Down the road of memories

You belong to me and I belong to you

Noah POV

A few days after Christmas, the mood was far from festive in the Flynn family. Rachel was back home and recovering physically well from her surgery but very little from the abrupt end of her pregnancy. It was difficult for Elle to adjust since sometimes Rachel wanted to share with her the difficulties she was experiencing related to her miscarriage and sometimes she pushed Elle away when the vision of her pregnancy became too painful.

Elle with her sensitive heart and probably a dose of pregnancy hormones felt guilty for being pregnant when Rachel was no longer. She even started hiding her pregnancy again which began to disturb me myself. I understand that Elle wants to be sensitive to Rachel's feelings. But with everything we have been through with the loss of our first baby, I want my wife to feel entitled to enjoy her pregnancy and be happy about it.

That is why I decided after Christmas to go with Elle to Boston. Greg is getting married the first week of January and several of my former Harvard colleagues will be there, including Chloe. I booked a hotel in downtown Boston for two weeks hoping to immerse myself in the festive atmosphere of a white Christmas and share this experience with my wife. I am very happy to be back in Los Angeles for over a year now but sometimes I miss the winter landscapes.

The first night we arrived in Boston, I took Elle to visit Quincy Market. We had been there over a year ago when she came to see me during a conference a few weeks after we got back together. But there are some special things about walking there during the holidays. The Christmas lights illuminate the square and make it seem magical.

As I watched my wife gush over the cupcake displays, I remembered that time when she visited me in Boston during my freshman year at Harvard. We came here to buy cupcakes and ended up smearing frosting on each other's faces. It was a bonding moment that I really enjoyed and that led to that famous declaration that night when she told me she loved Boston and I loved this girl... and I continued to love her from a distance for the 6 years we were apart. This kept me from ever getting into another relationship because it was never as good, as enjoyable, or as fulfilling as my first relationship. One thing remained clear in my mind: I belonged to this wonderful girl that I had reluctantly left on the other side of the country.

After our snack, we strolled through the streets of downtown admiring the Christmas lights and the snow on the ground. Elle seemed amazed by the discovery of her first white Christmas. Just seeing her beaming face was a balm on the last difficult weeks that we had lived. As if this festive atmosphere allowed us to forget the sorrow. But I was surprised when Elle asked me:

- Do you ever miss Boston, Noah? You spent 7 years of your life here after all!

- I have learned to love Boston over the years. Lucky because I would have simply packed up and left. Especially during the first year, I had the impression that winter lasted forever. By making friends and learning to enjoy winter through winter sports, I learned to appreciate.

- And I thought so much that you were living the experience of your life and that you were going to forget about me completely.

How could she think that? I thought to myself, remembering my reflection from a few minutes ago. I took Shelly in my arms and lifted her chin before telling her: