Walking down the main street of Snowmass, Liz looked all around, taking in the city and the snowy world so unlike her hometown of Roswell. It was dark and cold out with starts twinkling above her head like candles far off in the distance. She could see her breath like a cloud of fog when it puffed out from her mouth. The entire town had a small town feel to it, much like Roswell did. But Roswell was definitely a tourist trap while Snowmass was a ski town. The street she was walking along with Max, Maria, Michael, Isabel and Alex was old-fashioned, with cobblestone sidewalks and lamps that looked like oil lanterns spaced out along the edge of the street. The shops were narrow and close together, obviously space was of much more concern in Snowmass. In Roswell there was always more desert to spread out into. Many of the large storefront windows were decorated with evergreen or garland and Christmas lights added a festive glow to the shops. Liz couldn’t believe how beautiful the town was. And how cold.
She shivered a little as a slight breeze managed to touch her neck between her hat and the scarf she’d wrapped around her throat. She wore one of Max’s leather jackets over her sweater and jeans, which he had insisted she borrow since she didn’t have a jacket heavy enough. She really hadn’t been prepared for a snowy environment and the leather helped to cut down on the wind chill factor. Her sneakers had very little traction on the ice, but thankfully they hadn’t had to cross any areas not plowed or salted down. She reveled in the feeling of Max’s jacket on her shoulders. It was heavy, but she knew that the weight wouldn’t bother him because he had such strength in his broad shoulders. Those same shoulders had stretched out the jacket and made it hang on her slim form, but she didn’t mind. The soft lining inside was well worn and smelled like Max, a heady scent she breathed in each time her lungs expanded.
Max caught her shivering and he drew her closer. He put his arm around her shoulders, casually pulling her against him. She moved naturally, slipping her arm closest to him around his waist and her other hand burrowed into the closest pocket of his own jacket. As awkward as walking could have been with them standing so close, Max found no trouble moving. Having Liz next to him so that he could feel how slender she was and how her narrow hips occasionally bumped into him was a sensation he would never trade. She tucked against him perfectly, filling every gap, every space. They looked at each other briefly and smiled without saying a single word before they continued to follow the rest of the group.
The ice rink had closed at ten and they were slowly making their way back to the resort they were staying at. Isabel had insisted that they needed to walk through this section of town because she loved the decorations up for Christmas. Max remembered that when they were younger he, Isabel and their parents would constantly tread these streets on their annual trip to Snowmass. He and Liz were walking in the back of the group, with Maria and Michael leading the way and Isabel ad Alex in the middle. Max saw by the way that Michael kept glancing at Maria that he wanted to reach out and take her hand. Michael was very careful about concealing his thoughts, but Max wasn’t fooled. He knew Michael’s fear about having any kind of relationship with the girl who had clearly etched a spot in his heart. It had been the same kind of fear he had had with Liz. He also knew that Michael would have to come to terms on his own and would have to realize that he was worthy of Maria.
Max decided he would try to talk to Michael later and push him, just a little, in the right direction. He turned his gaze to Isabel and Alex and couldn’t help but grin at them. They weren’t standing nearly as close as he and Liz were, but their distance was also not that of Maria and Michael. Isabel had her arm loosely linked with Alex’s, which could have easily been a friendly gesture. But Max saw the tilt of Isabel’s head, the way her body was turned towards Alex and how her head moved to look at him every few seconds, just to insure that he was still next to her. He knew that Isabel had told Alex about her dreamwalking and he also knew that a heavy weight had been lifted from her mind. Isabel was good at hiding things that bothered her, but Max could still read his sister clearly. Max felt Liz pulling him away gently to look in the window of a bookstore and he followed willingly. She was studying a volume of books, hard bound and wrapped in a set. Liz smiled a little sadly as she looked at Max.
“My Grandma used to read me those books. I always looked forward to when she would come and tell me another story about Anne of Green Gables, Lover’s Lane, Avonlea or the Lake of Shining Waters,” she said wistfully. Max nodded, understanding her sadness. He knew that Liz missed her grandmother terribly and that even the little things like books would suddenly bring back a memory.
