[null, null, {"document_url": "https://anitaloves2read.com/2015/07/06/anita-writes-claire-and-ethan-kiss/", "unformatted_src": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GLvvvFxYsxc/VZmEuA0ndpI/AAAAAAAABg0/GIen8_7pRdw/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png", "src": "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GLvvvFxYsxc/VZmEuA0ndpI/AAAAAAAABg0/GIen8_7pRdw/%25255BUNSET%25255D.png", "formatted_filename": "BUNSET D"}, null]
Posted on July 6, 2015 Anita Writes 

A quick glance outside revealed that the snow was still falling heavily, by morning there will likely be about three feet of the stuff. School was already cancelled, and now the wildcard was Claire’s mother, and whether she would make it home at some point. I could only take so long in that tiny closet of hers before I would go nuts. Maybe a closed and quietly locked door would keep her away but I’m not sure if it’s worth the risk. But it was best not to worry about that just yet. One moment at a time, and at this moment I really just wanted to make Claire smile.

“Hey, Molly’s asleep, let’s go out for a bit,” I say to her, standing up to go find my coat.

“Out in the snow?” she asks, her head cocked to the side and her green eyes telling me that she thinks I’m crazy.

“Yeah, why not,” I smile that carefree version of my smile that convinces people to give me what I want, “it’ll just be for a few minutes. Common!” I grab her hand and yank her up from the couch, I pull all of her body weight as she refuses to help me, but once she’s on her feet she moves to put on her boots and her winter coat.

“Grab your gloves too,” I say and walk out the door.

We walk down the street, and I spot part two of my mission; the kid who lives at the end of the street has left his sled out, just like I figured he would since he’s always leaving something out in his front yard. I walk up the yard, leaving very telling footprints in my wake, but I have no intention of stealing the sled. We’re just borrowing it for a minute or two.

With her eyes squinted, Claire starts to protest, “Ethan, I don’t …”

“Don’t start, Claire, it will be fun! Lets just have a moment of fun.” Giving in, she grins at me and we jog over to the park down the street that is at the bottom of an overpass, creating the perfect sledding hill. We cautiously make our way to the top of the hill, our feet slipping and sliding a time or two, mine especially since I’m wearing an old beat up pair of sneakers. When we finally make it to the top I sit on the orange plastic sled that is built for two, and pat the seat between my legs inviting her, “climb in.”

I lean forward and breath into her ear in a voice so ragged I hardly recognize it as my own, “you ready?”

Maybe it’s my imagination, but Claire’s voice is equally as strained when she responds, “yeah, let’s go.”

“That was amazing!” she exhales.

Now I know for sure that I’ve never been happier.




3 thoughts on “Anita Writes: Claire and Ethan Kiss”

