Open Heart One Shots (Choices)

Valentine Memories

Summary: When Alan finds a box of childhood memorabilia, Cassie teases Ethan about his romantic past.

It was a bright blue winter day with freshly fallen snow dotting the flat green landscape around Interstate 90. They left Boston late enough to avoid the weekend crowds heading off to ski lodges in the vicinity but early enough to make a day of it in Providence.

When the car turned toward I-95, the south-easterly sun's harsh rays bounced off the windshield. Briefly blinded, Cassie Valentine pulled the visor down and silently cursed.

She meant to grab her sunglasses before leaving the apartment, but she'd overslept and had been in a rush. The last thing she wanted was for Ethan to give her a look that implied he hadn't truly expected her to be ready on time.

The delectable Dr. Ramsey could be a real troll on occasion.

"Here."

Cassie looked over to see Ethan holding out a pair of sunglasses with dark plastic lenses. His own were parked on the bridge of his nose, hiding his laser-blue eyes. So she wondered where these had come from. She arched one brow as she put them on, relieved when her eyes no longer squinted against the sun.

"You never seem to have a pair on you when you need them," he explained, reading her thoughts perfectly. "I picked up a couple of cheap drugstore ones to keep in the car."

Annoyed at his superior tone, Cassie harrumphed and folded her arms, only to unfold them seconds later as she chuckled at the implication. This wasn't the first time she'd forgotten her glasses, so she really couldn't blame Ethan.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" She shook her head in amusement.

"Top of the class, Valentine," he drawled.

Cassie rolled her eyes and turned up the volume instead, singing along to the chorus of The Black Keys' Wild Child.

They drove in companionable silence towards his childhood home for Ethan's monthly visit to see his father. Cassie had insisted on coming even though she had made plans to go couch shopping with Bryce. Her friend understood the last-minute notice.

The more their relationship progressed, the more she was determined to make Ethan stop compartmentalizing their lives. Visiting Alan was an important part, especially since Ethan was heartily welcomed into her own family.

As they neared Providence, Ethan exited the interstate and joined traffic winding through the city streets. The scenery outside gradually changed from gentrified neighborhoods to middle-class subdivisions until he turned down a familiar road.

This part of town was older, the streets lined with modest houses, all a bit worse for wear, snow covering pitched roofs and small yards. Cassie spied four young boys in a small park up ahead, throwing snowballs at each other, their laughter ringing through the air.

"Did you ever do that?" she asked, tilting her head to indicate the boys.

Ethan followed her gaze, and his face softened in nostalgia. "As much as possible. You can't live in New England and not have snowball fights."

As they neared his father's house, he slowed the car and parked along the curb.

"My friends and I would pray for a snow day," Ethan continued, switching off the ignition, his eyes still on the boys. "And when we got one, we spent all day outside building a snow fort and engaging in all-out war. We had complicated hand signals and code words, the whole shebang."

"Max and I always save the first snowball fight for Tony. Team Double Trouble, you know." She grinned wickedly. "If he can beat us, he can join a twin activity. Otherwise, it's Twin Time, Butt Out."