“But I’ll always have the memory of her telling me the stories,” Liz said, finally smiling at him. He was about to respond when a voice from behind interrupted his thoughts.
“Max? Max Evans?” the voice was filled with disbelief and curiosity as he turned to look. It was a young woman who spoke, someone who looked and sounded familiar. She was tall, in her mid twenties with long blond hair in a ponytail. Her eyes lit up as he turned and a smile widened across her face. Max knew that she was familiar and he struggled to remember who she was. Suddenly, it dawned on him and he couldn’t stop the grin on his face from forming.
“Chris?” he asked, almost positive of who she was, but still wanting to be sure. She nodded eagerly and he walked up to her, giving the woman a hug. She laughed and hugged him back. Liz trailed closely behind; extremely curious about who this woman was and how Max knew her. The rest of the group had backtracked when they realized that Max and Liz were no longer following and Liz turned as Isabel sucked in her breath quickly. Max stepped back from Chris and she caught sight of Isabel, her eyes widening.
“Izzy!!” Chris said, her voice practically a pitch away from a shriek.
“Chris!!” Isabel replied, letting go of Alex’s arm and running towards Chris. The two women began to giggle and laugh as they hugged and Max watched them with a grin. Michael just rolled his eyes.
“Great. They’re doing the girl thing,” he muttered. Maria shot him a dark look and punched his arm. He shot her an innocent grin and she glanced at him pointedly. Isabel and Chris finally broke apart and Max pulled Liz over to the tall woman.
“Chris, this is my girlfriend Liz Parker and some friends of Isabel’s and mine, Alex Whitman, Maria DeLuca and Michael Guerin. Guys, this is Christine Kelly. She used to baby-sit Isabel and me when we were younger and our parents would go out for the night when we came here on vacation,” Max introduced as he automatically stepped next to Liz and reached for her hand. She beamed at him; thrilled beyond belief that Max had introduced her as his girlfriend without a second thought. Everyone exchanged their hellos and then Chris turned her gaze back to Max and Isabel.
“I can’t believe how much you two have grown since I last saw you,” she marveled.
“Well, that was four years ago, wasn’t it?” Max asked. Chris nodded thoughtfully.
“Yeah, I guess so. When I went off to college my break was cut down so much and it was scheduled so different than the usual. And, by the way, it’s Christine Kelly-Williams now,” Chris said, holding up her left hand to reveal a gold wedding band.
“Congratulations,” Isabel said.
“That’s not even all of it. My husband’s around here somewhere, otherwise I’d introduce him and my daughter Julia. Two months old on Christmas,” Chris said, practically beaming.
“Wow, lots has happened in just four years,” Isabel commented. Chris turned her appraising eye on her previous charges.
“I’ll say, but I think you two have changed more than me. I almost didn’t recognize you Max, with how tall and handsome you’ve gotten! Don’t blush Max, I’m sure all the girls have noticed, right Liz?” Chris said wryly, catching Liz’s eye and winking. Liz smiled and held Max’s hand a little tighter, instantly liking the woman. Chris focused her eyes at something around Max’s neck and she leaned closer. He looked down at what she was looking at and smiled, bringing his hand up to pull the leather string and pendant out from underneath his shirt.
“Is that what I think it is?” Chris asked. Max nodded as she studied the tightly braided leather band and the round metal piece.
“Yeah, it is,” Max replied. Liz looked closer and saw that the metal piece was a charm of some kind and the leather strands were so tightly plaited together that they looked like a single piece. She’d noticed him wearing the necklace before, but she’d never asked where he’d gotten it.
“I can’t believe you still have that,” Chris whispered. Max looked surprised at her words, turning his eyes to hers.
“Of course I do. You made it for me,” Max replied. Chris softened at his words and touched his arm.
“Still the quiet charmer, I see,” she said with a dimpled grin. Chris turned her attention to Isabel and whistled loudly. Isabel smiled with confidence and turned around in a circle as Chris directed her to.
