One Snowy Morning

First meeting

The snow drifted down in the slight morning breeze as I walked through the park with my camera around my neck. I was trying to take some pictures for my photography final, and the park seemed like the best place to start since there were so many different types of walkways decorated with statues and poinsettias. The red petals gave a beautiful contrast with the white snow that I could accentuate later with some editing.

I crouched down next to a large group of poinsettias, and snapped a couple pictures before turning around and walking back down the path. As I walked around the bend, I paused when I saw a brother with his younger sister having a snowball fight. They seemed to be having a good time as they threw snowball after snowball at one another laughing and smiling.

The young girl seemed to be around the age of six or seven. She had long, wavy, red hair with bright green eyes and a wide smile. The green coat she wore enhanced her features that much more. Her brother, who I suspected was around my age, maybe twenty or so, wore a navy blue coat that was a sharp contrast to his black hair. He was taller, maybe around five ten, and looked down lovingly at his sister.

They did not seem to be aware of my presence, and they looked so adorable that I couldn't resist snapping a few pictures of them. I would walk over and offer to send them the photos I took, and if they didn't want to have their pictures taken, I would just delete them.

After snapping a couple of pictures from different angles, I made my way over to them with a friendly smile and light wave.

"Hi," I started to say and they looked my way, "I couldn't help but see how much fun you were having, and I took a couple pictures of you guys. I thought maybe you would want to see them, and I could send them your way if you like them."

"Oh!" the little girl said jumping up and down in the snow with a little difficulty with her heavy winter boots, "Can we see them Asher?"

"Sure, Carol" her brother said with a light grin, "As she already said, I'm Asher. It's nice to meet you."

He held out his hand, and I shook it while saying, "I'm Holly. It's nice to meet you too."

"I'm Carol," the little girl said as walked over with her hand held out, mimicking her brother.

I grinned and shook her hand, "It's so nice to meet you. Would you like to see the pictures? I can show you how the camera works."

"Yes please!" she said, clapping her hands, "Thank you for taking them."

I gave her a grin, and I showed her how to find and scroll through the pictures. I also showed her a few extra things like how to delete an unwanted photo off of the SD card to make her smile before I showed both of them the pictures I took.

"You are really talented," Asher said as he looked over my shoulder from his crouched position next to me so Carol could see the pictures, "Is this a hobby of yours?"

"I go to Rochester institute of Technology, and I'm majoring in photography. I've loved taking pictures since I was a kid," I replied as we looked through the last of the pictures I took.

My dad had said when I was little he got me a toy camera, and I took it everywhere with me. I always wanted to catch moments in time and save them later, and that was evident if you walked into my dorm room. I had strands of pictures clipped to clothes pins hanging above my bed and desk.

"Oh, cool. I go to RIT too. I'm a computer science major," he replied, "I'm only in the first year though." He stood up and offered me a hand, which I took gratefully, "What year are you?"

"I'm in my first year as well," I replied, "how are you liking it so far?"

"I'm loving it so far," he replied right before his phone started going off. "Sorry," he said, pulling it out of his phone pocket to turn it off, "that was my alarm for us to head home. Are you parked in the lot on the other side of the flowers?"

"Yes, I am," I replied as the three of us started walking in that direction along the path, "Can I get your number or email so I can send you these pictures once I get them off of my camera?"

"Sure," he said as he held out his hand, "Let me put it in your phone. It will probably be easier that way."

"Here you go," I said, handing him my phone, and as he put his number in my phone, I turned to his sister, "How old are you?"

"I'm six," she replied, holding up six fingers with a large smile, "I turn seven really soon though!"

"Oh, really?" I said smiling back at her because her simple was so contagious, "how soon?"

"I turn seven on the twenty eighth," she replied happily as we started to walk into the parking lot.

"Well aren't you a big girl," I said as I stopped next to my car and turned to Asher who handed me my phone back, "I'll send you the pictures when I convert and edit them."

"There is no rush, but I'm glad you took them," he replied and gave me a shy smile, "It was really nice to meet you, and maybe we could get lunch together in the cafeteria on Monday? It's kinda nice making a new friend."

"I'd like that," I said back, "I'm in class until noon, so we could meet at twelve fifteen if you're free?"

"Twelve fifteen works great," he said back, his shy smile turning into a happy one, "I'll see you Monday," he said, grabbing his sister's hand.

"See you Monday," I said waving at them as they walked away. A smile grew on my face as I started my car and drove back to my dorm.