An Aurora Skies Christmas Romance Tale

Hero

7 years ago

Chapter 4

"Happy December 14th Mr. Hodge," Miriam greeted, like she always did, holding her gift out to him.

This time the man sighed, a faint smile creeping across his lips. "Thank you," he said, taking the gift. It was the first time he said that.
Miriam tried to control herself from bursting with excitement.

"Go ahead," she encouraged, "open it."
Mr. Hodge froze his look at her. "Now?"
"Yes!"
"Umm...ok." This felt awkward.

As he pulled the ribbon off and tore off the paper, Miriam took the trash from him and threw it away in the trash can. Looking inside the box and discovering a various array of contents, tilting the box this way and that, Mr. Hodge asked as she returned to him, "What is this stuff?"

Recognizing he didn't feel like digging through it, Miriam took the box from him and pulled out a squished black hat and a long, fluffy scarf that rested on top of the other things. "See?" she said, holding out the box closer so he could see. There were a few pieces of coal and a carrot at the bottom. He looked up and said, "I don't get it."
She chuckled. "We're going to build a snowman!"
"Whaaat?"
"Yeah! You need something to liven up your place out here."
He wanted to contest, but he knew she'd have some convincing reason for doing it that would make him change his mind.

"At least it's not Christmas lights and wreaths," she pointed out, practically reading his mind. She was good at that. "It's just building a snowman. Everyone does it. Even if they don't celebrate Christmas. It's true." She winked.
Shaking his head with a sigh he gave in and said, "Fine." I can't argue with this woman anymore and besides, I can always destroy it when she's not around and say it was the wind...

As Miriam squealed with glee she knelt down and began rapidly pulling a bunch of snow into a pile to form the base of the snowman. Mr. Hodge just stood and watched for a moment.

"This is silly," he said. "I haven't built a snowman since I was like...8."
"Really!?"
"It's a childish thing to do."
"It is not!" she retorted. "I've seen many adults build snowmen in my day. And you know Mr. Hodge, sometimes you need to do things that seem a little childish at times to take your mind off all of your adult responsibilities and stresses. It does wonders for your mental health. Reliving simpler times you know?"
He shrugged.
"I think you do...now come on!"
With a slight roll of his eyes, he finally joined in.

Together they worked to form a perfectly round ball, patting down each side until they both reached for one side at the same time and their hands inadvertently rested upon each other's...

Glancing up into the other's eyes for a moment, feeling a sudden surge of unknown energy penetrating into their hearts, they both removed their hands in unison. "Sorry," they said.
Miriam brushed her hair behind her ears, oddly trying to hide a blush when she found herself curiously asking the question, "Is that a wedding ring I felt on your finger?" It was his left hand that she touched and she was pretty sure it was on the ring finger.

Mr. Hodge instantly froze, his arms gradually dropping to his side as he shot a glowering look at her. Miriam gulped for a moment as her heart suddenly began to pound. She immediately regretted asking such a question and feared she may have just ruined everything. Quickly, she had to save this.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "That's really none of my business."

Mr. Hodge didn't nod, or even say a word as he finally released his intense gaze upon her and turned to start forming another ball for the midsection. Miriam let out a breath of relief.

For the next several minutes they worked in silence to finish up the body.

When they were done, Miriam took a long look at it and declared, "It's perfect! Now we just gotta dress it up."

She turned back to the present box. "Why don't you go fetch some sticks to be the arms and I'll get started on this stuff."
"I'm not a married man who ran out on his wife if that's what you're thinking," Mr. Hodge blurted out.
She froze, mid bend toward the box on the ground. "I...wasn't," she said, grabbing the coal and standing up.
"Good."

While placing the coal on the midsection to create the "buttons," Miriam grew thoughtful; trying to figure out a non-direct way to get him to open up. "It's funny," she started, "I didn't think you cared about what other people thought of you."
At that, Mr. Hodge shot a nasty look at her again as he turned away to go find some sticks.
Little did he know just how much she was smiling at him from behind.

When he returned with the sticks, he sighed before saying, "I usually don't care what other's think about me ok!"
"Ok," she accepted.
"It's just," he began, shoving the sticks into the snowman as if they were daggers, "you start coming along and talking to me and," he paused, "perhaps I'm starting to care about what you think."
Miriam smiled. Warmth filling up her heart. "Look Mr. Hodge," she said. "We all have a past...and some of it's too hard to talk about so, I get it. You don't have to explain anything to me if you don't want to."

Mr. Hodge was rather impressed by that comment. "Well alright then," he simply said.
"Yup!" she pretended to accept, even though she was crazy curious. "Now let's finish decorating this snowman because it's COLD out here!"

After Mr. Hodge brought out a broom to give it a final touch, Miriam clapped happily as she looked upon the finished snowman. "Aww, it's so cute! It turned out much better than I thought it would!"
"Yeah," he agreed, admiring it too.