“My, my, look a you! Isabel, shouldn’t you be a model? You and Max look so different! You’re making me feel old!” Chris said, only partially kidding. She brightened instantly.
“Where are you guys staying? Still at the Chalet? I’m not surprised; your parents always loved it there. I need to find my husband and you should probably be getting back to the resort, it is getting late,” Chris pointed out, unable to resist. Isabel rolled her eyes.
“Chris! We’re 16 years old, we can stay out past ten!” Isabel replied. Chris laughed and waved as she backed away from the group.
“It was nice to meet you all! I’ll definitely see you later!”
The six teenagers waved as Chris turned and walked down the street. Isabel and Max shared a grin as they remembered the fun they’d had with Chris when they’d been kids. After she disappeared from sight the group turned and continued down the road to the resort.
It was just past one in the morning when Liz shifted restlessly in her bed. Maria mumbled a little in her sleep next to her and Liz sighed. She wished sleep would come to her. She and Maria were sharing one of the rooms, with Isabel in the other. Through the partition door Michael had claimed the sofa in the guy’s room with Max and Alex each getting the other rooms. Alex had offered several times to trade with Michael, but he had been steadfast in his insistence that the sofa would be just fine. Just before midnight they’d all said goodnight and retreated to their separate rooms and Liz had lingered at the door, looking at Max longingly at the other side. She knew that their parents trusted them to be responsible and that they would be more than a little upset at the notion of her and Max merely sleeping together. That’s all it had been the night before, just sleeping and resting together. Yet, she didn’t really care what her parents thought.
She’d watched Max shuffle back to his room, his feet practically dragging and Liz had to practice some serious resistance not to follow after him. When everyone was in their assigned space they’d left the door between the two rooms open, still wanting that added closeness that came with the knowledge that there were friends a shout away. Liz sat up in bed and moved her feet over to the floor. She wore flannel pajamas and heavy socks to keep warm and she put her feet quietly on the carpeted floor, not wanting to wake Maria or Isabel. She couldn’t sleep and she thought that maybe a glass of water would help. In the back of her mind she acknowledged that a part of her knew why she couldn’t and didn’t want to sleep. Max was much too far away.
Her entire body felt like she needed to have him next to her, sharing his warmth all around her body. She longed to have his arms around her and his head resting on her shoulder so that she could feel the softness of his hair against her ear. She closed her eyes and remembered how her legs had tangled up with his the night before and how wonderful it had been to wake up and see his face as the first thing her eyes focused on. Liz sighed and placed her glass back on the counter, casting a glance at the open door. He was probably sound asleep, not even giving her a second thought. Besides, what would their parents say? Liz angrily shoved those thoughts away, determined not to feel guilty about something that hadn’t even happened. They had only slept and she didn’t understand what was wrong with that. Certainly not when her entire body and soul felt at rest with Max next to her. She was about to return to her own bed when a sound from the guy’s room caught her attention. It sounded like the sliding glass door that led out onto the balcony was closing, but Liz was puzzled. It was cold and snowy and one o’clock in the morning.
Who would go outside?
Liz poked her head through the doorway separating the rooms and looked towards the balcony. She smiled when she realized it was Max, standing outside with a blanket around his shoulders. She knew he still had to be cold. He’d only worn a t-shirt and sweatpants to bed and even the heavy blanket probably wasn’t enough. Quietly walking past Michael sleeping on the couch, she opened the sliding door and stepped through. The biting cold shocked her a little and she hugged her arms around her body. Max finally turned around to look at her and he smiled. Without a word he opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, bringing the blanket around them both. She was instantly warm as she pressed her face against his chest and brought her arms around his waist.
“Isn’t it a little late for stargazing?” Liz asked curiously. He chuckled a little, a sound she could hear deep in his chest.
“I couldn’t sleep,” Max replied.
“Me either,” Liz said honestly, looking up at him. His eyes softened as she gazed at him unflinchingly and they made a silent decision at that moment.
