A Snowflake Wish

“’Night, Deckard.”

As he stepped outside, January grabbed a blanket from her couch and draped it over her shoulders, shielding her body from the cold as she moved out onto the porch behind him. His massive figure disappeared behind his truck and she watched as the lights of the vehicle turned on and then slipped away into the darkness as he drove away.

The night closed in around her and the weight of her consequences weighed heavy on her shoulders. One wish changed everything and January didn’t know how to come to terms with her feelings about it. She just knew that the wish didn’t alter the fact that her parents were still focused on a winter holiday that overshadowed her birthday and that Deckard wasn’t going to stick around. There was no way a dentist with a flourishing career would upend his life to move to Pineville, Ohio with a population of a few thousand.

It was quiet as silent snow fell around her porch. January took it all in. She wondered if she’d miss Christmas next year, or if she would continue to celebrate it despite her mistake. She just didn’t know.

Looking up at the sky, a break opened between the clouds filling the black canvas with stars and an idyllic crescent moon.

“Oh, what a mess I’ve made,” she whispered to the open air as she leaned against the railing of her porch. “It seems silly to make a wish in hopes that it all goes back to the way it was. I’m not even sure it would be possible. Heck, I don’t know how any of this is possible.” January shook her head in exasperation. Focusing on the brightest star amidst the darkness, January sighed deeply, the crisp air stinging her lungs with the inhale. “I really wish that there was a way to fix this.”

Just as she finished her wish, the remarkable sight of a shooting star soaring high in the sky caught her attention.

“Very funny. I already made a wish on a snowflake, I’m not about to make a wish on a star.”

Remembering the day that lay ahead, January went back inside her house and started making a list of the ingredients she would need for the gingerbread houses. Her cupboards weren’t stocked with what she needed. Looked like a run by the market in the morning was in order.

But as she lay in bed softly snuggling with her duvet, January was worried that she’d wake, and everything would be changed again.

“That’s what you get for making silly wishes,” she murmured to herself an hour later just as her eyes grew finally heavy.

Chapter Six

It was when she walked past her third booth selling solstice displays that January knew she had made a mistake. Everywhere she looked groups of people gathered around discussing the celebration the next day at the Pineville Winter Solstice Festival.

All January wanted to do was grab the fresh items she needed and make her way back home, but that didn’t seem like it was going to happen. She had no less than twelve different people already stopped her to chat and ask if she was going to be at the festival that she had absolutely no idea about.

Just when January was about to give up, she spied the back of someone she was getting to know all too well. Deckard stood at a booth holding a green bag in one of his hands while the other was hanging loosely at his side. But what caught her eye was the beautiful woman that was speaking with him animatedly. Whatever she was telling him had Deckard’s rapt attention. There was a familiar air around them. January couldn’t even deny that the first emotion that flitted through her veins was jealousy. It was callous and naive, but she felt it none-the-less. And though January knew that she had no claim on Deckard, she had hoped that they were on the same page.

The couple was only a few feet away, but Deckard hadn’t turned around to spot her yet. She turned on her heels and decided that she would rather stop by the grocery store instead of having fresh ingredients than having to face one more second of Deckard and this woman together.

“January!” Her name was shouted above the crowd and January’s attention turned to her best friend waving and pushing through the crowd. From the corner of her eye, she saw Deckard turn around as her name was called. He had a deer caught in the headlights expression as if he never imagined to find January there.

“Hi, Samantha,” January said, faking cheerfulness as Samantha made it to where she stood.

“I didn’t expect you to be here. Celebrating isn’t really your thing.”

“Yeah, it’s not. I came for some fresh ingredients, but I seem to be out of luck,” January pointed out as she held up her extensive shopping list and empty hands.

“Well, I wouldn’t quite say that.” Samantha grinned coyly as she nodded her head in Deckard’s direction. Even without Samantha’s not-so-subtle gesture, she could feel Deckard’s eyes on her as he approached.

“I would. He was looking very familiar with the beautiful blonde over there,” January hissed, hating the sound of jealousy spewing from her.

“Oh, her -” Samantha began but was interrupted by Deckard as he came to a stop beside January. “Hello, ladies.”

They both replied in greeting and then an awkward silence fell around them until it was too much for Samantha.

“Well, I was just going to see if you wanted to get lunch, but I am certain that you two will have plans.” Her friend scooted away eagerly, something January wished that she could do as well. “Call me later!” Samantha yelled over the crowd as she disappeared back into the masses.

January didn’t know what had overcome her, but instead of turning around to look at Deckard, she made the childish decision to turn around and began walking away.

“Hey! January.” Unfortunately, her plan was thwarted as Deckard took a few long strides to catch up with her. “What’s going on with you?” he asked. January knew, that as a man, Deckard had no idea what he had done wrong, or that he asked the wrong kind of question.

“What’s going on with me?” she sneered, feeling virtual fangs lengthen down from her canines as if she was readying for attack.

“Whoa, whoa. I have no idea what caused you to act like this, but please take a second to calm down.”

January stared at him as if he grew two heads. Two ugly sinister head with green ooze and warts. Luckily for Deckard the mystery woman that was causing the green-eyed monster to free herself from January’s subconscious joined their meeting, making them a trio.