text: A thump, twin shouts of surprise, and the sight of a lone ski continuing on after it had escaped its owner. It all culminated in Amy laying on her back in the snow, staring up at a blue sky. After a moment, her vision was blocked by the helmet of the other skier she’d run into. “You alright there, hun?” Amy lifted one hand in a thumbs up, “right as rain. You?” The other woman let out a snort, “a sight better than you I think. Let’s get you out of the snow before you become an ice cube.” Amy let herself be pulled upright and steadied as she glared at her runaway ski while the other woman brushed some of the snow off her back. “I take it you’re not a snow bunny?” Amy huffed, “how’d you guess.” With a chuckle, the other woman pulled off her helmet, revealing short, side shaved, grass green hair and a freckled face with the cutest button nose Amy had ever seen paired with beautiful chocolate brown eyes. “Just got lucky. The name’s Jessie, you want a hand with that?” “Amy, and I’d love one.” She replied, running a hand through her own short jewel purple hair, “I like your hair.” “I like yours too.” Jessie said, giving her own a little flip with a bounce of her head. “You want to try again, or are you heading back to the lodge?” she asked as she grabbed Amy’s ski. “I’ve fallen twelve times and I haven't even made it to the rope for the beginner slope. I think I’m ready to head back to the lodge for some hot cocoa.” Jessie’s laugh made Amy smile. “Can’t blame you. Here, I can walk you back if you like?” “Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Amy hurried out, “I’m a klutz but I think I can manage walking.” “It’s no biggie, I was on my way back anyway.” “Well, if that’s the case,” Amy said as she took her ski back. “Lead the way.” A twenty minute walk later found Jessie laughing in the lodge's lounge. “So, your friends told you to try something exciting and new and you, in your infinite wisdom, and despite your hate of all things cold, chose skiing?” Amye sighed, “I know I know! But it was the best thing I could think of and it wasn’t booked for months.” Jessie smothered a chuckle in her cup of coffee,” why did your friends think you needed to do something anyway? Bad break up?” Amy snorted this time, “ hardly. My lack of love life is probably part of the reason, but they knew better than to tell me that. No, apparently I don’t get out enough, in other words, I’m boring.” “Boring?” “Yeah,” Amy shrugged, “they think I spend too much time in libraries and on my computer.” Jessie tilted her head, “yeah?” “Yeah. They mean well, but I think they forget that my writing is my job and it requires researching.” “woah, wait, you’re a writer?” The wonder in Jessie's voice made heat rush to Amy’s cheeks. “Oh, yeah, yeah I am. Well, I freelance anyway, little things, nothing big just, you know, until I get my first real book done, you know?” “No way, that’s so cool!” After a moment of digging in her pocket, Jessie produced her phone. “You’ve got to tell me the name of some of your stuff, I need to read it.” “Well, I mean, I haven't done anything big, I told you that.” Jessie shook her phone, “alright alright, I did some writing for a food blog a few years ago, here, let me pull it up.” That night and the two days after seemed to race by after that, every morning after the first night Jessie would meet Amy and help her up the slopes. Between the impromptu lessons they talked about everything. They talked about how Jessie used to have a crazy little dog named princess who would try to gum people to death even in her old age if they got near her when she was napping. They talked about Amy’s first ever story for school being about the life of a piece of popcorn, about Jessie’s inability to cook, about Amy’s irrational dislike of spaghetti. Jessie's dreams of living with her little family in a little house with a little corgi named Gurgi, of Amy's, to own a tiny flock of chickens in a tiny blue coop in her own tiny yard. Before Amy knew it, three days had passed and it was her last day. The pair stood beside Amy’s car, Jessie having helped her load her baggage in its trunk. “So, I guess this is goodbye then.” Amy said with a shrug. “Hey, don’t say it like that.” Said Jessie as she put a hand on Amy’s shoulder, “I mean, we have eachother’s cell numbers don’t we? We’re just a text away.” “Yeah, I know.” Jessie smiled and before Amy knew it, she was being pulled into a bone cracking hug. “You better text me when you get home, okay?” Amy giggled as she returned the hug, “yeah, I will.” Only, she never did. She never got the chance. It happened while she had stopped to fill up her gas tank. It was nothing but a spat of bad luck that had her cell phone fall from her pocket as she passed a backing up car. By the time the driver had stopped, it was too late, the phone was ruined, along with all the everything she’d had on it. Along with a number she hadn’t been able to memorize yet. That had been four months and a move to Maine ago, and Amy still found herself scrolling through her contacts for a name that wasn’t there anymore to tell her about the newest book she was picking up. With a sigh, Amy shoved her phone in her pocket and stood from her crouch as she added a fourth book to the growing stack in her arms. As she turned to move on, there was a thud, and a yelp, and a lone book bouncing away as it escaped its owner. “I’m so sorry, are you.... Amy?” Amy looked up, and met a pair of beautiful chocolate eyes, paired with the cutest button nose she’d ever seen, a freckled face, and grass green hair.