Who Wants To Live Forever...

Thank God It's Christmas - Part 5

I hope everyone enjoys the cold weather in this chapter since I am posting it during an especially warm June day.  Stay cool out there folks!

23rd December 1984

Switzerland

Brian's POV

It seemed like a dream.  Maybe it was.  We all arrived safely and were soon forgetting about our problems back home in England.  Lost in the fantasy that our time here was like it once was;  before Roger's father destroyed our happiness.  I was so grateful to Melanie, Lulu's mother, and to Dom, who both assisted in arranging this secret getaway.

I brought some more wood into the house and set it on the rack by the large fireplace.  Mia and Dom were doing a puzzle at the large table and talking.   The children were in the kitchen with my mother and Winnie baking cookies.  Trevor was out on the front porch with my father and Roger as they both smoked cigarettes.  I added some wood to the existing fire and stoked it a little.  I set the poker back in the stand and enjoyed the warmth from the hearth as the door opened up and Roger came inside.

"Bri...go get your hat and let's take a drive..."  he told me.  We both grabbed our wallets and he got a set of car keys and we headed out and got in one of the Land Rovers.  It had snowed this morning but the roads were passable.  Roger was adept at driving in it so I relaxed and we drove down the valley into the nearby village.   I pulled on my knitted cap and tucked my hair up inside it.  Roger grabbed his and did the same and we both snickered at each other as we left the car and strolled into the shopping district.  It felt silly to wear a kind of disguise but it was nice to not be recognized and just enjoy being out together and letting go of the worry of being discovered.

"It would be perfect if I could hold your hand..."  Roger told me as we walked towards the busier part of the village.  I smiled at him and wished I could just grab his hand.  It was two days until Christmas and the shops were bustling with people.  Scrambling to finish their shopping and not paying any notice to two British men who were kind of famous back home.  Roger took me to a small cafe where were knew the owner spoke English and we went inside and found a table in a corner.  He went to the counter and got us some nice rich coffees and pastries and carried them back to the table.

"This one has almonds in it..."  he told me as he placed the pastry in front of me.  It looked divine.  

"Thanks..."  I replied as I took a bite and enjoyed the chocolate and cream and almond flavors.  Roger had a raspberry and cream chocolate confection and we both tasted a bite of each others treat.  We sat and sipped our coffee and enjoyed being in each others company and the world not noticing us.

"Do you need to do any shopping?"  Roger asked as we finished our drinks.  I shook my head.  We had decided to skip presents since our real gift was being together.  The adults were not buying for each other and there were some things we had brought along for the kids to open Christmas morning.  While we had all the money we needed to buy whatever presents we wanted, this holiday felt more precious than anything we could have placed under a tree.

We left the cafe and strolled casually down the sidewalk and window shopped.  Roger led me back to the car and took off for a drive in a different direction from the house.  The scenery was blissful.  Snow peaked mountains in the distance and the wooded areas nearby were draped in fresh fallen snow.  The temperature was cold but not bone chilling.  There was some sun peeking through and warming us a little in the car as we drove.  We hardly spoke for a while.  Silent in the splendor of the setting we were in.  

"I want to talk to you about something and I want you to hear me out..."  Roger suddenly stated.  I turned to look at him and saw him eyeing me with a serious expression.