The Last Snow Day

“The foot bone’s connected to the…”

“… leg bone!”

“The leg bone’s connected to the…”

“… knee bone!”

“The knee bone’s connected to the…”

“…thigh bone!”

“Doin’ the skeleton daaaaaaaaance.”

         David smiled; the cheerful voices of his wife and daughter performing their usual dressing-up ritual, always a soothing balm to his restless soul. In a minute, his little angel would come bounding into his study; nothing but a bundle of layered pink wool and fake fur with just a hint of her cherubic features peeking out from the hoodie and ear muffs. He’d listen to her excited garble about seeing the ‘Snow Queen’ today, and he’d indulge in her fantastical tales, before smothering her (or was it the other way around?) with kisses in farewell.

         At the doorway, his Emily would watch their performance with a wistful smile on her visage. Her hazel eyes would lock with his, and in that brief moment, both would swallow the painful understanding of how precious these moments truly were for them as a family. One had to cherish every moment after all.

         “Are you okay, Daddy?”

         David would jerk out of his reverie to stare into the concerned features of his five-year-old daughter.

         “Why do you ask that, sweetie?”

         There seemed to be a moment of indecision to flicker within her brown eyes before she shook her head to place another gentle kiss on his cheek.

         “Nothing, Daddy. We’ll be back soon, okay? I love you.”

         Her tiny arms could barely wrap around his shoulders, but he did it for both of them anyway. He inhaled her as one would lust for the last breath of oxygen before suffocation, and it was with regret that he finally released her.

         “Have fun, sweetie.”

         “Come on, Angie,” Emily chimed in. “Let’s leave Daddy alone so he can get his work done, hmm?”

         It wasn’t until he heard the front door closing behind them, did he finally move toward the wall window. His arms worked slowly but carefully, making sure the wheels of the chair did not bump into anything.

         After the car accident, a lot of changes had to be made around their home, with one major adjustment being his once secluded office. Unable to spend as much time outdoors as he used to, a large wall window now took up a side of the room. It made his backyard a natural television with a breathtaking view of the acres of land now painted white with Nature’s icy brush strokes. Stark trees dotted the horizon like skeletal sentries, and in the distance, the lake remained an icy sheet that could sparkle rather prettily under the right amount of cold sunshine. Beyond that, the horses on Morrison’s farm wandered lazily; their occasional neigh of content seeping through the blissful stillness of winter.

         The quiet scene would be disturbed with his little girl darting into view; her tiny hops leaving sunken foot prints in the four inches that had fallen overnight. At the moment, it was only a light snow fall, one which had her giggling and lifting her head to the heavens as if to receive its blessings. Her pink tongue stuck out and she had a taste, only to squeal in ‘disgust’ at how cold it was while encouraging Mommy to do the same thing.

         He helped himself to a cup of tea as he watched them begin to build a snowman. This time, they had come prepared with some of David’s old clothing. When it was completed, David chuckled at the misshapen blob now dressed in a black felt hat, a checkered red and black scarf and a pair of glasses he no longer needed. The trio posed for a selfie, and David made a mental note to have that blown up and hung on…

         …where exactly?

         That’s right, David, came the quiet voice he had thought he could finally get rid of. You never did get that selfie, did you?

         Stop it, he pleaded as his hands trembled.

         You could only sit there and watch. Sit there, with your useless legs and watch your wife and daughter get mau-

         “Stop!” he bellowed into the emptiness; the shattering sound of glass against wood evidence of his ‘tea’ spilling before the overwhelming stench of whisky assailed his senses.

         He waited with bated breath for the taunting and was grateful for the silence he received.

         It had all happened so fast. So damn fast. No one even had a chance to -

         Outside, dusk hovered impatiently over an autumn landscape. The trees still held onto their sepia leaves for warmth, the lake shimmered with untapped liquid diamonds, while Morrison’s horses neighed into the cacophony of the flight of geese heading for warmer sanctuary.

         His arms worked slowly and carefully as he moved away from the view; the wheels whining against the wooden floor as he sought solace in the darkness.

         In a few hours, he would open the door to his study and watch them bound into their home with flecks of snow in their hair and on their boots; both flustered and flushed with the cold and with smiles of happiness on their features.

         He would then hug them so tight, oh yes, he would, and this time, he’d be sure to let Emily know that his so-called research project could wait, for sharing the memories of their very last snow day, was all that had ever truly mattered.




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Word Count: 903
Written For: "The Writer's Cramp" 
Prompt: Please write a story or poem that has the title: "The Last Snow Day". Also, please select "Nature" as one of your genres.