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#WCONTEST2015

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// Italics = flashback //

Bittersweet Memories

Emely glanced at the photograph sitting on her coffee table with sorrowful eyes, the winter scene in the printed colours coming to life in the form of a snow-speckled memory.

A snowflake fell from the winter sky, softly landing on her stubby nose. She giggled and looked up at her big brother in adoration, feeling his protective gaze on her as she scooped up a mound of snow from the winter-coat that kept the Earth warm. With a swift glance back at her brother, who was too lost in his own wintery daydream to realize what she was doing, Emely swung the clump of snow at his rosy-cheeked face and exploded into a fit of merry laughter.

She felt someone place a tender hand on her shoulder and looked over at Caleb, seeing the same emotion swimming in his grey eyes.

It was so cold. Too cold, really. The small boy shivered while he watched people walk past his squinted gaze, all of them wore their winter-fur coats and warm boots whereas all he had for the season was an old, baggy shirt and worn shorts from a rough childhood. Once again, he was stuck at the train station, waiting for her. That girl who he felt would be here, for some silly reason of his. He breathed a cold breath of winter before stiffly getting up from his lonely bench. His toes had gone numb and so had his frail body, making it hard to walk, much less move at all.

A saddened boy, he appeared to be, as he made his way toward the train, boarding it with a miserable sentiment dragging itself behind him. The winter season seemed to bury him in sadness every year.

"Would you like a coffee?" He asked softly, his loving smile creating several creases at the corners of his mouth. Smile lines.

"No, Caleb," She replied, returning her gaze to another photograph. "Thank you."

He seated himself next to her on the authentic couch, following her gaze and staring at the photo of them smiling brightly and standing in front of the Big Ben. He sighed and muttered, "That was a  great day, wasn't it?"

"Hm, yes," She replied and settled her eyes back on Caleb, a faint smile settling itself on her wrinkled lips.

"Caleb, huh?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at the handsome man with an mischievous smile.

"Yes, but I know you must have a beautiful name." He said knowingly, staring at her with his wondrous eyes, the colour reminding her of an abandoned lake - grey and green with the slightest hint of brown fading in from the edges. 

For a moment, it seemed as if he already knew her name.

"Well, thank you, but it's just Emely," she said shyly, feeling warm from his sweet words despite the winter's icy touch brushing against her skin.

"Would you mind taking a picture with me?" he asked suddenly and Emely hesitated - she had only known him for a day, meeting him at the train station, would it be wise to let him take a picture with her face in the photo? 

Oh, well. It's Christmas. Everyone took random selfies and photographs at this time of year, she thought.

But, something about his captivating eyes and soft smile made him seem like the most trustworthy person in the world to Emely. 

"Sure," she answered, getting up.

"C'mon, let's take it with Big Ben," he said with excitement ringing in his voice, a foggy cloud of his warm breath escaped into the cold air. She felt him take her hand as he led her toward the Big Ben. He couldn't see her expression, but a wide grin broke out on her face at the simple gesture.

She was out in the cold winter, but somehow she felt very warm.

"Emely, we should get a tree and decorate it," Caleb said to her, his eyes brightening at the thought of putting up a tree and adorning it with all kinds of decorations and Christmas ornaments.

"No. I don't want to," she stated blankly.

Caleb frowned, but understood the reasons for her response.

"Hey, girl!" he shouted over the flames. "Girl, over there, c'mere, will ya?"

He struggled to shove the planks of wood aside and get to her, a small, pale-faced girl who was cowering in the corner near the cabin window. She must be too flustered and scared to move, he thought. The fire was starting to spread faster and the heat sent sweat beads dripping from his unmanly bangs and sliding off of the side of his pale face.

By the time he had got to her, all he could do was crouch down and sit next to her. The fire had consumed his path and devoured the whole of the cabin, leaving no space for escape. Tired, he hung his head in disappointment at his failure. Moments passed before the heat got to him, and he collapsed onto the girl's lap. Before his eyes fluttered closed, he saw that she, too, had fallen unconscious.

Only the Heavens knew if they were to be saved.

"C'mon, Emely-" Caleb began to beg, but again, she stubbornly cut him off with her refusal.

"No," she snapped, her eyes welling up with tears from the memories.

"Oh, dear," Caleb muttered, he started to feel guilty for hurting her and wrapped her in his arms, "I'm sorry, dear. There, there, don't cry..."

He reached for the tissue box on the coffee table and caught sight of another photograph. He smiled inwardly at the photo. It was expertly taken of Emely leaning against the train he had taken on that day they first met each other, properly.

But, as he dabbed at Emely's tears, he felt that bad memories should be kept from damaging the future and thus did not approve of Emely's fragile behaviour when faced with the past.

"Oh my God!" Someone exclaimed from behind her and she turned her head to see what the commotion was. A young man of around her age was standing on the boardwalk, staring at her with wide eyes.

"Um," she hesitated, wondering as to why he was staring at her like that. 