"Well," Miriam sighed, rubbing her hands together and blowing her breath into them. "I best be on my way. My friend is waiting for me in his truck."
"Oh?" Mr. Hodge asked, glancing toward the road.
"Yeah. He's my ride over here every day."
"He?" he inquired. "Why hasn't he ever come to my door with you?"
"Well," she hesitated, "it was my idea to visit you like this and...I didn't want you to feel intimidated by me showing up with a guy."
"I wouldn't have felt intimidated."
"But...would you have been accepting of the two of us instead of it just being me?" she winked.
Thinking on that for a second, Mr. Hodge replied, "Probably not." Gosh she's good!
They both chuckled.

For a brief moment the two just stood there looking at each other, both lost in each other's deepest thoughts about the other. Mostly they studied each other's physical features, thinking that by so doing they could somehow dig up some more information about the other. They'd only just met and there was still a lot they didn't know, a lot they wished to know, but one thing was for certain, they'd begun to like each other and cherished their newly developed friendship.

"I guess this is goodbye then," Miriam spoke. "Until tomorrow...Mr. Hodge."

Even though the sun had fully set and there wasn't much light now, Miriam's beauty had shone out to the man's eyes like the sun on a hot Summer day.

"Yes," he whispered. "Until tomorrow...Miriam."

And with that, Miriam threw her coat back on which she hung onto a tree branch and ran back towards the road, while Mr. Hodge stepped back into the warmth of his home.

****

As the hours passed into the early evening, Mr. Hodge stepped outside to gather more firewood. It was still snowing and he gazed up at the sky, wondering if it would ever stop.

His eyes lowered taking notice of the snowman, it's hat and scarf now sprinkled with snowflakes, and he smiled. He couldn't find it in his heart to destroy it after all.

He headed over to the side of the house where the firewood was placed and before he started gathering a few logs, an interesting thought entered into his mind. There was a lovely blanket of untouched snow a few feet away, no footprints of any kind in it. It was calling to him, especially as he thought of Miriam's wise suggestion from before. Since her first daily visit he'd been feeling much different than he had in years and...it felt good. He wasn't sure how long it would last...

He wanted to taste some more of that goodness. He wanted to feel like a child again.

And amazingly, it really was quite therapeutic.

****

During that same time, back at Miriam's residence, Angelica pulled her friend to the side, away from the guys to share some new juicy gossip with her.

They giggled like teenagers after the revelation.

Then Miriam got serious and said, "You know...I've got some information you might find interesting."
"Oh?" Angelica anxiously inquired.
"Yeah. It's about Mr. Hodge."
"Oh really? Did you finally find out why he acts like the Grinch during this time of year?"
"No, but," she paused, "you know how we've always thought of him as this grumpy, old man?"
Angelica nodded.
"Well...after getting to know him a little better I don't think...he's really that old at all! Like...he's maybe only 10 years older than we are."
Angelica's brow furrowed. "Get out!"
"I'm serious!"
"How'd you come up with that conclusion?"

"Well," Miriam began, "we had a moment today where we were staring at each other and I noticed he doesn't have any facial wrinkles or any strands of white in his hair. He just looked...younger than I expected."
"Hold up," Angelica stopped. "You two were staring at each other?"
"Yeeeahh."
"And why was that?" she smirked.
Blushing she replied, "It's not what you think ok! It was one of those awkward moments...you know the kind."
"Mmm hmm," Angelica mumbled, observing. "Then why are your cheeks as bright as cherries right now?"
"Oh they are so not!!"
"Guuurrl they SO are!" she cried, playfully slapping her friend's shoulder. "Are you finally starting to indulge in some Chocolate?" She winked.

"Oh my gosh Angelica!" she cried with a gaping smile. "I'm not indulging in ANYTHING! I was just making an observation! Besides, I barely even know Mr. Hodge. He hasn't even told me his first name! And he's still a grump...which personality is totally not my type! So how is it even possible for me to be attracted to him? Especially with that hair!" she grimaced.

"Honey," Angelica began, "one does not need those kind of details to be attracted to someone. You know that! I mean, how many men have we picked up in the past at parties and bars who we didn't know from Adam and we still made out with them?"
Miriam lowered her head in slight shame over that reminder. "Ok, I see your point," she reluctantly said.
"Mmm hmm. So I don't care what you say girl! With you going around showing kindness to young Scrooge, apparently, and warming him up you are SO becoming the smitten kitten!"
"I am not!" Miriam declared, leaving the foyer.
"Yeah you just keep telling yourself that," Angelica called back to her.
"I don't need to..."

Whatever, Angelica thought with a snicker. She sure enjoyed teasing her bestie about guys. But then she thought deeper on the situation. Wait, WHY am I encouraging this? This IS Scrooge McHodge we're talking about. And him with Miriam? No way! In his DREAMS! I guess Miriam ISN'T smitten.

But then again why did it sure seem like in that moment she was?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

And because I have to be silly. 😁

I think Mr. Hodge is thinking something like this right now...
(Even if you don't like country music, give this a listen. 😊 One of my favorite songs by these guys!)