‹ Prequel: Warmness on the Soul
The Way You Look Tonight
Snow
“For fuck sake, are we there yet?” Zacky whined beside Grace making her laugh. With anyone but the Avenged Sevenfold lot, the ride up to Big Bear would have been uneventful, boring and long.
Two flat tyres, 3 double-backs and 7 stop offs later, the ride was no longer uneventful and boring. The journey, which should have taken around two hours, took four - the amount of time it should have taken during rush hour.
Grace enjoyed it however, it made her feel ‘normal’ again, whatever normal meant. It was just her, and her extended family, the way it should be.
“Zack, if you hadn’t forgotten half your suitcase’s contents and had to pee so often we’d be there already, so I suggest you shut the fuck up before I come back there and make you.” Brian almost growled through his clenched teeth, making Grace laugh harder.
“Geez, calm it Janet-”
“Zacky I swear to God-”
“Hey look, guys we’re almost there!” Grace exclaimed breaking them up long enough for them to see the turn off for Big Bear Lake and the other minivan turning in.
Brian slowly but surely eased the minivan up the long, winding road and came to a stop beside the reception area. Matt walked over.
“We’re in cabin 262,” he said walking towards the van, “You go up there turn right and go straight along it’s the last cabin.”
Brian nodded, “Wait, I thought we ordered two cabins,”
“We did, but it seems we picked the busiest weekend to come up, this cabin sleeps twelve, it’s all good.”
Brian nodded again, “See you up there, dude.”
They took off again, up the way Matt had instructed, the journey only took around five minutes for them to reach the cabin.
With the first winter snow falling and the scenic evergreens the cabin looked like a winter wonderland, picturesque and serene. It was a log cabin, with it’s own private deck and amazing views of the lake, which was just beginning to freeze over.
Grace got out the van and took a deep breath in of the fresh, crisp mountain air, as did everyone else and their dogs. Brian opened the boot and he, Jimmy and Zacky started to take out the luggage.
Val, who had Dylan on her hip and Bella's lead in the opposite hand, received the keys from Matt and she ushered everyone inside. Grace always thought of her as Super Mom.
The inside was as, if not more, beautiful than the outside. There was a large stone fireplace on the main wall, which was already lit and burning nicely - with a fireguard around it for Dylan of course. Every room was wooden panelled and there were two Jacuzzis.
Just as the snow began to get heavier the guys finished bringing in the luggage and everyone had picked their rooms. Grace decided on sharing with Brian, just as she did most nights at his house, she liked to know she wasn’t alone. They’d sit up and talk all night most nights, sometimes playing the guitar and writing songs.
“Who’s hungry?” Matt asked starting up the stove.
***
After they ate, Grace went for a walk, as the snowfall had started to subside and she liked the feeling of the mountain air against her cheeks and in her hair. She walked down towards the semi-frozen lake and sat down on a partially secluded bench - the one she and her dad used to sit in when she was a kid.
She sat quietly for the longest time, listening to nature, to the birds, the sound of the wind through the trees. It comforted her to know there was somewhere she could escape from the hustle and bustle of Huntington.
The crisp languid footsteps behind her startled her, but at the same time, she knew who it would be. It was always him.
“Hey,” they said at the same time and smiled.
“How you holding up, Gracie?” Brian asked her.
“Better now I’m here to be honest. I wasn’t coping at all Brian, I just, I don’t know what to do with myself. I sit in the house and I want to go out, but when I do, I want to go back in and curl into a ball, forget the world, forget everything. Then I see you, and everything’s almost ok again - I feel, almost… whole.”
Brian looked at her, “You said something before, before, well you know…”
“Did I?”
“Yes, you said, you said you loved me Grace.”
“I do, with every fibre of my being…”
Two flat tyres, 3 double-backs and 7 stop offs later, the ride was no longer uneventful and boring. The journey, which should have taken around two hours, took four - the amount of time it should have taken during rush hour.
Grace enjoyed it however, it made her feel ‘normal’ again, whatever normal meant. It was just her, and her extended family, the way it should be.
“Zack, if you hadn’t forgotten half your suitcase’s contents and had to pee so often we’d be there already, so I suggest you shut the fuck up before I come back there and make you.” Brian almost growled through his clenched teeth, making Grace laugh harder.
“Geez, calm it Janet-”
“Zacky I swear to God-”
“Hey look, guys we’re almost there!” Grace exclaimed breaking them up long enough for them to see the turn off for Big Bear Lake and the other minivan turning in.
Brian slowly but surely eased the minivan up the long, winding road and came to a stop beside the reception area. Matt walked over.
“We’re in cabin 262,” he said walking towards the van, “You go up there turn right and go straight along it’s the last cabin.”
Brian nodded, “Wait, I thought we ordered two cabins,”
“We did, but it seems we picked the busiest weekend to come up, this cabin sleeps twelve, it’s all good.”
Brian nodded again, “See you up there, dude.”
They took off again, up the way Matt had instructed, the journey only took around five minutes for them to reach the cabin.
With the first winter snow falling and the scenic evergreens the cabin looked like a winter wonderland, picturesque and serene. It was a log cabin, with it’s own private deck and amazing views of the lake, which was just beginning to freeze over.
Grace got out the van and took a deep breath in of the fresh, crisp mountain air, as did everyone else and their dogs. Brian opened the boot and he, Jimmy and Zacky started to take out the luggage.
Val, who had Dylan on her hip and Bella's lead in the opposite hand, received the keys from Matt and she ushered everyone inside. Grace always thought of her as Super Mom.
The inside was as, if not more, beautiful than the outside. There was a large stone fireplace on the main wall, which was already lit and burning nicely - with a fireguard around it for Dylan of course. Every room was wooden panelled and there were two Jacuzzis.
Just as the snow began to get heavier the guys finished bringing in the luggage and everyone had picked their rooms. Grace decided on sharing with Brian, just as she did most nights at his house, she liked to know she wasn’t alone. They’d sit up and talk all night most nights, sometimes playing the guitar and writing songs.
“Who’s hungry?” Matt asked starting up the stove.
***
After they ate, Grace went for a walk, as the snowfall had started to subside and she liked the feeling of the mountain air against her cheeks and in her hair. She walked down towards the semi-frozen lake and sat down on a partially secluded bench - the one she and her dad used to sit in when she was a kid.
She sat quietly for the longest time, listening to nature, to the birds, the sound of the wind through the trees. It comforted her to know there was somewhere she could escape from the hustle and bustle of Huntington.
The crisp languid footsteps behind her startled her, but at the same time, she knew who it would be. It was always him.
“Hey,” they said at the same time and smiled.
“How you holding up, Gracie?” Brian asked her.
“Better now I’m here to be honest. I wasn’t coping at all Brian, I just, I don’t know what to do with myself. I sit in the house and I want to go out, but when I do, I want to go back in and curl into a ball, forget the world, forget everything. Then I see you, and everything’s almost ok again - I feel, almost… whole.”
Brian looked at her, “You said something before, before, well you know…”
“Did I?”
“Yes, you said, you said you loved me Grace.”
“I do, with every fibre of my being…”