The late November night was crisp and chilly, the kind of cold that nipped at your fingers and made your breath puff in little clouds. The streets outside Wonderland Amusement Park were quiet, the grand gate’s golden lights fading behind us as Aeri and I walked away from the park’s fading buzz. The city was hushed, with only the occasional hum of a passing car and the rustle of dry leaves skittering across the sidewalk.
Aeri walked two steps ahead of me, her black mini skirt swaying with her light steps, her tight white t-shirt and open black shirt doing little to keep her warm. Her hands were clasped behind her back, and she was humming a soft, cheerful tune.
The wind picked up, tossing my hair and tugging at her cat ear headband, which she’d stubbornly kept on. I watched her, wondering why she’d wanted to walk in this freezing night instead of taking a cab straight to the hotel.
I sighed, my breath visible in the cold air, and called out, "Aeri..."
She stopped mid-hum, turning back to face me. "Hmm? What happened?" she asked, tilting her head, her voice light but curious. Her hair danced in the breeze, a few strands sticking to her lips, and she brushed them away with a quick flick of her hand.
"Here, wear this," I said, unbuttoning my black shirt and slipping it off my shoulders.
I stepped closer, wrapping it around her, the fabric still warm from my body. My white t-shirt was all I had left, and the cold bit at my arms, but I didn’t care. She looked too chilly, and I’d rather freeze than see her shiver.
Aeri’s face turned pink, a slow blush creeping up her cheeks as she clutched the shirt, pulling it tighter around her.
"But I already have a shirt on me," she said, her voice soft, almost shy. "And you’ll be cold now, Ezra. This is too much." Her eyes flicked to my bare arms, concern.
I shrugged, shoving one hand into my pocket to play it cool, though the chill was already creeping through my t-shirt.
"Your shirt’s fabric is super thin, and I’m not feeling cold, so it’s fine," I said, half-lying.
No way was I admitting, not when she looked at me like that, all flustered and cute. I started walking again, keeping my pace slow so she could catch up.
"Umm..." Aeri hesitated, her voice trailing off like she wanted to argue but didn’t know how. Her heart was probably racing—I could tell from the way her fingers fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. Then, suddenly, she stopped walking and called out,
"Thank you!" Her voice was loud, echoing in the quiet street, and I froze, turning to look at her.
"Hmm?" I said, raising an eyebrow, a grin tugging at my lips. She stood there, framed by the streetlight, her cat ears catching the glow, her face still pink.
"Thank you for what? Taking care of my girlfriend and future wife?" I said, matching her volume, my voice teasing but full of truth. The words felt big, but they slipped out easy, like they’d been waiting to be said.
A gust of wind swept through, tossing Aeri’s hair across her face, the strands covering her eyes for a moment before she brushed them away. The motion made her look absolutely gorgeous—her face flushed, her lips curved into a soft, shy smile, her eyes glistening with a hint of tears.
The wind played with my hair too, and for a second, it was like the world paused, just me and her, standing in the cold, connected by something bigger than the night.
"Is that so?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, her smile trembling as she looked at me, her hands still clutching my shirt like it was a lifeline.
"Yes, that’s exactly it," I said, my voice steady, my eyes locked on hers.
Aeri’s heel clicked lightly on the ground as she moved a few steps ahead and I caught up to her, and soon we were walking side by side.
Aeri’s voice broke the quiet, soft but heavy with something unspoken. "But what if I’m not ready for it?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the ground ahead.
"What if I tell you that I still find all this wrong and weird in many ways?" Her words hung in the air, vulnerable and raw, and I could hear the conflict in her tone.
I took a few steps, my gaze dropping to the ground, my sneakers scuffing lightly against the pavement. I’d always known Aeri had doubts—about us, about the age gap, about how we’d gotten here from her being my step mother for years to... this. I took a deep breath, the cold air sharp in my lungs, and let it out slowly.
"I’ll keep trying..." I said, my voice low, my eyes still on the ground. Then I glanced at her, "Until you do."
Aeri turned her face to me, her eyes wide with a mix of surprise and something softer, like she hadn’t expected that answer.
"Ohh... that’s a lot of patience and dedication you’re showing toward a pretty old woman," she said, her voice teasing but tinged with self-doubt, her lips curving into a small, hesitant smile.
I chuckled, shaking my head, "Old? Aeri, you’re are beautiful woman and definitely not that old," I said, grinning to lighten the mood.
But then my voice softened as I said. "And...it was you...who taught me patience, you know. Back when I was a kid in school, crying at your dinner table because the teacher didn’t pick me for the chess competition. You sat there, all calm, and told me, ’Patience is trusting God even when the answer is not yet.’ You said to keep doing my best, to be ready for the day my chance came."
Aeri’s eyes widened, her breath catching, and she stared at me like I’d just pulled a memory she’d forgotten from the depths of her mind.
"And guess what?" I continued, my grin growing. "I got selected the next year. Won the championship against other schools, too. Took home a shiny trophy and everything."
She blinked, her lips parting in surprise. "Damn, you really remembered that?" she said, her voice a mix of disbelief and warmth, a small laugh escaping her.
"Obviously," I said, my voice steady, my gaze never leaving hers. "Every single thing you taught me, Aeri. Not just chess or school stuff, but... how to keep going, how to believe in myself. You shaped me and made me who I am and I’m not letting that go."
Aeri’s heart seemed to skip—she looked away for a moment, her gaze lifting to the starry sky, her breath puffing in the cold air.
I could almost see her thoughts racing, her mind replaying that dinner years ago when she’d just been trying to cheer up a heartbroken kid.
~I only said that to keep him from giving up, and he took it to heart, held onto it all this time.
Her lips trembled, and when she looked back at me, her eyes were glassy, her face flushed with a mix of emotions she couldn’t hide.