"Winter in the Mountains" by Angela I kept looking at myself in the mirror, and it never got any better, no matter what angle I chose. What was I going to do? I remembered quite vividly looking into another mirror almost a year earlier, right before I had arrived in Cutter Gap. The hollows underneath my cheekbones then were evidence that I was thin. Now I was positively gaunt. Only the day before, Neil had given his permission for me to get out of bed for short periods. I was more than ready to be up, too, although I became tired easily. All of my energy was spent bathing and dressing. After spending an hour or so downstairs for the first time in weeks, I returned to my room and fell back into bed, completely exhausted. But today I had more strength, and I longed for something useful to do. I had no idea what that would be, unless it was writing a letter to my parents, or maybe reading for a while. I was still so weak, but a desire to do something more than lie in bed welled up in me. Washing the dishes or sweeping the floor had never sounded more appealing. I knew better, though. Neil would soon be coming by to check on me, and I didn't dare let him find me occupied with household chores. At the very least, I could have a change of scenery. I opened up the French doors that led to the balcony and stepped outside. How different the mountains seemed since the last time I had seen them from this viewpoint! Late autumn had transformed them, stripping away the bright golden and red hues. Suddenly, I felt plunged into wintertime. It was exhilarating to be outdoors again, although the chill wind felt as if it were blowing straight through me. The starkness of the mountains made me feel lonely. It was a curious brand of lonesomeness, though -- I felt solitary, yet not. All around me, I could neither see nor hear another human being. But I knew Miss Alice was probably at her cabin, and David was teaching my classes at the schoolhouse. Knowing that they were nearby was all I needed. My solitude was comforting and without any hint of desolation. The mountains had so mesmerized me that I didn't even hear Neil's heavy footsteps until he was upstairs and entering my bedroom. "Christy?" His baritone voice was a welcome sound, and I turned to see him as he joined me on the balcony. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing!" Even though I'd started to shudder from the cold, I told him, "I know, but it's so nice to be out in the open. I've been inside for so long now." "And you'll be inside even longer if you have a relapse. Come on. Back inside you go." He wrapped an arm around me to usher me back into the relative warmth of my room, but I held onto the railing. "Please, Neil. Just a moment longer. I've missed looking out over these mountains so much." His eyes met mine and I knew that he understood. "All right, then. But at least bundle up so you're not shivering so." I watched as he retrieved the quilt from the foot of my bed. Unfolding it, he wrapped it around my shoulders. "There now. Better?" "Yes, thank you," I answered, smiling. His hands still clutched the quilt tightly about me. Was I drawing closer to him, or was it my imagination? "Hardly proper for a girl from Asheville to be on her balcony in only a nightgown, robe, and house slippers, anyway," he teased. "Hardly," I agreed with him. "I'll always be from Asheville, but these mountains are more a part of me now than the city ever was." Neil's smile at hearing me say those words was enough to warm me from head to toe, but a sudden gust of wind made my teeth chatter. "Woo!" Neil exclaimed, and drew me close to him, his arms enveloping me completely. The warmth of his chest against my face and the scent of his jacket combined to make me feel slightly lightheaded, and my knees even folded a bit. Neil noticed this and held me up. "It's time we got you back inside now." I nodded, too cold to speak. This time I let him guide me back inside, and I climbed back into bed, grateful to be under the covers once more. Cold to the very core of me, I pulled the covers up under my chin. "No more balcony scenes today, Christy," Neil said, turning to close the doors. He pushed back the shades, though, so I could still see outside. Sitting beside me on the bed, he touched the back of his warm hand against my cheek. I remembered the drawn face that had stared back at me earlier from my mirror and was suddenly self-conscious. How could Neil look at me that way when I looked the way that I did? "What is it?" he asked. I touched my own cheek. "I looked at myself today in the mirror -- really looked for the first time since..." My voice trailed off. "I barely knew the person looking back." Neil took my hand away from my face and held it in his. "Look outside to those mountains, Christy." He glanced quickly over his shoulder. "You see? They seem barren, don't they?" I nodded. The layered hills were shades of gray and brown, with only a few splashes of evergreen. "They're not, of course. In fact, they're teeming with life even in this cold. You just have to look close to see it. Winter does extraordinary things to these hills. And when April does arrive, everything will burst forth with color and things will look completely different." "Are you saying I'm going to look this way until spring?" I asked somewhat teasingly. But Neil was not in a teasing mood. "You don't know how thankful I am that I can sit here and look into your eyes right now, do you?" I didn't know what to say to him, nor could I have spoken if I had wanted to. I did know how thankful he was. His prayer the day I had woken up had told me that. "Yes, Neil, I know," I managed to say. I felt tears beginning to pool in my eyes. "I'm thankful, too. So thankful." Uncurling my hand from his, he kissed my open palm with a