Fire Light Romance
Joe shivered as they stepped into the cold trailer. The heat from the day had slipped away too quickly. He knew it would be at least thirty minutes before they had a fire warm enough to take off his coat. Mily sat right down next to the fire and placing a log on top of the stove she began to build up the kindling. So Joe gave her a quick hug before heading back to warm the bathroom quickly with some hot water. Twenty minutes later he immerged having spent most of it trying to convince himself to take care of business in the cold. “Hey Joe, you ok?” Came Mily’s voice from the living room slightly concerned.
“Yep, just rather too chilly for comfort that’s all.” As Joe entered the living room his eyes began to burn. Mily’s face was shinny with sweat from being that close to the fire for that long. She smiled up at him briefly returning back to her computer home work. Joe walked into the kitchen feeling unable to focus on anything. “Mily, does it seem smoky in here to you?” He asked finally.
“No, not really.” she responded.
“Everything looks blurry, I wonder if there’s something up with my eyes.”
Mily got up and walked to the back rooms then back again. “You’re right.” She conceded. “I couldn’t tell I’ve been in here so long.” She began looking for smoke coming out of the stove, then noticed the log she had placed on top. Lifting it quickly they saw the black under side and laughed. Mily tossed it into the fire and it burst into flames. “Well, glad we didn’t leave it alone there.” Joe chuckled sliding his arms around Mily’s waist.
“Why don’t we go for a walk?” Mily said suddenly shutting her lap top and standing up.
“Sure.” Joe responded grabbing his coat.
The night was windy and chilly but the air was much fresher than in the small smoke filled trailer. They pushed each other into pretend snow banks practicing for when the real snow came. Mily played with the umbrella like a light saber with fascination. They had gone half way to campus when Mily looked down at Joe and asked. “Want to go visit Sabrina?”
Joe nodded and they turned toward the freshman dorms where Sabrina, Mily’s cousin lived. Joe hated the feel of the small cramped dorms so when Mily invited Sabrina over to roast marshmallows, Joe loved the idea.
They walked back as quickly as they could fighting the now high speed bone bighting winds. Joe and Sabrina took turns walking behind Mily who served as a great wind break.
By the time they got back most of the smoke had gone. It only took moments before they had hot cocoa going and marshmallow sticks in the making. They laughed and read web comics. Sabrina talked about the frustration of chemistry and Mily showed them the funnier web comics. Joe sat sipping cocoa enjoying them both.
The clock finally said Sabrina still had more homework to do in an evening than time was going to let her finish so Mily put on a coat and drove her home.
Joe sat waiting thinking of Mily and how she had started the fire, how she had reached out to her lonely cousin though she had homework that was unfinished as well, how she had laughed at her own silliness when the log was being burnt from the outside of the stove.
Mily walked back in a few moments later to find Joe waiting for her in front of the fire, very much in love.
