Story of the Week

Sorry I’m a little late! I found a great prompt on the Internet, so here goes:

Jessie and I are best friends. We were born on the same day and our mothers became friends. I don’t remember a time when she wasn’t there.

We decided to move to Miami together. We’ve been here for 10 years. I have a husband and 2 kids. We live next door to each other. She just got married.

I miss Pennsylvania. But I do love walking on the beach. The way the sun is shining and the heat as if it were summer in Pennsylvania but coming home and seeing the Christmas tree.

The phone rings. It is a few days before the start of winter break for my two children, Lily and Carter. I get up from my computer and reach for my cell phone. It’s my mother. “Mom! Hi!”

“Hello, Rachel, dear! I was wondering if you and Jessie and your families could come visit for Christmas? I miss you. You haven’t ever been over for Christmas since you moved to Florida. And I’ve got a surprise!”

“Oh Mom! That sounds great. I’m booking a flight right now….Okay! Done. We’ll be there on Saturday afternoon and we’ll be leaving on December 28th. See you soon, Mom. Bye!”

I hang up the phone. We fly to Pennsylvania with Jessie and her husband. When we arrive, it’s snowing. I haven’t seen snow in a decade. I spread out my arms and twirl around.

Lily shrieks in delight and immediately jumps into a snowbank. Carter is older, but even he can’t hide his delight. He chases after his sister and pelts her with snowballs.

“Rachel!” My parents cry. We hug and suddenly my dad pulls a bundle from behind his back. He pours out 4 sleds.

“Dad!” I say. I hand one each to Carter and Lily and we walk to the hill next to my parent’s house where Jessie and I used to sled when we were little.

“Let’s race!” I yell to Jessie. She nods, that old grin spreading across her face. I hop onto my old wooden sled and begin barrelling down the hill. Jessie hops on her old sled and catches up to me.

I laugh and speed up. We tie. I glance up the hill at my husband and children, who have all never seen snow before. They all have lived in Miami their whole lives. My kids start sledding and me and Jessie take a few more turns. Then we show our husbands.

I never realized how much I missed the snow. 3 years after that, Jessie and her husband and her new toddler, and my family move back to Pennsylvania.