54. Delia
Fifty Four
Delia
W inter reached out its bony white fingers last night and left four inches of snow. I hate winter’s ice-cold grip.
But there’s no school and I don’t have any immediate need to get out of my cozy bed. The bed is warm and soft like a cloud. I snake my arm from under the blankets and snag my phone from the nightstand before pulling the blankets up and over my head providing a cocoon of warmth around me.
I breathe in the smell of the detergent Gramps uses on the sheets and I close my eyes. The sound of the snowplow at the street pulls me back to consciousness. I groan and see that I have a new text message. I hope it’s from Langdon. But when I look at the screen, I see it’s from Miles.
“What’re you doing?” asks the text .
“Sleeping” I reply, sending him my middle finger as a symbol of my annoyance.
His response is quick. “Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to go sledding.”
I mock glare at my phone. “No,” I text.
“Alright. Well, Lyra and I are going sledding.” he replies with a wonky eyed smiley face. “See you soon!”
I groan, not wanting to leave my bubble of warmth. My bed hot pocket. “See you later” I reply with a grumble.
Then I see another text from Langdon.
“Missing you,” the message says.
I smile and reply, “Miss you, too” with a heart tacked on at the end.
“Whatcha doin’?” he texts. I grin.
“Sledding. We’ll pick you up on the way.”
“I don’t sled. I’m too old for that.”
“Pretty please. For me?” I respond.
“You kill me.” He sends a grimace emoji .
“Great, see you soon.” I respond laughing to myself.
“Hey, Mom?” I yell from my bed.
“What?” she hollers back from the kitchen.
“You wouldn’t happen to know where an old sled is?” I ask and wait in silence.
“Gramps says there’s one in the shed,” she yells up the stairs.
I jump out of bed and tug on Langdon’s sweatpants, cursing how chilly it is in my room. I slide into a sports bra followed by a hooded tee shirt, then pull on the biggest thickest socks I can find before scooting to the bathroom.
“What’re you doing?” Mom asks when I round the corner to the kitchen.
“Miles and Lyra are picking me up to go sledding.”
She beams at me. “That sounds fun. Call if you need anything.”
I kiss her cheek and snag a banana from the counter.
“Oh!” She taps my arm, “Gramps is out in the shed now, he said he’d leave it on the front porch for you.”
“Thanks,” I say on the way to the coat closet. I dig out one of Gramps too-big-for-me parkas and jam my hooded self into it.
I hear the familiar sound of a car inching its way down the drive. I tie a scarf around my neck and grab a pair of gloves and a hat. Sneakers will have to do because I don’t own a pair of snow boots. I stand on the front porch waiting for Miles’s car to pull up to the house. He parks and Lyra waves me over.
After the sled is in the trunk I hop in the backseat.
“Hey, mind picking up Langdon on the way?”
Lyra laughs. “Sure, why not? You two are so up each other’s butts lately. Can you even breathe without him?”
I smack her playfully on the shoulder. “Rude. We are not.”
Miles holds up his thumb and forefinger an inch apart as he pulls onto the main road. “You sorta are. Little bit.”
I laugh then swat at his hand. “What’s with that mammoth museum-quality sled you put in the trunk though? That thing is definitely not street legal these days.”
Lyra bursts out laughing at my shocked face. “Hey. It might be old but I bet it still works,” I protest as we pull into Langdon’s driveway.
“Yeah, maybe, if you’re looking for a death trap thrill ride. Hurry up and get your man.”
We’re at the top of an enormous hill. Lyra and Miles have small plastic sleds. Easy to handle and carry. Mine is something straight out of what I imagine the 1960’s. A proper toboggan. Wooden and heavy with weird skis on the bottom. It seats two. Langdon sits at the front and looks over his shoulder apprehensively at me.
“You getting on this thing or what?”
I bite my bottom lip. Langdon gives a little groan. “Is it safe? Why would Gramps even give me this thing? How do you steer it? How will we stop? It has skis for fucks sake, it’ll go forever.”
Langdon reaches his hand out. I take it and he yanks me down. “Get on and hold on. It’ll be fine.”
I straddle the sled. Langdon hauls each one of my legs up over his thighs. I scooch closer to him and wrap my arms around his waist, feeling terrified.
“Ready?” Miles asks from behind me.
“N—”
“Yes,” Langdon cuts me off.
Miles’s gloved hands land on my back and he starts shoving us forward. Lyra gets a running start and slides past us, on her belly, whooping and hollering with glee as she crests the hill and starts flying. And then, I feel weightless.
Langdon is screaming at me to hang on and I can barely see, the wind is whipping my face so brutally. Every lump in the snow jolts us. Every divot in the grass beneath the snow has my teeth snapping together.