Suddenly, a grumpy, old man barked at her from inside the train. "Are you getting on or what, lady?"

She hesitated again and with a quick breath, stepped off of the train and watched the doors close in front of her. It was the first time she had skipped work, but she felt as if she owed it to herself. It was Christmas, and she shouldn't waste her merry hours on a train only to be greeted by her depressing job.

"I-I know y-you..." the boy began to stutter, looking at her as if she was some sort of ghost.

"Um, you do?" she turned and asked, confused and curious as to how he would know her. Looking into his eyes, a hint of familiarity teased her feelings, but she couldn't quite get a hold of who he was or if she knew him at all. It was just that feeling. His eyes, they looked... recognizable.

No, surely it must have just been his confession playing with her mind.

"Y-yes, y-you were that g-girl..." He kept stuttering and halting between words. The fact that he knew her seemed to shock him to the point where he appeared to have gone a tad bit mad.

"Er... I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met before," she assured him, but also partly to herself.

He cleared his throat and straightened himself up, attempting to calm himself down. "No, we have. When we were l-little. I remember."

She looked at him with a dumbfounded expression until he said softly, "In that fire at Moire's Cabin."

As soon as he mentioned 'Moire's Cabin', the whole world seemed to stop and she, too, felt realization and commemoration overwhelm her.

She didn't know why she believed him so easily, but a feeling of nostalgia came over her and the boy in front of her seemed to transform from a stranger, into an angel.

-later-

He laughed as she told him about that time when her older brother, Jim, had gotten scared of Santa Claus at the toy store when they were younger.

"Oh, dear, that must have been hilarious!" he exclaimed with a few more chuckles, but then his face turned sympathetic as he looked at me, "You must miss him."

"Yes. Very much. More than I do my parents, actually," she admitted, gazing sadly back at him. "What about you? Have any sad memories? Don't worry, I'll cry with you."

"Haha, well, yeah, kind of," He said, looking away. "But, you have to promise me something."

"Sure, what?" she asked casually.

"You won't think of me any differently than you do now after I tell you," he stated simply.

"Okay... I won't," she promised, and she truly meant it.

"Well," he began, "My parents were criminals."

"Oh," was all she could say, then, "Wait, were?"

"Yes. They were hung soon after I was born," he said again with the same straightforward tone.

"Oh... I'm sorry," she replied, a feeling of unexplainable guilt washing over her. She knew people didn't like to be given sympathy, but she couldn't help it.

And then, out of the blue, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Sweetly, softly and shortly. It was the most memorable moment she had ever experienced.

"Emely, you should really get over these horrible memories," Caleb mumbled carefully to her, wiping away the remaining wetness off of her cheeks. "It's been, what, twenty years?"

"I'm sorry," she said through muffled sobs, fresh tears streaming down her wrinkled cheeks. "It's just... it'll never be the same. Not without Jim. I miss my brother, Caleb..." 

She sniffed and hicupped in his arms, holding on to him as if she would shatter if she didn't hold on tight enough.

Caleb sighed helplessly, wondering of what to do.

"Here," Caleb started to say, an idea popping up in his head, "Why don't we go out... let's say... shopping?"

"Oh, no!" She gasped, shaking her head vigorously, "Jim used to do the Christmas shopping for the whole family! Oh, I remember when he would buy those little angel statues and toys and fluffy animals and Christmas treats and-"

"Emely!" Caleb cut her off, losing his patience and wondering as to why his intelligent wife did not understand the meaninglessness of digging up rotten memories. "Please stop dwelling in the past, for me, at least."

Emely wallowed in his pleading eyes and swallowed back her fresh sobs. If it made Caleb happy, she would do her best to be cheerful this winter. Maybe even celebrate Christmas, if it made Caleb happy.

Soon after cheering up Emely, Caleb dug up all of her previous Christmas gifts from him that she had never been well enough to endulge in, from the Christmas fur coats to the simple cards and framed paintings, he showered her with at least thirty years worth of Christmas presents. To say she had been cheered up would be an understatement- it was the first time she had felt the full weight of Caleb's Christmas love towards her.

They were old and retired, but that night of shopping, baking, decorating and celebrating made Emely feel as if she had become a new person... and all thanks to Caleb, her angel.

In the end, they invited the family nextdoor over to their house and served a small, last-minute feast with food ordered from several places in London, along with Caleb's popular roast turkey. Caleb and Emely also contacted their daughter in Australia, Jade, wishing her a merry Christmas and Caleb had even posted a Christmas gift for her.

It was the second-best Christmas of Emely's life. The first, obviously being the day she had met Caleb.

From then on, winter felt warmer and Christmas merrier.

-end-

~A/N~

I don't think this was that good, but I tried pretty hard and I didn't feel like rewriting it. I also feel like it didn't make enough sense, but eh, at least I tried. First time entering a contest on Wattpad, btw.

Lollipops and best Christmas wishes,

PBJ_sandwich

P.S. Feel free to point out any mistakes or errors along with any developments/improvements I could make.

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