Chapter Twenty-One
T he wind is icy cold as I step out of my final exam. The weight of the semester lifts from my shoulders, replaced by a rush of relief and anticipation. Winter break is just around the corner, and soon I’ll be heading back to Arizona. But before that, I have one last thing to do—turn in my final article for the school newspaper.
I make my way across campus, the crunch of snow under my boots a reminder that winter is here and with it the end of the semester. The student center is busy with activity as everyone prepares to head home for the holidays. I push open the door, warmth enveloping me, and head straight to the newspaper office. The faster I get my story in, the faster I’m on break.
“Hey, Hailey!” Kevin, my editor, greets me as soon as he sees me. “Got your last article?”
“Yep, right here,” I say, handing over the flash drive. “I hope it’s good enough.”
Kevin takes the flash drive and plugs it into his computer. “I’m sure it’s great. You’ve done an amazing job this semester. Enjoy your break, you’ve earned it.”
“Thanks, Kevin. You too.” I give him a little wave goodbye and make my way back out of the office and weave my way through the student center. With my final task done, I head to the hot chocolate stand where Ryan and I agreed to meet. I’m torn between being elated to be finished with school for a while (and warm weather!) and sadness over being separated from Ryan. The thought of not seeing him for a few weeks feels wrong, but my parents would flip out if I missed a second holiday. And even though as much as I complain to Kelsey about my parents, I do miss them.
I turn the corner and spot Ryan waiting near the stand, his hands shoved deep into his coat pockets. He smiles as soon as he sees me, and my worries start to melt away.
“Hey, you,” he says, pulling me into a warm hug. “How’d your last exam go?” he asks before planting a quick kiss on my lips.
“It went well. And I just turned in my last article before the break to the paper, so I’m officially done for the semester.”
“Look at you! Officially finished with your first semester of college. I think I should buy you a treat.”
We order our hot chocolates and find a quiet spot to sit that’s had the snow dusted from it. The campus looks beautiful, blanketed in snow, with students walking around, full of excitement for the upcoming break.
“So, I guess this is it,” I say, trying to keep my tone light. “Winter break is here.”
Ryan nods, his expression serious but his features soft. “Yeah, it is. But it’ll be okay, Hailey. We will be okay,” he uses his fingers to gesture back and forth between us, “It’s just a few weeks.”
“I know,” I say, sighing. “It’s just… I’m going to miss you.”
He reaches across the table and takes my hand. “I’ll miss you, too. But it’s just a few weeks. I’ll send you pictures of animals, you’ll remind me what the warmth of the sun feels like. We can FaceTime when you’re alone in your bedroom…” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, making me laugh.
“You’re right. I’m just being silly. We’ll be fine and the break will go by before you know it and we’ll be back here getting hot chocolate.”
“Absolutely,” he says, squeezing my hand. “And when you get back, we’ll have so much to catch up on. I’ll tell you all about how boring my time at home was without you.”
I scoff, pretending to be annoyed. “I better hear about your time at the farm in real time, not a catch-up weeks later.”
We sit there, drinking our hot chocolate, each mentioning a few plans for the break and reminiscing about the past few months. Before I even realize it, time has flown by, the sun is starting to set, casting a golden glow over the snowy landscape and causing the temperature to drop.
As we leave the student quad with the hot chocolate stand, Ryan stops and looks around, a playful glint in his eye. “You know what we haven’t done yet?”
“What?” I ask, curious.
“Had a proper snowball fight,” he says, scooping up a handful of snow and tossing it lightly at me.
I laugh, scooping up my own handful of snow. “You’re on!”
Being from Arizona, my snowball fight experience has been limited. Ryan, on the other hand, has had a lifetime of practice, and it shows. He makes snowballs faster than I can, hurling them near me but not pegging me with them. He’s being easy on me, and while I appreciate it, I want a real snowball fight. I spend the next few minutes working on making as many snowballs as I can before taking up a position and firing them at him. We spend the next ten minutes running around, laughing, and throwing snowballs at each other. Our playful shouts and tackles pierce the cold air leaving us as the only two people left in the quad. Ryan tackles me gently into a snowbank, and we both collapse, breathless and laughing.
“Okay, okay, you win,” I say, my cheeks flushed from the cold and excitement.
He grins, leaning in to kiss me. “I always do.”
We stand up, brushing the snow off each other, and continue our walk back to my dorm. The playfulness has eased my nerves, and I finally feel settled about us being separated for a month.
“Promise me something,” Ryan says as we get outside the dorm hall.
“Anything,” I reply.
“Promise me you won’t worry too much,” he says, his eyes searching mine. “We’ll be fine, Hailey. We’re strong enough to handle a few weeks apart.”
“I promise,” I say, giving him my most innocent face. “I’ll focus on enjoying my time with my family.”
He smiles, pulling me close for a smoldering kiss. “That’s my girl.”
We walk back to my dorm, hand in hand, savoring the last moments together before we part ways for the break. As we reach the entrance, Ryan turns to me, his expression earnest.
“Have a great break, Hailey. Enjoy the sun and warmth of Arizona. And don’t forget to send me pictures of all the beautiful places you visit.”
“I will,” I promise, feeling a lump form in my throat. “You have a great break, too. Enjoy the farm and your family.”
“I will,” he says, kissing me one last time. “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper.
With a final wave, I watch him walk away, the distance between us already feeling too great. But as I head into my dorm, I remind myself that this is just a temporary separation. We can handle the long distance.
Back in my room, I start packing up my last-minute items that I needed to leave out before the trip home. Kelsey is there, already packed and ready to go. She’s decided to come stay at my house for a few days during the break because of the whole Thanksgiving change my major situation.
“How’d it go with Ryan?” she asks, glancing up from her suitcase.
“It was good,” I say, smiling. “We talked about the break and how we’ll keep in touch. He reassured me a lot and I feel better now about it.”
“That’s great,” she says, giving me a thumbs up. “You two will be fine. Just enjoy your time at home.”
“Thanks, Kels,” I say, feeling grateful for her support. “I’m going to miss you too, you know.”
She laughs, “How are you going to miss me when I’m staying at your house for a few days? Plus even when I’m not there, my parent’s house is five minutes down the road.”
“I know but it’ll be weird not living together each day,” I say, closing my suitcase. “But you’re right, we’ll see each other a ton over break.”
As I lie in bed that night, I think about all the things we have to do in the morning to get to the airport, but I also reflect on the semester. It’s been a challenging first semester, but it’s also been filled with growth, new experiences, and a deepening relationship with Ryan. I can’t wait to see what the new year and new semester will bring. In the meantime, I’m going to soak up as much fun and happiness as I can while on the break.
With that thought, I drift off to sleep, ready to face whatever comes next.