Their Christmas Arc

On The 4th Day of Christmas

On the fourth day of Christmas, there was only you and me.

"That'll be five dollars," I said to my own sister as I handed her the cup of coffee she ordered, along with the paper bag that contained her pastry. She handed me the exact amount before slotting another bill into the tip jar, "For my darling baby brother."

"Why are you in such a chirpy mood?" I groaned, glancing out into the outside world. With the snow and cold temperature dominating everything, I find it difficult to be so happy.

Though that did not faze her at all, "I've got a date tonight."

Rolling my eyes, I should have known. She was one of those people who fall in love so easily and the amount of times I found her crying because her boyfriend broke up with her was sadly high, "Why do I have a feeling that this won't end well?"

I could almost see it – my sister on a stool at some bar, screaming out all of her frustrations to the bartender. For one thing I can conclude from observing her past relationships, she doesn't have a good eye for men.

"Well, I think he's the one," she grinned, hope glimmering in her eyes, "Well, I've got to go."

"Bye," I muttered as I watched her leave the café.

The moment she got out, another customer came shuffling in. I was about to greet her with the customary welcome but my eyes instantly filled with concern when I took in her current state.

I knew that there was a storm raging on outside, but her appearance was something else. Her petite frame was shiver from the cold and the fact that her clothes were completely drenched did not help her at all.

Even after she removed her coat, her hoodie was still soaking wet and her shoes weren't much better. She left her dripping umbrella on the stand next to the door, quickly making her way to the counter with her feet producing a sloshing sound with every step, "One large coffee please."

If I were her, the coffee would be the least of my concern.

"Why don't you take a seat first?" I suggested, gesturing to the table by the fireplace. Her lips that were as pale as her skin pressed into a thin line as her eyes followed my line of sight. Instantly, her face brightened with a new look of excitement at the crackling fire.

She dropped all of her belongings on the table before she plopped down on the chair. I turned around to start on her order and when I glanced back, I almost the cup I was holding. She deftly peeled off her hoodie from her body, leaving her in a thin white shirt – something that was practically see through because of how wet it was.

After I finished her coffee, I scrambled around to get the blanket that was perched on the couch for decorative purposes. The moment her freezing hands made contact with hot cup, she sighed in content before grabbing the blanket that was hanging from my arm, "Thank you."

I felt like an awkward sheltered middle school boy seeing a girl for the first time.

Walking back to my spot on the counter, I tried to act nonchalant but I kept my ears opened. Much to my relief, she relaxed more after she wrapped her body in the blanket and had taken a sip out of her mug. She pulled out her laptop from her bag, examining it first to make sure it wasn't damaged from her battle with the snow outside.

So that how it went for the next half hour. No other person was brave enough to go out with the weather so there no one else came through those glass doors. I pulled out a stool from the kitchen to sit on while I made a show of flipping through one of the outdated magazine, my gaze still trained on that beautiful lady.