Fluffy Egg Whites
Five
On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me;
Five gold rings…
“Now that’s a surprise,” he remarked dryly.
Four
On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me;
Four calling birds…
As the train rumbled to a halt, she peeked out of the window. Weak shafts of sunlight peeked through the clouds, illuminating the haphazard piles of snow left by the storm. Her eyes drank in the familiar sight and she smiled.
Home, her heart sang.
Disembarking from the train, she stretched to loosen the kinks in her limbs brought on by the three hours delay. The quaint sight of the old platform blanketed in white with its familiar sounds and smells made her smile. Someone’s waiting, her conscience reminded her. Gathering her bags, she joined the throng of passengers heading towards the arrival hall.
Amidst the crowd, she spotted him easily as he stood nearly a head taller above everyone else. The anxious expression on his face was evident even as he scanned the crowd for her and she briefly panicked, wondering what if he did not recognise her after all these years. She noted with approval that he grew into his gangling frame, filling it out nicely over the years. Though his dark hair was mussed, as if he ran his hand run through it one too many times, he never looked more appealing to her as he did in that moment.
He turned as she called his name. The moment his eyes found her, his breath caught in his throat. The years had wrought considerable changes in her, most of them pleasing – from her figure to the luxurious locks on her head. Time had lovingly moulded her into a woman he could hardly recognise.
One thing still remained the same though; her ability to disarm him with just a smile. In fact, he noted wryly, the years apart had made it even more potent. His heartbeat sped up while his legs moved on its own accord to meet her halfway across the hall. At the uncertainty in her tentative smile, he shoved his misgivings aside and threw caution to the wind.
Grinning, he held his arms wide open and – unknowingly – wore his heart on his sleeve. The implication of his gesture was not lost on either of them – it was the first time he ever initiated a hug. She dropped her bags and flew into his embrace without hesitation, nearly knocking him over. He rocked back on his heels to stay upright.
She pulled back a heartbeat later and swatted his shoulder. He recoiled, more in shock than in pain. His eyes widened in surprise as she glared at him. She was working up a snit and for the second time that day, he fought back a smile.
“Now that’s a surprise,” he remarked dryly.
