#FlashFictionMagic: Snowy Meadow

Fern looked through the car window at the snowy meadow where Dave’s best friend was unloading ski equipment from the trunk. This was Isaac’s big surprise for family fun on Christmas Day? 

She turned to Dave in the backseat beside her. “He does know I’m seven months pregnant, right? My balance is totally off. I am not getting on skis.” 

Dave grimaced. Fern knew he didn’t like having to push back against Isaac’s strong personality. “Well, maybe you could watch?” he ventured. “Pour the cocoa?” 

“Oh, really? You think I’m just going to stand there with a thermos and wait for you to get thirsty. It’ll have to be quick because I don’t see a bathroom and you know I’ll have to pee in ten minutes.” 

Dave’s frown deepened. Fern didn’t like creating tension between the guys, but sometimes it seemed like Isaac didn’t think. “I didn’t know this is what he had planned,” Dave said. “I’ll talk to him.” But though he looked through the window at his buddy, he didn’t budge. 

“Will you be doing that now?” Fern asked after a moment. “Look, I know he’s your wife’s brother, but –” 

“You’re my wife, Fern,” Dave said with a little chuckle, squeezing her knee. Just as she’d hoped, she’d loosened him up a touch with her attempt at humor. (Though, truly, what should she call Imogen? His first wife? His late wife? Grace’s mom? It was too complicated to come up with a new label after 20 years.)

“I’ll go out there. Wait here.” Dave opened his door, walked around the front of the car and approached his brother-in-law. After a moment, Isaac peered in the window at Fern, then motioned for her to open her door. 

“At Thanksgiving,” he began, pointing an accusatory finger. “You said not to treat you like an invalid!” 

“Well, yes.” She had banished both Dave and Isaac, as well as Grace and Ted, to the living room after they had all insisted she shouldn’t lift a 20-pound turkey. “But that was cooking, not a sport.” 

“And there’s a difference?” 

Fern looked at Dave expectantly, and he rolled his eyes.  “Look. You stay and ski. We’ll take the car, go look at decorations or something, and then you can text when you’re ready and we’ll pick you up.” 

“Where’s the family fun in that? First Grace goes off with that guy, and now you two are trying to get rid of me.” 

“It’s not you,” Fern deadpanned. “It’s me.” She paused. “And that guy’s name is Ted. You’ve known him for months at this point.” 

Isaac turned to Dave. “You were more fun when you were pining for her,” he grumbled.

Fern laughed, and a second later Dave and Isaac did too. Everyone knew that wasn’t true. 

“Fiiine,” Isaac whined.  “I’ll just ski all by myself.” 

Dave clapped him on the back. “Thanks, man.” 

“But don’t make out in my car.” Isaac shuddered. “The amount of kissing you people do is ridiculous.” 

“Fiiine,” Fern mimicked his whine, then swung her feet around to slowly climb out of the backseat to claim her place in the passenger’s seat. 

When she and Dave were alone again, she reached for her husband’s hand, and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks,” she said. 

“Of course,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to ski without you anyway. Plus, he’s annoyingly competitive.”

“And you’re not a good skier, are you?”

Dave scowled, but he was shaking his head. “How do you know that?” 

“Just fits with everything else I know about you.” 

“Is it wrong that I find your knowledge of my weaknesses incredibly attractive?” He leaned over, obviously planning a kiss. 

“Uh uh,” Fern said, holding up a hand. “He said no making out in his car.” 

“I’m not,” Dave said, cupping Fern’s cheek, and pressing his lips to hers. “I’m just… doing this. Besides, this is a company car.”

“Well, in that case.” Fern returned the kiss eagerly, and for several minutes neither came up for air.  When they did, they both looked quickly out the window for signs of Isaac. He was just a silhouette in the distance, gliding along on his skis. 

“It’ll be a while before he heads back this way,” Dave said. “And I don’t think we’ve kissed a ridiculous amount quite yet.” 

“Definitely not,” Fern said, and went right back to kissing her husband.