Winter Wishes

Chapter 3

It was a dark haze, unlike the other memories. Joy had just walked outside the ice arena about to head to her car when she felt snowflakes kiss her skin. She stopped in her tracks and looked up at the sky. A smile slowly appeared, revealing her admiration of how looking at a snowy sky made her feel like she was in a snow globe. *Buzz buzz.* An immediate hand secured around her phone.

Aaron: How was my snow angel's practice?

Joy got her fingers ready to type, "Great, as always. Can't wait to eat," but because a shiver bewitched her body and her fingers became numb, she managed to hit two of the suggested words, "Aaron I." Soon she began coughing and then a look of panic after. Her phone dropped and instead went protectively around her chest. Veins were visible on her neck and soon her hands frantically rushed up there followed by her attempts to breath from her mouth, but only wheezing sounds could be heard. She dropped to her knees and eyes watered.

"I...can't........breathe." No one is around and I'm going to die. I'm going to die...alone. Her head and the rest of her body was lying on top of a bed of snow. At least the snow will compensate for what is about to happen. *Sigh.* Snow angel, what a fitting name. Images started to flicker through her mind like a personal autobiography movie: The time she took her first steps; her mom making hot soup for her when she had pneumonia; dad giving her her first skates; laughing with Becky, Callie, and a few of her other friends; the first time she saw Aaron's face; her first kiss with Aaron; Aaron consoling her when she was crying.

A cold feeling came over her—a different cold than from outside. Her hands had rested at her chest—the place where it hurt most.

And then she was gone.

***

"It's not so bad Aaron, I—"

"How can you say that? I gave you the worst last months of your life...literally!"

"You gave me a lifetime of memories, both happy and sad. You were a wish come true for me Aaron. If I were to repeat life, I wouldn't change a thing."

"I wish all of it was happy," he mumbled.

"What sort of life would that be? No one's life is 100% happy and thank goodness it's not. Think about how annoying it would be if everyone was happy for every second of their life."

"I suppose..."

"There are many reasons why you and I are right in front of each other. One of those reasons is because you needed to help me...get here. Another reason is for me to help you move on."

"What?"

"Don't look so surprised. I know you. As soon as you wake up, you'll feel the need to hang on to me and I can't allow you to."

"Why not?"

"Because that's not how life works. Life is about experiences; those experiences evolves who you are. It's what makes you different from everyone else. Yes, it's true, many people have experienced riding a bike before or kissing someone, but not exactly the same way, the same place, and with the same people."

"How am I supposed to move on? You were everything to me!"

"No one expects you to move on right away, but over time, you must. Whether it's with another girl—" she looked away as she said that.

"NEVER!"

"Aaron, please—"

"No, I'm sorry, I'm not going to be with another girl after you. You were who I was meant to be with."

"If not another girl—" she started crying and Aaron bit his lip, he found out today he hated making her cry, "Then you have to focus on something worth living for. I don't know what that will be, but you have to. For me." Joy started to glow as bright as Elyssa. With horror, he looked at himself, his arms were fading.

"No..."

"Goodbye—Aaron," she goes over to hug him. He didn't feel her physically, but he could feel a surge of warmth, a tingly feeling. Love. "I love you," she whispered in his ear. He could hear her crying still and his body began trembling, joining her in tears.

"I love you too...Joy." The necessity to say her name was never so strong. Her name used to have a calming effect when he said it, but now he felt the need to say it as slow as possible, to hold on to the feeling he will never again feel with anyone else. This would be the last time he would say, "Joy," in front of her.

***

He awoke with a jump start. Doctors surrounding him and his mother crying, being escorted outside.

"What did you say?" His mother had stopped crying and stopped walking, the doctors too had stopped to stare in awe.

"I don't know, " he took a few shaky breaths, "What did I say?"

"You said her name...Joy." After being assured by the doctors that Aaron was in stable condition, him and his mom were finally alone in the room.

"Did something happen...while you were asleep?

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," his mom was not one to take no for an answer.

"Okkkaaaayyyy, I'm going to sound crazy, but long story short I got to see Joy one last time."

"What did she say?"

"To move on. Live life."

He refused to cry. He cried too many times today. Instead he looked outside the window on his right. It was snowing. My snow angel, you're right, you never left me.