"Mom, I promise you I'm fine. It's just a snowstorm. I can wait it out." I shivered in my coat as white flakes pelted me relentlessly and my boots tried to slip out from under me as I rushed across an icy parking lot to find shelter from the blizzard surrounding the highway.

"Didn't I warn you to come a few days ago? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I told you so. I told you this was going to happen! Did you pull over at least?" My mother chastised me on the other end of the phone. Worry lacing her voice, reminding me she had in fact warned me of this blizzard before I had left my house days ago.

"Yes, mom." I hurried under the awning of a cabin styled cafe that glowed like a beacon in the dark hurricane of flurries. A southern home cooking type of place where people go for breakfast when traveling on holiday; but for now it's a warm shelter in the frigid snowstorms of winter. "The snow should pass by morning. I'll call you when I get ready to head out again."

"Be careful, honey. Don't you dare freeze the week of Christmas!"

I rolled my eyes as I hung up. It's typical of moms to be so worried, but it is my fault I didn't plan for this. I'm traveling to Lynchburg to visit my parents for the winter holidays but had to leave late because of working overtime at the hospital. It's almost an annual tradition for idiots to set themselves on fire or experiment with their decor this time of year, at least within the emergency service industry. And despite how confident they sound, we know they did not "fall" on a little wooden Christmas tree that was supposed to decorate their shelves.

It was just my luck that a snowstorm was predicted today when I finally had the time off to leave. Luckily I live in a tourist state with plenty of places off the sides of the highway to wait out the storm; if I had continued to drive in icy conditions through the mountains, I would be one of the morons I handle during my shifts at the emergency room.

I love my job, don't get me wrong- but people just don't have that much common sense anymore and my job turned from a 'I want to care for and help others in my small community hospital and make a difference' to 'how on Earth did you pass high school and not know how your own body works let alone that a potato up your vagina won't stop you from getting pregnant- but it is kind of impressive you got it up there and had comfortable sex'.

I barely slipped my phone back into my purse as I shivered from the frigid temperatures and headed inside the warm haven of the roadside cafe. I almost melted when I was greeted by warm air and the smell of biscuits. A few people dotted the inside of the log cabin themed cafe, all dressed in winter coats and scarves while chugging down mugs of cocoa. I sat down in a booth that had a good view of the highway so I could see when I could continue my journey to my parents' house.

"Welcome to the Country Belle!" I feigned a smile at the joyful server who greeted me. "Waiting out the storm or did you come here to eat? Would you like some hot chocolate or a biscuit?"

"I could use some cocoa." I admitted as I continued to shiver, my body not registering that I was out of the terrible storm yet. As the server left, I started to really look at the people I was sheltering with, just a habit of caution and intrigue. A happy couple cuddled in another booth across the dining room, chattering and laughing in a conversation so quiet not even a mouse could eavesdrop- a man typing away furiously on a laptop, a furrowed brow set across his face in a look of perplexion, no doubt irritated by his change of plans- and finally, a family adorned a table in the middle of the dining room, being loud and boisterous as they communed together in joyous fashion, the blizzard not changing their excitement for Christmas and the coming new year.

I looked out the window as the snow hurried across the air outside, marching in a uniformed fashion like an army of fluffy white. If I had known I'd be stuck in a storm, which I should have been prepared for given the forecast and my mother's worry, I'd have brought my laptop or a book. Anything to get my mind off the dragging along of the time, time always moves slower when you're waiting for a storm to pass.

My mind wandered to thoughts of home. My childhood spent trudging through snow banks on Christmas day, eager to try out my new sled that Santa had brought for me on the hill overlooking the neighborhood. The clinking of glasses on New Year's Eve as the ball had dropped in Times Square on the little box tv in the living room. I missed those days of simplicity. Childhood melts like the snow as the new flakes of adulthood replace it.

My thoughts broke when the man with the laptop plopped into the seat across from me, startling me.

"Uh, hello?" I croaked awkwardly, I hadn't expected company at my booth.

"I noticed you were sitting alone. I thought you'd like someone to chat with." The man gave me a smile. "I'm Derek." He reached over the table with a red mittened hand.

I shook it. "Jessica." Returning his smile as I turned to properly face him.

"Bad timing, huh?" He cocked his head towards the window, the snow refusing to yield outside as flakes whipped around in a flurry.

"Yeah. Kind of my fault I got stuck here. I left too late."

"Same here. I'm supposed to be at a conference right now. I work as a journalist. What's your story if you don't mind an interview?" He grinned in a cheeky expression of humor, whipping a pen out like a microphone towards me. I let out a loose winded laugh.

"Visiting my parents for the holidays. I left late because my boss needed extra staff for an ER shift. I figured a day late wouldn't hurt."

"A nurse? Must be fun."

"Doctor, actually. And it's not as fun as it seems on tv. People nowadays have little common sense."

"Oof. Yeah, I get that." Derek shuffled around in his seat, getting comfortable for the long hours of waiting ahead of us. "Ninety percent of my stories are from man made incidents. Last month there were rampant house fires because people wanted to fry frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving."

"You should see what people do with turkey basters." Derek let out a laugh as warm as coffee.

"Sounds like those EMT videos you'd see on Instagram reels!"

"They're based on true stories." I smiled, eager for conversation.

We continued on chatting as snow pelted down outside. Waiting no longer seemed like a doomed eternity as we downed mugs of chocolate and shared stories of our professions. Soon we formed a friendship just based on our words, and then sparks flew around in my heart. Derek seemed to understand my frustrations, and I understood his. Our conversation melted between topics of work, to our hobbies, holiday plans, anything to pass the time. In only a few scant hours it seemed like we knew each other our entire lifetimes.

Daylight streamed through the window as the storm showed signs of finally ending.

"So what made you become a doctor?" Derek questioned.

"I wanted to make a difference in people's lives. All of us wanted to then we get into the field and realize that our job is teaching common sense to people. And those who are there for illness are the ones complaining the most. How about you, Mr. Journalist?" I mused as I took a sip from my mug, opting to drink coffee as the morning came upon us.

"I loved writing stories as a child. I thought writing stories every day would be a dream but ended up being much more than I expected it to be. There's so much research and you have to tiptoe around certain topics and even then on slow news days when I get to cover wholesome stories people complain that they're far from newsworthy."

I nodded in understanding as the last snowflake landed tepidly on the ground outside.

"Looks like the snow finally cleared." I looked out the window, a twinge of sadness ached in my heart as I saw he was right. "It was a lot of fun sitting and chatting with you." Derek smiled as he stood up. The other patrons fled to their cars, eager to get out on the road again.

"Ditto," I said, a spark of sadness coating my voice as I stood up as well. My heart longs to continue the conversation. I had fallen in love with Derek, as cliche as it was. In the few brief hours we've known each other, I've never met someone who understood my frustrations and brought light through such a trivial storm.

As we walked into the parking lot, the cold air stinging my face and my heart, I felt a paper get tucked into my hand. Puzzled, I looked down at it as Derek waved goodbye and hurried across the icy pavement to his car.

"I loved our conversation. Let's continue it over a cup of coffee sometime! Love, Derek." A phone number was scrawled under the note. I smiled and waved goodbye, my heart full of hope.