“I don’t think I can sleep knowing you are only thirty feet away and not right next to me,” Max replied, bringing one hand up to caress her face. Her cheek tingled where his warm hand touched her and she leaned up to kiss him tenderly. It was a brief and gentle touch, but not one either was quick to end.
“I know what you mean. Maria’s kind of a blanket hog and she doesn’t keep me as warm as you do,” Liz replied, her voice a whisper.
“What about our parents?” Max asked, his voice giving away a little concern over what they were deciding.
“We aren’t doing anything wrong. I know that it wouldn’t seem that way to them, but I refuse to keep my distance from you at any time, whether I’m awake or sleeping,” Liz said, her voice full of conviction. Max finally smiled and nodded, coming into agreement with her.
“We can go inside in a minute. I was just thinking about Chris before you came out,” Max said, returning his eyes to the sky. Liz silently let him continue; knowing that he needed her to listen more than to respond.
“She was the first person to teach Isabel and me about being human. We were found in the summer and when we started school that fall we stuck together like glue. Besides, kids at the age of six are so caught up in their own groups that it would have been hard for us to break through those barriers even if we’d wanted to. In December our parents brought us up here and would hire Chris to baby-sit a few times during the two weeks we were here. She was 12 and I think she had more fun playing with us than her own friends. We played tag, she taught us to build a snowman and Isabel learned how to make snow angels. She made hot chocolate for us and tucked us into bed, usually carrying us because we’d fallen asleep in front of the TV. Our own parents were great, but Chris understood us a little better because she was still a kid too. Each year we came back and each year we spent more time with her. She never tired of playing with us and when we came here four years ago and found that she couldn’t make it home from college Isabel cried and moped for a week. I moped too, but we learned to play the games she’d taught us even without her. I’ve always kind of wondered if I’d ever see her again. Five years ago, the last time we saw her, she gave me this,” Max said, gesturing to the necklace he wore. Liz nodded and looked at it closely, noting how he’d obviously worn it often over the year.
“I can tell she means a lot to you both,” Liz finally said. Max nodded.
“She was the first real connection that we made with someone other than our parents. She taught us how to have fun and how to just be kids even though we still wondered about exactly what we were. Chris playing with us is one of the first memories I have, since I don’t remember anything before we came out of the pods. That and you, of course,” Max said, his brown eyes turning back to her. She saw the happiness in them and knew he could see the same in hers. Without another word Max led her back into the room and towards his room. Her heart started to pound a little as he led her through the doorway and over to the bed. She knew she had no reason to be nervous, they’d both silently agreed that their newly decided upon sleeping arrangements had nothing to do with sex. She thought maybe it wasn’t that she was nervous, but more that she was anticipating the moment when she would be laying in Max’s arms and she would hear him release a deep breath just as he fell asleep. She heard such peace in that sound and it made her happy to know that she could help bring that to him.
Max pulled back the covers and put the blanket from around her shoulders onto the bed in case they got cold. He laid down and held open the sheets for her. Without hesitation she climbed in and he pulled the covers over them both, his arm staying around her. In the darkness she could still see his eyes, staring at her as he got comfortable. She reached up and held his face in her hands, kissing him gently.
“Goodnight Max,” she whispered.
“Goodnight Liz,” he replied. Liz smiled at him before moving to her side, facing away from him. She thought maybe he could read her mind as he came up behind her and spooned against her back. Her entire body hummed with warmth as he brought his arm around her waist, his hand coming to rest on her stomach. His fingers opened and gently touched her flat stomach before she brought her own hand to cover his. She did realize that if Max touched her too much that their “just sleeping” agreement could change. She didn’t fear that change, but she didn’t know if they were ready for it. As Max cuddled up behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder and his feet rubbing against hers, she sighed with content. She finally felt the tendrils of sleep entering her mind as Max’s warmth spread all around her and as he gathered her as close to him as he possibly could. Sleep finally came to them both, as they lied wrapped up in each other.
