Winter Vacation | Teen Ink

Winter Vacation

January 14, 2015
By Alandry BRONZE, Gray, Maine
Alandry BRONZE, Gray, Maine
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Favorite Quote:
Be true to yourself


John and I always come out to our cabin on the little island for a weekend getaway every winter. Being out here on the island is so surreal. It's is so peaceful, poetic and quiet, tucked away from the busy world that surrounds our lives. We landed at the dock only a few hours ago, in the beginning of, what looked to be, a huge snow storm. We had hiked up the trail to our cabin, determined to carry everything in one trip, and we did. We had rushed to gather wood from the back shed and begin a fire. Now as I am sitting here curled up under a soft blanket, next to the wood stove, I look down at the open book in my hands. I realize I had been staring off into space, lost in thought. The couch I am sitting on, looks out through the half dozen large windows in front of me, and out on the little harbor of the island. The snow flakes are covering everything in site: every branch and every inch of ground accessible. I can hear the occasional crackle of wood from the fire and my golden retriever stretching out his legs. Even with the fire starting to warm the room, I can still see my breath when I breathe out. I look around the room; the furniture has a rustic look but it all fits so well together with the camp. The wooden walls, with the beams prominent from the ceiling. Across the room from me a broad wooden dining table is set up with six mismatched chairs. That's one of things I love about this place.
  John is sitting on the other end of the couch, head tipped back as he snoozes. His hands resting on my legs, laid across his lap under the blanket. The snow is coming down harder now but because of how early it gets dark now, it's not as easy to tell. Outside the house, all is quiet with the occasional whistle of wind through the tree branches. I can already picture the white wonderland we will find in the morning and Scout will hop through the snow like a kid in a candy shop, with his tail wagging. Dreaming about the fresh powder, I curl up next to John, who wraps his arms around me and we fall asleep. The next morning we wake up to a chilly room due to the fire going out. My eyes open first and as I roll over to look out the window, the bright white causes me to squint. I get up and start the fire up again. John rolls over and sighs, stretching his arms above his head. I look over at him and admire the sleep still in his eyes as he smiles back up at me.
Later we gear up to make a trek outside to enjoy the view. When I open the door, Scout rushes past me out into the white fluff that has covered everything. His ears are perked up with his tail going about a hundred miles an hour. Icicles have already formed on the corners of the house due to the bright morning sun. Our surroundings look magical, all crystal and untouched. The silence is deafening but peaceful and relaxing at the same time. We head down the familiar path that we know is there without having to check. Scout races on ahead, carrying a stick he dug up beneath the snow. I take Johns hand, and he looks over to me before pulling me in for a kiss.
When we get back from our walk, our cheeks are pink and our toes freezing. John brings some more wood in for the fire while I make us a small lunch with salad, cheese and crackers. We cuddle up on the couch under a couple blankets and enjoy each other's company. John and I have been dating for two and a half years and even know we never get bored of each other or run out of things to talk about. I'm in the middle of a sentence, telling him about the recent job I've been assigned at work, when he reaches out and takes my hand. I look up at him and smile quizzically. 
"Sophie you know that I love you, don't you?"
"Of course John. I love you too." He stands up and kneels down in front of me. My heart sped up so fast, I'm sure he could hear it. "I love you so much. I love the way that you twirl your hair around your fingers when you're nervous, and the way you laugh at bad jokes. I love how you get so lost in a book, and sing along to a song without realizing it..." My eyes start to tear up and I can't stop smiling. He pulls a small box out of his pocket and I cover my mouth with my hand.
"You make me a better person and I want to love everything about you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?"
I couldn't hold the tears back anymore. I leaned down and kissed him before wrapping my arms around his neck. He lifted us up and wrapped his own arms around me. "Yes, a thousand times yes!"


The author's comments:

A short story I wrote for a creative writing class. 


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