Page 16 of Holly Jolly

“Can you believe we are here? Together? I can’t be the only one thinking how insane this is?”

The car slipped down the long dirt road, leading into a field going for as long as the eye could see. We arrived at our final destination.

My heart pounded like it was going to beat out of my chest. Holly was just as beautiful as ever, as if no time passed between us and all the years of separation evaporated in a single glance. My hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, slipping because of the moisture. The sun started to set, and it was glorious. Red, orange, and yellow filled the sky, the distant horizon a beautiful blur of color.

“Do you recognize this place?” I asked.

We came to this location on the night of our first kiss, a secluded spot in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but grass and trees. We chose the spot when we were just young teenagers and dreaming of a future together, and now here we were, revisiting so many years later. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but the memories still fresh.

Even though there was no snow on the ground, the chilling temperature wouldn’t allow for us to enjoy this outside, so we stayed in my car as the sun began to set. When I looked into her eyes, my heart swelled. Finally, I could admit to her the truth; I had never stopped loving her, not for one day.

The look in her eyes changed then, from the distant nostalgia of our past to the anticipation of a new future. Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward and kissed her, just as we had done so many years ago in that same spot.

I might not be certain of many things in life, but fate brought us back together for a reason, and I wasn’t messing up this second chance. Holly would call the shots. Moving too fast could be detrimental to our future and having her this close to me again, I wasn’t willing to take that chance.

“I brought you here because of the memory. This was one of the best nights of my life still to this day and it’s my hope that what we have flourishes into something deep and meaningful.”

She deadlocked on me, biting her lower lip until a tinge of blood appeared. “I’m sure neither of us are the exact same person as we were back then, so taking the time to get to know each other is important. I still love you, Ethan, with all my heart, but there is always a chance this might not work out.” Her hands went between us. “If that happens, we need to make sure we are honest with each other, so we can remain friends. Having you back in my life… it means everything. Besides my parents, you were the only significant person in my life…”

Hearing her words broke my heart. She had been so alone since their death, and fear kept her from reaching out. She should never fear me. I wanted to be the person in her life that brought nothing but light.

“Our friendship is the most important thing to me and if at any point I don’t think we are on the same page, I am adult enough to tell you. No games over here.”

She put her head on my shoulder and we watched the sun dip below the horizon, hand in hand. In that moment, I knew that we had a chance to start again, and our reunion was more than just a moment of nostalgia. The world brought us together at the moment in time when we needed each other the most.

“Do you remember that first kiss we shared here?” I asked.

I smiled and leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was gentle and tender, filled with love and appreciation. When we pulled apart, we gazed into each other’s eyes, the love still strong and powerful. We watched the last rays of the sunset disappear, knowing that the moment was one that would be remembered for a long time.

Maybe Christmas miracles do exist…