A Promise to Remember

I stood on the balcony with a beer, my friend's words lingering in my mind.

Ted was taking Audrey to a resort in Skyulland. My friend's tone had been disappointed. "You've been by his side forever. How didn't you snag him? You'd be set for life."

I'd laughed it off, but the sting of pathos remained. They were likely honeymooning sweetly now; his future holidays and his life would no longer need me.

My friend had once called me cheap for our messy entanglement. It was true: he'd never said he liked me, yet I'd clung on, blurring lines.

My love ran too deep; I couldn't bear losing him. Even those illusory intimacies had fooled me into feeling like I owned him.

But they were like these fireworks—a brilliant flash, then nothing but fading embers.

A voice interrupted my thoughts. "Mind if I join?"

I turned to see Chase with a cigarette in his lips. I shook my head, and he stepped closer, cupping his hands to light it before taking a deep drag.

Grasping for words, I asked, "You okay spending the holidays alone? What about your parents?"

Chase exhaled smoke. "They're far away."

I winced and apologized quickly, "Sorry."

He glanced at me, amused. "They're on an Antarctica cruise."

I shut up, feeling dumb. He laughed, coughing from the smoke, then grabbed my beer and took a swig.

"Um, that's mine," I mumbled.

He handed me a fresh one while keeping mine. "What do people do for fun here in winter?"

I followed the shift, pondering. "Not much. Too cold. Maybe catch a movie?"

Chase nodded, filing it away. I pressed, "Why did you come here anyway?"

"For inspiration," he replied, squinting at the horizon. "Don't you think the winters here are particularly beautiful?"

"True," I agreed. "When are you leaving?"

He didn't answer right away. After a bit, he stubbed the cigarette on the can and smiled faintly. "Planned for spring, but now I think I'll stay a bit longer."

"Why?"

"Because..."

My phone rang suddenly, and the screen lit up with an unknown number. I gestured to him, and he sensibly stepped back inside.

"Hello?" I answered.

After a long silence, Ted's voice came through. "Nora, you changed your number?"