Concern and Consolation
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December 7th – Thursday
Ed sat in his chair, with a book on his lap, staring out the window. It had snowed off and on all week and right now big heavy flakes were floating lightly down and covering the ground in heavy, wet snow.
That was one thing he didn't like about Central. The snow was different than it was in Rizembool. In Central, the snow was wet and heavy, often leading to lots of slush. Rizembool's snow was light and powdery. It was the type that was fun to sled in, or maybe make a snow man.
The thought of snow took him back to the date he'd had with Roy last Saturday. Having to dance around in public was really embarrassing, but...
He smiled a little.
But the thought of snow sticking to the colonel's hair and being kissed like that was, well...
"What are you smiling at?"
Ed blinked and looked over to where Al was reading his own book. "Oh...nothing really..." When his brother only made a small grunting sound, Ed thought a better explanation might be better. "I was thinking about Saturday night."
"If it's something gross, I don't want to know," Al muttered irritably.
"It's nothing like that... The dumb colonel grabbed me and made me dance around in the snow for a few minutes."
"Hmmm."
Ed shifted and returned his gaze out the window, thinking of what they'd said next. "Yeah, then we went back to his place. He made some point that I could call it home instead of 'his place'."
"Will you?"
Ed looked back to Al and asked, "Will I what?"
"Call it home?"
"Of course not. That's dumb, Al. Home is where my family is," he replied in an offhand manner.
"Well...what if the colonel were family?" Al asked and Ed looked at him sharply.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked. That was the same thing Roy had said.
Al shook his head. "Nothing. Just wondering."
Ed rolled his eyes and made a sound of exasperation. "These are dumb questions. He's not, so it doesn't matter."
"But what if he was?" Al pressed.
"For something that is nothing you sure are persistent," Ed muttered, then said, "Well then I guess it would be home."
"What about me?" Al asked softly.
"What about you?" When his brother made no answer, Ed said, "Anywhere I go, you'll be there too, duh."
"You mean it?"
"Of course!"
Al fidgeted a little before he said hesitantly, "I wouldn't be in the way...?"
Ed scowled slightly and said, "No, you're never in the way. Jeez, I don't know what you're thinking."
There was a small moment of silence before Al said, sounding more cheerful than he had in a while, "Yeah. I don't know what I'm thinking either."
Next postdates are: 13th, 19th, 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, and 25th
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