Marry Me

Chapter 1

     December 12th, 1999 was the best day of my life. I was outside, playing with my older brother in the snow when I noticed someone coming out of the house across the street.
     A little girl with long red hair followed her father out of the black front door of their home and down into the front yard. She had on a pink beanie, a purple puffy coat, and black snow boots.
     My brother Mark walked over and said "Oh, the new neighbors are outside. Maybe they have an older kid too!" He took my hand and pulled me across the street and into their yard.
     "Good morning, sir!" Mark yelled confidently. He was eight and had no fear when talking to grown ups. The man and little girl turned around and looked at us in suprise.
     "Oh! Hey boys, good morning." The man said. He had wide, green eyes and hair just as red as his daughter's. His smile was kind. and in his hand he held a bundle of wires.
     "We saw you guys come out and decided we should welcome you to the neighborhood." Mark told him.  
     "Well thank you boys. My name is Daniel Greene, and this is my daughter, Chelsea. We also have an older boy named Daniel. He is out with his mother but should be back soon. He looks to be about your age." Mr. Greene said, pointing to Mark. Marks eyes lit up and he said "I'm eight!" 
     "So is Daniel! I bet he will be thrilled to meet you. Why don't you run home and make sure it is okay for you two to be over here, and then you can meet him when he gets home."
     "Yes, sir!" Mark exclaimed and dragged me back home. 

     Ten minuets later, we watched a black SUV pull into the driveway of the Greene's home. We quickly redressed in our winter clothes and ran back across the street. A woman with long brown hair climbed out of the car, and opened the back door. A little boy with lighter red hair got out and looked over at us.
     "Hi, I'm Mark and this is my little brother Chris." Mark said to the other half of the family. Daniel ran over and introduced himself, and almost as quickly as he walked up, they took off inside after Daniel asked if Mark liked videogames. 
     The woman looked at me and smiled softly. I smiled back but said nothing; I was a bit shy. Mrs. Greene closed her car door and said to me "I have a little girl about your age. Would you want to meet her? She and her Dad are decorating the house for Christmas." I nodded and followed her towards the house.
     The inside was warm, thanks to the large fire crackling in the center of the far wall in the livingroom. The couches and floor were covered in boxes that were overflowing with lights, ornaments, and figurines. Christmas carols were playing from the tv, and Mr. Greene was sitting on the floor in a tangle of the same Christmas lights we had seen him with outside.
     "Hi honey, I see you met the neighbor boys." He said, smiling at me. I stayed on the welcome mat by the front door so I didn't track snow onto their floor. Mrs. Greene gave her husband a quick kiss before he turned  to me and said "You can follow me out back if you still want to play with Chelsea. She is out in the yard."  

     I nodded and wiped my boots on the mat before following him through the living room and into the kitchen. He opened the back door and I walked out onto a snow covered deck. In the yard, Chelsea was laughing as she threw snow into the air. A large white and brown dog jumped into the air, snapping at the falling flakes. 

     "Chelsea! Your friend is back!" Mr. Greene called to her. She turned and looked at me with a beaming smile. I gave her a small wave. Mr. Greene gestured towards the stairs that had been shoveled and salted and said "Go on, the dog is very friendly. If you need anything, we will be inside. I'll call you guys when I have those lights untangled." 
     I slowly walked down the stairs and met Chelsea in the yard. She smiled at me and in a sweet, small voice said "Hi, I'm Chelsea. What's your name?"
     "Chris." I told her. She gave her dog a hug as he sat down next to her and said "This is Leo. He is my best friend ever!" I  laughed. Best friends with a dog? That was silly. 
     "I have been throwing snowballs for him to chase. Want to play too?" She asked me. I nodded my head and scooped up some snow from the ground and packed it into a ball. 

     That entire afternoon was spent laughing with her dog, decorating the inside of the house, and throwing lights onto the bushes out front. Mark and Daniel were acting like they were best friends already. Chelsea was funny and super nice. I found myself really sad to go home when my parents showed up to introduce themselves formally. They brought with them some home made sugar cookies my mom had bakes that afternoon, and our parents made plans to all have dinner together later that week. Before I walked out the door, Chelsea pulled me into a big hug and said "Bye Chris! I love you!" 

     In that moment, my little five  year old heart fluttered in a way it never had before. My mouth went dry but I hugged her back and squeeked "I love you too!" All the adults "awww"ed at us, and we went home. That night, I dreamed about her. I woke up thinking about her, and I told myself that I would play with her every single day.