text: One of our favorite activities together was taking walks in the snow. Winter time always feels sad when you’re alone, but in a relationship, it can be a wonderful time for bonding. Any time it snowed, we made the most of our days off from work or school, gallivanting wherever we wanted to go. Some days it was a trip to the park with the dog, others it was a trek down to the local coffee shop to sip on a glass of warm, sugary hot cocoa. Some days we’d walk with no specific point B in mind, just a chance to enjoy the day and clear our heads. We had been together for a few months, both fresh out of long-term relationships that had grown dull. We both missed the excitement of starting something new. We missed the conversations over a cup of coffee where we’d explore each other’s minds, learning what made the other tick. We missed the thrill of adventuring together for the first time and planning exciting dates, hoping to impress the other with our hobbies and interests. We missed the walk up to the other’s door and the seemingly infinite moment between saying goodbye and whether or not we would share a kiss for the first time. With each other, we had reclaimed these moments. I would take her to my favorite places, she would take me to hers. On days when we couldn’t drive because of the weather, we’d take our walks in the snow. The snow sprinkled our bodies like powdered sugar topping a dessert. I grasped her hand through her maroon, knitted wool gloves. We made our way down the icy sidewalk, carefully plotting each step to avoid slipping. I had not prepared for the weather, and the wet snow barged its way through my canvas shoe and into my socks. She kept her body close to mine, giving off a warmth, but not just a physical warmth. The kind of warmth that feels like the bright, morning sun shining in through the windows of your soul. The kind of warmth that makes you want to stay in a moment forever. The kind of warmth that makes you forget all about the flurrying snow, the slippery ice, the wet socks. My last relationship ended because I was complacent in life. I had abandoned responsibilities, be it in life or to her. I was in a living cruise control mode, just going through the motions, every day the same as the last. I did not concern myself with the future, and I barely paid attention to the present. She had grown tired of listening to me reminiscing about my high school days as if they were the only good times I would ever have. “I don’t think you know what you want - and I know I don’t want this”, she said to me before leaving. Those words ingrained themselves into my memory like a burn mark on a slab of wood. I had made adjustments for the better, but it still seemed like a charade. Around others, I was a hard-working, motivated young man who learned from his mistakes - but in time spent by myself, I found it easy to slip into old habits. It was almost like a split personality, and it was confusing to tell which was the real me. On the surface, I told myself I’d changed, but deep down, it was questionable. She liked me for who I was, but wanted to be with me for who I’d become. However, the relationship was still fresh, and as long as I was still interesting - she was mine. But was it just a matter of time until my old habits overcame my new ones? Was it inevitable that she would get fed up and leave, just like the women of old? We made our way to her house, trudging through the frozen, packed snow. We approached a small area of grass in between a pair of townhouses where the snow had gathered rather high, deprived of human contact. “Let’s jump into it!” I exclaimed. She was hesitant, like any other normal human being, she had no interest in getting her clothing wet or catching influenza. I grabbed her by her wool glove again and motioned her towards me. “I’m going in whether you like it or not, now are you coming with me?” She let out a shy laugh and came closer, and we both fell backwards into the snow. The warmth of the moment overshadowed the snow encompassing our bodies, and we giggled like children on a playground. This was new, and I had captured her interest yet again. And like dropping a coin into a parking meter, I had bought myself a little more time. She would love me a little bit longer.