When the first icicle hit

A jingle of bells………Soft embers of fire……a cozy comforter……. Noel playing on TV………. Fresh flakes of snow falling from the sky like an angel, fluttering down to earth, with grace and elegance……. Cinnamon buns baking in the oven……. This is how people describe Christmas as, isn’t it?

She began to hate this time of the year. She just didn’t like it even a bit. Maybe she was bitter, and perhaps she didn’t want happiness. Whatever the reason, she didn’t want to exist in a plane of existence where there was Christmas.

Aria sat there, tapping the cup of her hot chocolate nervously. She grabbed a pill of citalopram, gulping it with her water. She hated Christmas, which was evident to everyone who spent time with her in the past few years. This time of the year made her nervous, sad, and bitter. She slowly gulped the hot chocolate thinking about the time she was happy, reminiscing those dreadful memories.

December 24th, 2018- Christmas Even New York City

The cold winds began to nip at Aria’s face as the sky became light grey. The roads are empty, like an apocalypse upon the human race. This is one of those silent moments she enjoys when all of life seems hidden away when the poor and the rich are tucked in their beds equally, sure some in their soft warm beds, some in their made-up ones, sleeping, nonetheless. Animals and humans equally running for warmth, the vagrants standing by the fire, trying to get the heat flowing through their veins.

Her phone rang as she walked, counting the footprints she had made in the snow. She knew who it was, “Hello,” she chirped, entering the store, “Hi, Aria,” it was her husband, Rowan.

“Hi honey, I am in the store. I am grabbing some last-minute items for dinner. This is the only store open,” she walked to the counter, grabbing a bottle of Merlot. His favorite red wine.

“Sure, um.” Rowan was saying something, and Aria waited for him to finish it, “is everything okay, baby?” she took out her credit card to pay for the stuff she bought. “Nothing. Are you going to be here soon?” he asked, and she answered. “Okay then, see you soon, he hung up.

Aria sensed a certain hesitation in her husband’s tone, but she cast it aside. She shook her head and walked to her car. She was about to unlock it when she heard a voice “Aira?” she turned around to see a tall man, he had his nose covered with a scarf, but she could see those eyes, she could recognize those eyes anywhere, it was her high school friend, before she could say anything, he took the scarf off, he looked more handsome than ever.

“Aiden?” she couldn’t believe her eyes, “how are you?” he asked her. “I am very well, Ade,” oh, how much he loved her calling that, “how are you, Ade?” she questioned in turn.

“I am okay, Ari,” and she smiled. Oh, what a smile she had. “How long has it been?” she questioned him, “6 years,” he answered. “Wow,” she smiled, the smile that broke and mended his heart to pieces.

“What are you doing?” her question passed right past his mind as he got lost in her baby blue eyes, which were covered with a smokey eyeshadow, making them look even deadlier. If eyes could kill people, he would die and resurrect to see them shine happily. They both moved under a roof to cover themselves.

“I own a pharmaceutical company now,” he answered, looking lost in her eyes. “Wow, so you got what you wanted then?” she grabbed gloves out of her pockets and put them on.

“I did,” he told her. “So, what are you doing?” he stood next to her, generating warmth into her body. “Rowan and I,” his heart broke into a million pieces listening to Rowan’s name out of her mouth.

“I have a small bakery. Rowan made it to be an investment banker as he always wished. I mean, you know how Mr. and Mrs. Lord. They are in the same business as Rowan was, it wasn’t a surprise when he became one, too” she looked at the snowflakes falling on the ground, and her phone buzzed again. “Hello, Row. I will be there in a few,” she answered.

“I should get going, Ade. I will see you again?” she shook her mitten-covered hand with his, “I will see you, Ari,” he unwillingly got ready to wish her goodbye, “Aria,” he called her as she was about to open her car door.

“Take my card,” he fisted it out of her pocket and handed it over. “I will see you soon?” he asked more like a question.

She nodded, taking it. She entered her car and drove back to her apartment. “Honey, I am home,” she hung her coat in the mudroom, walking into the living room to see Rowan with his bags. “Are you planning to surprise me, Row?” she undid her boots, placing them next to the fireplace.

“Are we going somewhere?” she took her scarf off, looking at him, but Rowan gave her no answer. “I am going somewhere, Ree,” he gently nudged her suitcase toward her. “I don’t understand,” Aria answered with rising anxiety in her tone, she sensed something wrong about this situation, but she didn’t want to accept it.

“I….” he grabbed the suitcase handle tight to break the news to her, “I am leaving you,” that 13 letter sentence stopped time for her, and she felt the room close in on her, her throat constricted, and she couldn’t form sentences, all the pain in her stomach pooled in her eyes as tears and glided down her face.

“I….” she took a deep breath and steadied herself from falling. She slowly walked over to the kitchen counter and sat on the chair, grabbing the island, “is there someone else?” she bit her lip to control her voice. She didn’t want him to see her breaking down.