Baby It's COVID Outside

Chapter 19 - Susie

The following morning, as the sun began to rise, I found myself standing before the patio doors looking out over the garden in dismay.

The beautiful blanket of snow which had become such a familiar sight each morning had well and truly melted now. Leaving only small patches of slush and ice. The epic snow battle of the previous day had not done much to help preserve what little remained, but I was still sad to see it go.

So much for a white Christmas.

The snowman we had built that once stood so proudly next to the back door was now a slumped over mess. His face scattered in the slushy pile of what remained and the scarf I had wrapped around him now frozen to the ground.

'Nothing fun ever lasts.' I thought to myself. Counting the days on my hand I realised I only had five days left in isolation now and what had once seemed like an age, now seemed like nowhere near enough time.

As excited as I was for Christmas and seeing family and friends again, I couldn't stop thinking about how I could help Henry keep rediscovering the Christmas magic, if only I had more time.

"What's that face for?" Henry appeared at my side, his hand brushing across the small of my back in a way that made me shiver.

"Just that the snow is almost gone." I sighed.

Henry looked out over the garden and then slowly back at me as though sensing it was something a little more than that, "What do you want to do today?" he asked, steering me towards the kitchen for breakfast and away from the thing I claimed were bothering me.

"I don't know, I was going to say bake cookies." I shrugged, still wrapped up in my thoughts.

"Do you need an assistant baker?" Henry offered, a little shyly.

That got my attention. "Are you sure?"

"Why not." Henry laughed at my shocked expression.

"Oh wow, ok, let's eat quickly and then we can get started. If we do them this morning, we can decorate them this afternoon." I explained.

Wolfing down my breakfast, I discussed ideas the whole time, barely stopping to take a breath or allow Henry to speak.

"Can we get dressed before we start?" He laughed at my enthusiasm, as he placed his bowl in the sink.

"Oh yes," I flushed at the sudden realisation that Henry was in pyjamas and I was wearing nothing more than an oversized t-shirt and underwear.

Whilst comfortable and covering the essentials, it wasn't exactly the sort of clothes I should really be wearing around the boss I was trying not to think of as anything else.

Hands pressing the t-shirt to my thighs I hurried up the stairs. With the bits I had washed the night before to choose from as well, I selected the navy gingerbread man top as the best option to wear whilst baking. Paired with some grey marl leggings I glanced at herself in the mirror. Much more decent.

I rushed back down the stairs, beating Henry to the kitchen and began collecting the bits we would need. The cookie mix bag told me we would need an egg and softened butter which I fetched from the fridge. It also asked for flour for rolling, greaseproof paper and cookie cutters.

I frowned as I fetched the tub of flour I had spotted in his cupboards before. I couldn't remember ordering cutters and I very much doubted Henry owned any.

It was just as I finished searching the final cupboard. That Henry wandered in, "What are you looking for?"

"Greaseproof paper and cookie cutters?"