The Lunar Chronicles: Cresswell's Adventures

Chapter Three

A month had passed, and the weather was getting cooler. Cress strolled along the park trail, holding Thorne's hand. She watched the squirrels fighting over food, and admired the hues of red, orange, and yellow leaves above their heads as they floated down, exposing the trees' branches. Central Park was so large, and she wondered how people found their way in and out of it.

"Brr. New York weather certainly gets cold quickly." Thorne adjusted his coat and zipped up the front. Cress laughed at him and tucked her short blonde hair under her beret.

"I thought you would be used to this. After all, you did grow up here."

Thorne shivered. "I always hated the cold, especially when there's no snow yet. What's the point of freezing to death when there's no snowball fights while you're at it? The sky is cloudy enough to give us some snow."

Cress glanced curiously up at him. "Snow? What's that? I don't think we've ever had this snow on Luna before." She thought for a moment. "Is it the white stuff that covers the earth when the hemispheres are tilted away from the sun?"

"Yes, exactly. It's basically frozen rain, but it's not hard ice. It becomes soft and pillowy." He looked at the bare branches, his gaze distant. "Growing up as a kid, my mother never let me play outside in the snow. 'It's not proper for a young man who will soon take over an important business to play around with other kids,' she would tell me. But whenever I was at school, during recess or waiting for my driver to pick me up, my friends and I would have snowball fights." He sighed happily. "Those were my favorite times of the day."

Cress was silent. His mother? Was she still in New York? She hesitated before asking, "So...is your mom still living here in New York?"

Thorne shook his head. "No. After my father retired, they moved all the way to the west coast, to Los Angeles, where it was warmer. We actually moved there before when I was younger. I would've taken you there, but it hardly ever snows there, and I figured you would like to see it. If the skies ever give us some."

As if the clouds had been listening to him and decided to create a miracle, snowflakes began to drift down towards them. Cress shrank back as one floated towards her.

"Is-is that snow?" She gingerly put her gloved hand out and caught the snowflake on her palm. Bringing it closer, she saw that it had six sides, with identical crystal-like designs on each arm. It reminded her of frost creeping up the Rampion windows in the mornings when it was still cold.

As she let out a gasp of wonder, it melted away. "It's so pretty."

Thorne was watching her, and, while holding her hand, put both their palms up to catch another. "Just like you," he murmured in her ear.

Cress blushed, warming her ice-cold cheeks.

"You're adorable when you're excited, you know."

Cress giggled and leaned back against him. "So I've been told."

They continued down the path towards the entrance, Cress stopping every so often to catch a different snowflake, fascinated by their beauty. And every time, Thorne told her she was just as pretty as each one of them.

-

Once again, they went sight-seeing in New York City. Thorne bought Cress an iconic I HEART NEW YORK t-shirt, though it was a little too big for her. Never mind that, she could treasure it for years and years to come. He showed her the Empire State Building. It's immense size towered over all the buildings, standing tall and proud. They went skating at the ice rink, and Cress clung on to Thorne the whole time as he pulled her around. Later, they took a boat on the river and looked at the Statue of Liberty, snowflakes drifting around them and melting as soon as they touched the waves.

"She was a gift from France after the American Civil War."

The giant figure above them held a torch in one hand and a tablet in the other. She was clothed in a robe, with broken chains at her feet.

Cress stared in awe at the broken chains. She imagined this strong woman breaking free from these chains that held her down, and holding up the torch with pride. Cress wished she could be like this statue. Strong and proud and ready to defend the people of her country from those who opposed them.

Thorne handed her a cup of hot chocolate to her, topped with whipped cream. "Are you enjoying all of this?"

"Very much. I just wish all our friends were here with us."

"We'll visit Scarlet and Wolf when we go to Europe, and then Kai in the Commonwealth. Promise."

"Sounds good to me." A chilly breeze picked up, and Cress shoved her hands in her coat pocket, wishing she had thicker gloves. Thorne glanced down at her hands, following the movement. He immediately took off his own gloves and pulled out Cress's hands, slipping his gloves over hers. She was surprised at this gesture.

"Won't your hands get cold too?"

"Doesn't matter, as long as your hands stay warm."

Cress knew he had taken the risk of getting frost bite, so she grabbed his hands and wrapped her own around them, even though they couldn't quite cover everything. "There. Now we're both warm."

Thorne snorted as he looked down at their intertwined hands. "Thanks, Cress, but I don't think your hands are big enough."

Cress shrugged and started rubbing his hand. "It's better than no gloves."

Thorne sighed into her hair. "Yeah, I guess so."

***

As they headed back into their hotel, Thorne grabbed her hand and made her look at him. He looked desolate and nervous, much to Cress's surprise.

"Cress-" He fidgeted with his jacket sleeve and looked down at their hands, the same hours ago on the boat. "I just...I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate you. Even if I'm not the guy you first fell in love with up on that satellite, I'll try my hardest to be." His gaze finally settled on her lips, with longing. "I promise I won't ever hurt you again like- like back at the palace..."

"Thorne, stop," Cress whispered. "We both know it was Levana's doing; stop blaming yourself."

Thorne's eyes looked up, straight at hers, brimming with tears. "I can't stop thinking about it, Cress. Every night, I remember me holding the sword and- and-"

"Thorne..." Cress held him as he sank to the floor, tears running down his face. "It was just payback for shooting off your fingers," she tried, to make him smile, but Thorne just shook his head.

"They were just fingers, Cress. I nearly killed you. I'm so, so sorry. Cinder should've let me jump."

Cress gasped. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that. Captain, I still love you no matter what happens between us."

"Always?"

Cress smiled as he slid his arm around her. "Always."