“Don’t let go,” Langdon shouts.
But it’s too late. I lose my grip on him and I’m air born. Floating. Suspended for a moment. Weightless. And then I’m not.
I slam to the ground—the wind knocked out of my lungs momentarily. I can hear Langdon cursing. Shouting into the wind. He sounds far away. There’s snow in the collar of my jacket. My left hand is missing its mitten. The sky is a blinding white above me.
“Jesus, that was spectacular!” Miles’ face appears over mine, grinning. He pats my head. “You okay? ”
I shrug. I’m honestly not sure. Snow crunches in the distance, the sound getting closer and closer. And then, Langdon’s face hovers over mine, concerned.
“Why did you let go?” He asks. “Are you alright?”
Langdon helps me sit up, his expression a mix of worry and relief. I manage a weak smile, attempting to brush off the impact of the fall.
“I—I don’t know. It happened so fast,” I stammer, feeling a bit disoriented. Langdon examines me, checking for any signs of injury.
Lyra skids to a stop nearby, her laughter echoing through the winter air. “That was insane! You guys looked like you were flying!”
Langdon shoots her a playful glare, but his attention returns to me. “Seriously, are you okay?” he asks again, concern etched across his face.
I nod, doing a mental inventory of any aches or pains. “I think so. Maybe I should’ve held on tighter.”
Miles helps me find my missing mitten in the snow, and I pull it back on, grateful for the warmth. Langdon lets out a sigh, a mixture of relief and mild frustration.
“We should probably take it easy on the next run,” he suggests, casting a wary glance at the sled. “Or maybe skip it altogether.”
Lyra protests, “Oh, come on! It was just bad luck. We’ll be more careful next time, right?”
Despite the tumble, there’s a shared sense of exhilaration among us. I look up at Langdon, appreciating his concern. “I’m up for another try, but maybe we can go a bit slower this time?”
Langdon nods, a small smile returning to his face. “Slow and steady it is. We’ll make it down in one piece this time.”
***
“What’s everyone doing for New Year’s?” Miles asks as we load the sleds into the car with frozen fingers.
“Uh, nothing, my parents want to stay in and do a family movie night,” Lyra whines.
Miles gives her a pout.
Langdon looks at me then to Miles and Lyra. “Delia and I have a family party to go to.” In confusion, I slide my eyes to Langdon who just smolders at me like he’s hiding something. “Right, Delia?” He raises an eyebrow, his eyes locking onto mine, and I realize he might be playing along with some secret plan.
“Yeah, definitely. Family party,” I reply, my voice trailing off with uncertainty. Langdon’s mysterious demeanor makes me curious, but I decide to go with it.
Miles, catching on to the peculiar exchange, smirks. “A family party, huh? Sounds fun.”
Lyra, still pouting about missing out on a more exciting New Year’s Eve, chimes in, “Well, at least someone will be having a good time.”
With the sleds securely loaded, we pile into the car, the cold air outside making the warmth of the vehicle all the more inviting. Langdon shoots me a sidelong glance, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and I can’t help but smile. What? I mouth at him. He doesn’t answer, just pulls me to him.
As we drive home, I can’t help but wonder what kind of family party awaits us. Langdon’s secrecy adds an air of anticipation, and I find myself looking forward to a New Year’s celebration with a newfound sense of excitement. Whatever surprises await at this mysterious family gathering, I’m ready to embrace them with open arms. The car hums along the snowy roads, carrying us toward the promise of a memorable New Year’s Eve.
***
My phone pings as I set the final plate on the table for dinner with Mom and Gramps. I phish it from my back pocket.
A text from Langdon.
Tell your mom you’re going to Lyra’s for NYE and sleeping over. I’ll pick you up at eight.
I furrow my brow at the unexpected message, glancing up to find Gramps watching me from across the room.
“Um, there’s a last-minute plan at Lyra’s for tonight, and I’ll be staying over. Is it okay if I go? " I announce, trying to sound casual as I relay the information to Mom and Gramps.
Mom looks up, a hint of concern in her eyes. “Is everything okay? ”
I nod, doing my best to reassure her. “Yeah, it’s just a spontaneous get-together. Don’t worry, we’ll be safe.”
Gramps chuckles, “Ah, New Year’s Eve shenanigans. Who else is going?”
I shrug trying to think fast. “Just Lyra and me and she said maybe a couple of the swim team girls.”
With their hesitant approval, I send a quick confirmation to Langdon.
Done. See you at eight.
As I eat dinner with Mom and Gramps, my mind buzzes with curiosity about this impromptu plan. The prospect of spending New Year’s Eve with Langdon brings a mix of excitement and a rush of adrenaline. I wet my lips at the fluttery sensation in my belly.