A Frozen Heart - Leo Valdez

Epilogue

Guys, I just want to say thank you for reading my story! You are all so amazing, the best readers and fans ever! Without you, I would have had no ambition to continue writing this story throughout. This journey has been so fun! SO THANK YOU AGAIN SOOO MUCH I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! 

~9 Years Later~

"Emmaline," I groan, trying to catch the toddler who continuously keeps running from me, screaming her head off down the aisle of groceries. I mean, I heard the terrible two's were- well, terrible... But this? I did not expect a devil child.

"Just a second dad," I say into my phone, squeezing it between my ear and shoulder while one of my hands grips the grocery basket and the other yanks the arm of the ginger haired girl. She giggles and despite my frustration, I smile too.

Giving Emmaline the 'I'm watching you look,' I direct my attention back to my father on the other end. "Corn, milk, eggs, got it. Yeah, be home by eight. Love you too. Bye."

Emmaline sits on the bottom rack under the grocery basket pretending to be in a spaceship. Her continuous screaming earns me stares from several other people in the store, most which I've never seen before who've come for the holidays.

The small town of Stillwater Minnesota is never this populated. Maybe it's the feet of snow which gathered people around from other states. I mean, who wouldn't want to be surrounded by zero degree weather and go sledding all the time?

I grab a mix of chocolate chip cookies from the shelves. "Ready to make cookies for Santa Claus tomorrow?"

"Santie!" She chants. "I wanna pony!"

"Haha, no."

After we check out, we move towards the exit of the store. A young man is already walking in, so he holds the door open for Emmaline and me.

I'm not looking up, too distracted by the little girl throwing yet another fit. It's not until the boy stops abruptly in front of me and clears his throat, when I notice the mistletoe above us.

Rolling my eyes and putting on a smirk, I look up at the boy whom I will have to kiss.

And freeze.

His curls have grown out. He's taller- stands at least two heads higher. He has finally built up his once scrawny self. He looks so different but so much the same.

Then the boy narrows his eyes and says the name I have not used in years. The name I left behind when I created a new life, the name that is now foreign.

"Chase?"