A Winter's Tale (TWD)

A Winter's Tale

"It was three years ago. The winter was another harsh one. Yet again it was well below freezing and when the snow came you certainly knew about it. The way it would scour at your already raw skin after already being in the cold was enough to make anyone stay inside in the warms.

Yet the magical thing was - and that's the only way to describe it, yes, magical - once the wind rested and the snow stopped falling, if only for a moment, people would emerge wrapped in layers upon layers of clothing to combat the elements and would proceed to enjoy themselves. The air would carry noises of joy from husband and wife, father and daughter, mother and son, sister and brother.

Even the birds seemed to join in as they perched upon their branches singing a song only they could understand.

Now that it was Christmas Eve the wind only appeared to personify everyone's mirth and even those who had fallen over whilst skating had the biggest grins on their faces.

The palace stood great, proud and commanding behind us. Everyone around us was picture perfect, every single one of them. But that's not where our story starts. Oh no, for often the most interesting things are those that are not seen or explicitly mentioned.

Your mother and I were away from the hustle and bustle of the skaters. We had gone with the intention of skating with Auntie Connie and Uncle Daryl, but we had to stop. Your mama tried to hide what she was feeling but failed miserably.

She  could only just keep her balance, very out of character for an experienced skater like her, and whenever a child would bump into her I could see that it took everything in her not to fall over, on occasions having to reach out and grab my arm for balance. Then there was the fact that she was pale. Yes, her skin has always been compared to porcelain, but it lacked the light red blush that comes with the cold, rather than being filled with a deathly pale hue that made her look ill and masked her usual vivacious spirit that I so admire.

I let it go until she practically collapsed in my arms. After that I had to basically drag her off the ice for she didn't want to make a big deal of it, said she 'knew what it was' or whatever and that I needn't worry. But I did because she's my wife and I love her.

So there we stood, well, I stood. I had made mama sit down on a bench despite her best protests. She insisted that she could stand. Deep down I had no doubts that what she said wasn't true, but I wasn't going to let her stand nevertheless.

Anyway, there we were, separated from the others and surrounded by the bare structures if the trees successfully muffling the distant cries of joy and laughter coming from the skaters.

I questioned her about it, of course I did, though that didn't mean she answered. She can be quite stubborn when she wants to be. To anyone that could overhear the way I was speaking they would have been disgusted by the volume and tone of my voice, but I couldn't help it little one. I really couldn't. I was worried about your mother and she wasn't giving me any details that could help ease my nerves.

Eventually I guess she must have seen that the only way I was going to come out of the state I had worked myself up in was if I knew about what was going on.

She jutted her chin towards a tree branch and muttered something about 'ruining the surprise', but I couldn't care less what I had ruined. Besides, I found it infinitely cute the way she reacted, crossing her arms and and signing in defeat as if she were a child being scolded.

There was an envelope. A red ribbon ran through a hole in the corner and it had been tied to the branch, ensuring that nothing would knock the precious information off the safety of the branch and onto the wet snow that threatened to ruin whatever the envelope concealed. On the front red 'Merry Christmas Zeke', written of course in your mama's hand writing.

When I opened it the world seemed to stop.

I could no longer hear the birds chirping or the people's laughter. I could no longer see the blinding white of fresh snow around my boots or feel the bitter cold nipping at my fingers. The only the thing my brain could register was the increasing volume of your mother's footsteps crunching in the snow as she approached me, wrapped her arms around my waist and rested her head between my shoulder blades.

Part of me was irritated that she had stood up, but the the other part screamed at that side to be quiet as the pride and joy consumed every fibre of my being, all because of the black, grey and white lines in that small picture. All because of -"

"Me!"

"Yes, you my sweet darling girl. Now, do you think you can go to sleep now? If you don't, Santa won't come and you're going to have no presents"

"I can go to sleep now daddy, promise" she replied, nodding her head enthusiastically as if it in someway proved her point.

"OK Princess, I'll see you in the morning"

As Ezekiel exited the room the only sound that could be heard was the soft padding of his feet in the floor as he expertly dodged the toys they had left scattered around after the day's activities.

He pulled the door to, careful not to shut it fully so that their daughter could get to them in the night if she needed to. As he turned around he was met by the rather sleepy, but still grinning, face of Carol, his wife.

"What was it this time?"

"She said she couldn't sleep, so I told her a story. And how's the other one sleeping?"

"Not well" she replied rather flatly, as if she was fed up with it and wanted it over.

The smile on her face told him otherwise.

He placed his hands on her stomach, feeling the soft thump thump thump of their unborn child kicking beneath his palm. One second it went from the storm, the next it transitioned to the calm.

He chuckled as Carol rolled her eyes at him. Even with Sophia, their two year old, whenever he was near she would seem to calm down instantly after what felt like an eternity of being kicked in the ribs on Carol's part.

"Of course. Daddy's girl number two calms down for her father after I beg her for hours to give it a rest and let me sleep"

"It's because she knows better than to contend with her father. Count it as a good thing My Queen"

"Hmm. You said the same thing with Sophia, yet even as she was being born I swear you were creating a game plan of how to make me run after the both of you the most. What story did you tell her?"

"The best Winter's Tale to ever exist My Love"