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“Mom!” I laughed, running up to the porch of our old country-style home. My Mom had just gotten back from work and was sitting on the porch swing, swaying back and forth. She was bundled in her deep purple puffer jacket to keep her warm from the cold. It was winter, the middle of December.
I was the spitting image of my mother, with her long dark brown waves and hazel eyes. One time, when we surprised my dad with lunch at his office, we got mistaken for sisters. My dad was tall, with dark brown hair and green eyes. There were times when I was jealous of his eyes and wished I had his instead. They were such a beautiful shade of green.
“Hey, sweetheart, are you ready to celebrate your birthday?” I was beaming from ear to ear at her as she stood up from where she was swinging, and I jumped into her arms, hugging her tightly. She smelled of warm vanilla and coconut, and I inhaled deeply at the nape of her neck as we embraced.
Today was my fifteenth birthday.
“Where are we going?” I asked, releasing her from my grip and knocking the snow from my boots before moving to open the door to the house.
She hummed, “You pick the restaurant; it’s your birthday, after all. Whatever you want.” She held the door after me, and we both made our way inside.
Our home was warm and inviting after being out in the blistering cold for so long. My cheeks were numb and pink from the wind. I loved being out in the snow, though, sledding down the giant hill to the side along the side of our house. Usually, I go tubing with my friends at a ski slope, but I wanted to spend the evening with my parents. It was my golden birthday today, and I wanted it to be special with them.
After kicking off my boots and pulling off my gloves, I ran to my bedroom to change for dinner. This time, I wanted to go into the city for dinner, walk the skyway, and enjoy the city in the snow. One of my close friends, Amy, told me about a fondue restaurant that her parents took her to for her last birthday, and it sounded incredible. There is just something about melted cheese that warms me from the inside out.
I rummaged through my closet for something to wear. I wanted to look nice but not overdressed, especially since it was the middle of winter. I was better off with jeans than a dress. The only downside of having a birthday in December is that you couldn’t really get away with wearing dresses—at least not here in Minnesota.
Settling on a pair of clean denim jeans, a dark brown t-shirt, and a khaki cardigan, I ran out of my room and down the hall—hearing my Dad’s deep voice rumbling from the entryway.
“Dad!” I wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.
“Hey pumpkin, happy birthday.” He leaned down and kissed me on the top of my head, rubbing my back with his hand.
“I know where I want to go for dinner. I want to go into the city to the fondue restaurant that Amy’s parents took her to last year.” I grinned as Mom entered the living room just off the entryway. Leaning against the door frame, she crossed her arms.
“Alright, grab your jackets, and let's go,” my dad said as he dropped his briefcase next to the long table in the entryway.
I hurried to grab my dark navy puffer jacket, putting it on as I headed back to my parents. Pausing in the doorway of the living room, my heart swelled. They were both standing in front of the door, my mom beaming up at my dad, and he returning a smile of a similar nature. I couldn’t help but stand there and watch them. They were so in love with each other — something I hoped to one day find and have for myself.
My Mom would always read me fairy tales before bed when I was a child. The ones where Prince Charming comes to save the princess, and they fall in love and live happily ever after. I would dream of my prince charming and hope to one day find him. Now that I’m in my teens, that dream has slightly changed, but I still hope to find my happily ever after.
She always told me that she and my Dad met at a bar, and it was love at first sight for them. He knew he would never be able to let her go, and she knew that she would never find a man as charming and caring as him. The two of them had me about a year later. I love my parents and would do anything for them. We had the picture-perfect life—the kind of life that you only find in stories.
I cleared my throat and made my way to the front door, where they were still wrapped up in each other.
“Okay, break it up. I know you love each other, but… Gross.” I waved my hands at them, shooing them out of the door and into the cold winter evening. They both rolled their eyes at me, and my Dad closed the door behind us and locked it before following us to the car.
We didn’t come into the inner city often. During the week, traffic here was terrible, and just navigating around here, in general, was chaotic. But for my birthday, they would take me anywhere I wanted. We parked in a ramp close to the restaurant but not close enough that we could simply walk the snow-covered sidewalks. So, instead, we took the Skyway route.
The Minneapolis skyway was convenient and a great way to see the city. Most of the buildings were interconnected through the skyway, and depending on the time of year and the season, it was nice to just walk through them and see the city from a few floors up instead of on the ground level. It also cut out having to battle traffic and cross streets.
I stopped halfway down one of the walkways and just admired the city street below—the fresh snow covering the ground and blanketing the city in white. I was never a fan of the cold itself, but the snow was beautiful, and I always appreciated having such a dramatic change in seasons.
Arriving at the restaurant, we were seated in a booth and looked over the menus. I already knew what I wanted—the only thing on my mind was cheese. Of course, I was going to have the chocolate for dessert, but for the main course, I just wanted the cheese fondue. My parents laughed when I ordered for us and were a little disappointed that we were skipping the main course dishes for just cheese and chocolate.
“Chyler, you could at least order one main course.” My Dad pushed.
“If I do that, then how will I fit in the dessert?” I patted my stomach and laughed. I loved chocolate and was not about to pass up an entire pot of it in melted form.
“Why don’t you order your cheese and chocolate pots, and your Dad and I will get one of the main courses. You can take a break between the two while we enjoy a proper dinner.” Mom, ever the voice of reason, smiled at me.
“Fine, I suppose I can take a break between courses.” I sighed and crossed my arms, sitting back in the booth. I wasn’t upset about it, but I also wanted to see the Christmas lights before we went home.
“Great, go ahead and order for us, honey.” She looked over her menu to my Dad, who gave her a single nod, picked out their main course pot, and placed their order with the waiter.
After we finished our meal, we wandered the skyway to see all the Christmas lights around the city. Some buildings had beautiful light displays with trees, various figures of reindeer, and presents. One of them had a giant round ornament you could walk inside and be bathed in a dome of light. This was my favorite time of the year, not just because of my birthday, but also because of the weather and the holidays. It was the perfect month.
After an hour of roaming the skyway, we got back to the car, and my Dad blasted the hot air to warm us up. Even being bundled in layers of clothing and thick down jackets, it was still hard to keep warm outside. I was shivering while the car heated, snuggling deep into my jacket. It was about ten degrees out tonight. It has been a lot colder than this and will be come January, but still… ten degrees is freezing for anyone.
