Hometown Girl Gets a Second Look

Around the living room she could see a few other things. Snowmen and candles. A few ornaments and tinsel Adam had hung around the room.

"And look. Here's the best thing." He held up what looked like a dried sprig of mistletoe.

"Is that what I think it is?"

"Why don't you give it a try?" He held it over their heads. They kissed beneath it.

"Mmmmmm. Best Christmas ever." They laughed.

It was surprising to both of them how close they felt. They'd talked about it the night before. The situation they'd found themselves in was so extreme, it was like all the bullshit was squeezed away, and they only saw and experienced what was good and true. It was like their own little private Christmas miracle had thrown them together like this, and as scary and inconvenient and improbable as it had been, they both agreed this was an incredible experience, and they felt as alive as they'd ever been.

They enjoyed chocolates for breakfast. They ate black beans mixed with diced tomatoes, and it was delicious. They made love again in front of the fire, three times before mid-day and twice again later that evening. They'd washed off and the hot water ran out. They kept a pot by the fire for warm whore baths to clean off with. That night, as they snuggled for what was only their third night together, Alyssa asked Adam, "Are you ready for my Christmas present?"

"What?" Adam was surprised. "OK" He stared at her, curious what this would be.

"Only this...I'm falling in love with you, Adam. I give you my heart." Her eyes welled up with tears.

Adam smiled, touched to his core, "I accept. I think you know I'm falling in love with you too."

"Best Christmas ever?"

"For sure. Best Christmas ever." They both laughed.

When they woke the next morning it was already light. The unmistakable sound of a chainsaw droned in the distance. It hadn't snowed the previous day and the temperature was noticeably warmer. The sounds of water dripping were everywhere. It was melting.

Adam and Alyssa knew the sound meant that a crew was likely clearing the fallen trees from the road. They straightened up around the house as best they could to get it back close to the condition it had been in before their arrival. Adam found a hammer and nails and a small board and patched the hole they'd made in the basement window. They packed their things into Adam's car and with Adam walking ahead to mark the driveway, Alyssa drove back down towards the highway and her car.

When they reached the highway they found a sheriff's deputy wiping the snow off Alyssa's car to peer inside. A snowplow had cleared the road but was stopped ahead, likely waiting for the crew with the chainsaw to clear the second big fallen tree.

"You Alyssa Thomas?" the deputy called out as he saw Alyssa and Adam approaching. "And Adam Franklin?"

"Yes, that's us!" Alyssa answered cheerfully.

"Woohoo! Got both of ya! You sure got a lot of people worried about you. Glad to see you're OK. At least you look OK. Are ya?"

"Yeah, we're good. We found shelter up this road."

"Lucky."

"Yes, very lucky!" Adam and Alyssa smiled at each other.

The deputy could see it in their faces. Then he smiled too. "Well alright. Let's get you into town."