sugar | milia

snowman

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"i'm pretty sure i haven't built a snowman in six years," millie said with a laugh, and lilia beamed at her, snow already dusting the ends of her blonde hair. she scooped up a pile in her hand, expertly patting it together and beginning to roll it in the snow. "well, now's your chance, sweetheart." millie's stomach flipped at the nickname, but lilia didn't dwell on it, instead looking back up at her with a grin. "you gonna help or what? you can do the head... i expect i'll have both other parts finished by then."

millie punched lilia lightly on the arm, and they both giggled as millie sat down next to her to start rolling snow in her hands. the week had passed by in a blink it seemed like. lilia insisted on having millie over for dinner every few days, and the rest of the time they spent together anyway. finn hadn't shown his face since their first dinner, and millie wondered what he could have been up to in his room. lilia had come over to millie's place a couple times, to meet her parents and grab supplies for food, but millie preferred them to stay outside or in lilia's beautiful cabin.

they worked for a while, millie's lip almost at the point of bleeding after half an hour. it was a habit of hers to bite and chew on it, especially while she was working, or nervous. she was almost finished, and grinned broadly at her snowman head when something smashed into her back, making her freeze, snow flattening against her coat.

she turned around slowly, hearing a very nervous giggle escape from lilia's lips as she spotted her, shifting back and forth from her legs, a second ball of snow held in her hand. millie's eyes widened and she laughed aloud. "oh, you're asking for it, lils," and immediately began to form a snowball on the ground. lilia shot her second snowball at millie quickly, but the brown haired girl thumped onto the ground, rolling away. snow coated her jacket and jeans, making icy cold water leak through her pants, and she wished she'd worn something more durable.

lilia screamed aloud as millie began to chuck snow at her, and they laughed as they continued to throw snow for another ten minutes. soon after, lilia shivered. "ouch, i can feel the rawness on my legs." millie giggled lightly at this, reaching out to brush snow out of her hair. "c'mon, i have hot cocoa in my house." lilia nodded, shivering, and they trooped up to millie's front door, shaking off snow and stomping their boots before they entered the warm home.

a cough echoed from upstairs, and millie peered up them, but didn't think much of it. she instead helped lilia inside, shutting the huge door and taking off her jacket, hanging it on a set of hooks next to the door. lilia hung hers as well, and they took off their drenched boots, heading into the warm kitchen.

it was lilia's turn to take a seat at the counter while millie stirred their hot cocoa. another cough sounded from upstairs, and millie glanced up as her dad came down the stairs. "hi, dad. is mama okay?" he nodded, opening a cupboard and pulling out some medicine. "nice to see you here for once, you barely exist now!" he winked at lilia, who blushed a little. "just kidding, i know you two are having a good time. and, she's okay. just getting a cough."

he hustled up the stairs again, and millie handed lilia a cup of steaming cocoa with a smile. "one cup of hot chocolate." lilia took it with a grin. "oooh... can we sit next to the fireplace?" millie nodded, and grabbed some soft socks for her freezing feet, snd grabbed a gigantic soft blanket from the corner of the couch, heading over to where lilia had sat against the stone fireplace, next to the heat. it radiated onto their skin, and lilia smiled as millie pulled the blanket on them, and lilia scooted closer to millie for warmth.

"so, brown. where are you from? i feel like i know nothing about you." millie giggled. "uhh, i was born in spain, now i live in atlanta, georgia. what about you?" lilia raised her eyebrows, and millie laughed. "well you can't have lived here your entire life! where were you born?"

lilia smiled. "i was born in los angeles, and lived there for a few years as a little kid. i moved to idaho for another couple years, and when i was like... almost six? i moved here." millie's eyes widened. "so, you've been cut off from everything out... there, your whole life?" lilia sighed, nodding. "...yep. but it's okay. i have my family, and.. i'm okay not being connected to internet and everything. it would make me.. insane. make me want to get out."

millie frowned. "are you okay? she noticed the creases of worry on lilia's forehead. "yeah. yeah, of course. it's just... i'm scared." millie's eyes widened. "of-of what?" lilia looked away from her, not wanting millie to see the tears swimming in her eyes. "leaving. i know one day i'll have to. i can't just... stay here forever. but- it's like a safe place. finn has lived here his entire life, and yet he stays camped up in his room i just don't understand quite how because he doesn't have anything to even do up there, and he wouldn't tell me if he did- my-," tears dripped from her eyelashes, and millie pulled her a little closer, wrapping an arm around her as lilia took a deep breath.

"my sister couldn't wait to get out of here. two years ago, she packed up and.. she left. she'd known she was going to leave since she was fourteen. she hit eighteen, and she was gone in the early morning. no one knows how she got anywhere, she didn't have a car. maybe she hitchhiked to new york. that's where she always wanted to go. and.. we don't have connection. i haven't talked to my sister in two years. and the last time i saw her, i cried because i didn't want her to leave, and she told me i didn't have control of her. she said- she said one day se'd come back for me, but who knows. millie- she could be dead right now. maybe she didn't even make it out of this canyon. maybe she died here, she didn't make it to new york to achieve her dreams."

millie hugged her close, lilia's head resting on her shoulder as tears dropped onto the blanket. "sorry, i'm a wreck, you don't deserve this from me. i just wish i could call her or email her or talk to her at all." millie brushed a tear off her cheek. "don't worry. i know you'll see her again. and i know if she's anything like you at all, she'll be in new york right now, famous."

lilia smiled a little. "thanks, millie. i just miss her, a lot."

"i know. but it'll get better. i promise."

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author's note :)

happy holidays everyone ;)