Elise craned her neck to look up at her father, blinking through the heavy clumps of snow that floated to the ground as if some great goose had flown out of its down coat and left it to scatter to pieces. The clouds that shrouded the sun transformed its yellow rays to white, making Elise's eyes strain at her father's head against the background of the lumpy sky. Despite the minor irritation, her eyes never left the back of his slightly swaying winter cap, careful not to arouse suspicion for her sneaking silence. She quietly crunched the snow beneath her feet at twice his steps' pace, trying to fall into his rhythm to mask her frantically pounding heart. Her plan just might succeed! The compacted snow between her purple mittens would shrink no further--the weapon was ready.
"Hey, Daddy!" she shouted, betrayed by her eagerness. She took aim as he slowly rotated to face his daughter. Her arm was taught, ready to snap the snowball right into his chest. One more moment, and it'll be a bulls-eye, a picture-perfect shot.
But he was smiling an ear-to-ear grin as he faced her. His joy broke her concentration. In his left hand, his gloved fingers pinched a beautiful flower by its stem. Its petals long and full, like a flowing tapestry dotted with stars. Elise audibly gasped and relaxed her arm. Her father laughed heartily. Because the cap covered the eyebrows above his squinting eyes, his face appeared to be one great smile.
"It's called Waker's Whim, Ellie. I found it in a bush we passed." Elise was captivated and was walking forward, snowball still in-hand. Elise, in a trance, continued onward until she stood in her father's shadow. She eagerly exchanged her snowball for the flower to grasp in both tiny hands. "Aw, Ellie, is this for me?" She didn't respond. Her eyes had gone wide watching the petals delicately caught each snowflake and displayed them proudly, almost self-aware of its own beauty.
"Daddy... it's so pretty!" There was a pause of silence instead of response.
"Hey Ellie..." he trailed off mischievously. She tore her attention away to lift her gaze upward and look at him. She didn't know he dropped the snowball until it scattered across her winter cap with a muffled splash. After she wiped off the soft snow, she looked ahead to see her father crouched in front of her, smiling.
"Let's go home, princess." She grabbed his finger with one hand and held the Waker's Whim in the other, and together they forged the path home.
Those were good memories.
"Hey, Daddy!" she shouted, betrayed by her eagerness. She took aim as he slowly rotated to face his daughter. Her arm was taught, ready to snap the snowball right into his chest. One more moment, and it'll be a bulls-eye, a picture-perfect shot.
But he was smiling an ear-to-ear grin as he faced her. His joy broke her concentration. In his left hand, his gloved fingers pinched a beautiful flower by its stem. Its petals long and full, like a flowing tapestry dotted with stars. Elise audibly gasped and relaxed her arm. Her father laughed heartily. Because the cap covered the eyebrows above his squinting eyes, his face appeared to be one great smile.
"It's called Waker's Whim, Ellie. I found it in a bush we passed." Elise was captivated and was walking forward, snowball still in-hand. Elise, in a trance, continued onward until she stood in her father's shadow. She eagerly exchanged her snowball for the flower to grasp in both tiny hands. "Aw, Ellie, is this for me?" She didn't respond. Her eyes had gone wide watching the petals delicately caught each snowflake and displayed them proudly, almost self-aware of its own beauty.
"Daddy... it's so pretty!" There was a pause of silence instead of response.
"Hey Ellie..." he trailed off mischievously. She tore her attention away to lift her gaze upward and look at him. She didn't know he dropped the snowball until it scattered across her winter cap with a muffled splash. After she wiped off the soft snow, she looked ahead to see her father crouched in front of her, smiling.
"Let's go home, princess." She grabbed his finger with one hand and held the Waker's Whim in the other, and together they forged the path home.
Those were good memories.
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