surprising gentleness. The first tear slipped down my cheek. Neil saw and tenderly wiped it away. Winter had come to the mountains -- but not to my heart. Subject: Fwd: RAD: Yet another mini-swoonfic -- "Winter in the Mountains" Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 23:16:16 EST From: MilSprings@aol.com To: UNISTAR3@aol.com, moleskinmuff@yahoo.com, andiej_6@yahoo.com, MilSprings@aol.com, siriaes@yahoo.com, DEEIAEMT@aol.com, charlotteac@yahoo.com, clog4fun@hotmail.com, debbieharris@home.com, gap2@acsu.buffalo.edu, greer85@yahoo.com, janny108@yahoo.com, honahley@yahoo.com, lmssc3@hotmail.com, forlorncelt@argontech.net, "Winter in the Mountains" by Angela Note: I started this story the day Annie challenged us to write a "snow day" swoonfic, but I'm only now finishing. Since I couldn't keep myself from reading all of the *wonderful* stories everyone else wrote, I sincerely hope that mine bears no resemblance to anyone else's. If it does, know that it was completely unintentional. ;-) ~*~*~*~ I kept looking at myself in the mirror, and it never got any better, no matter what angle I chose. What was I going to do? I remembered quite vividly looking into another mirror almost a year earlier, right before I had arrived in Cutter Gap. The hollows underneath my cheekbones then were evidence that I was thin. Now I was positively gaunt. Only the day before, Neil had given his permission for me to get out of bed for short periods. I was more than ready to be up, too, although I became tired easily. All of my energy was spent bathing and dressing. After spending an hour or so downstairs for the first time in weeks, I returned to my room and fell back into bed, completely exhausted. But today I had more strength, and I longed for something useful to do. I had no idea what that would be, unless it was writing a letter to my parents, or maybe reading for a while. I was still so weak, but a desire to do something more than lie in bed welled up in me. Washing the dishes or sweeping the floor had never sounded more appealing. I knew better, though. Neil would soon be coming by to check on me, and I didn't dare let him find me occupied with household chores. At the very least, I could have a change of scenery. I opened up the French doors that led to the balcony and stepped outside. How different the mountains seemed since the last time I had seen them from this viewpoint! Late autumn had transformed them, stripping away the bright golden and red hues. Suddenly, I felt plunged into wintertime. It was exhilarating to be outdoors again, although the chill wind felt as if it were blowing straight through me. The starkness of the mountains made me feel lonely. It was a curious brand of lonesomeness, though -- I felt solitary, yet not. All around me, I could neither see nor hear another human being. But I knew Miss Alice was probably at her cabin, and David was teaching my classes at the schoolhouse. Knowing that they were nearby was all I needed. My solitude was comforting and without any hint of desolation. The mountains had so mesmerized me that I didn't even hear Neil's heavy footsteps until he was upstairs and entering my bedroom. "Christy?" His baritone voice was a welcome sound, and I turned to see him as he joined me on the balcony. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing!" Even though I'd started to shudder from the cold, I told him, "I know, but it's so nice to be out in the open. I've been inside for so long now." "And you'll be inside even longer if you have a relapse. Come on. Back inside you go." He wrapped an arm around me to usher me back into the relative warmth of my room, but I held onto the railing. "Please, Neil. Just a moment longer. I've missed looking out over these mountains so much." His eyes met mine and I knew that he understood. "All right, then. But at least bundle up so you're not shivering so." I watched as he retrieved the quilt from the foot of my bed. Unfolding it, he wrapped it around my shoulders. "There now. Better?" "Yes, thank you," I answered, smiling. His hands still clutched the quilt tightly about me. Was I drawing closer to him, or was it my imagination? "Hardly proper for a girl from Asheville to be on her balcony in only a nightgown, robe, and house slippers, anyway," he teased. "Hardly," I agreed with him. "I'll always be from Asheville, but these mountains are more a part of me now than the city ever was." Neil's smile at hearing me say those words was enough to warm me from head to toe, but a sudden gust of wind made my teeth chatter. "Woo!" Neil exclaimed, and drew me close to him, his arms enveloping me completely. The warmth of his chest against my face and the scent of his jacket combined to make me feel slightly lightheaded, and my knees even folded a bit. Neil noticed this and held me up. "It's time we got you back inside now." I nodded, too cold to speak. This time I let him guide me back inside, and I climbed back into bed, grateful to be under the covers once more. Cold to the very core of me, I pulled the covers up under my chin. "No more balcony scenes today, Christy," Neil said, turning to close the doors. He pushed back the shades, though, so I could still see outside. Sitting beside me on the bed, he touched the back of his warm hand against my cheek. I remembered the drawn face that had stared back at me earlier from my mirror and was suddenly self-conscious. How could Neil look at me that way when I looked the way that I did? "What is it?" he asked. I touched my own cheek. "I looked at myself today in the mirror -- really looked for the first time since..." My voice trailed off. "I barely knew the person looking back." Neil took my hand away from my face and held it in his. "Look outside to those mountains, Christy." He glanced quickly over his shoulder. "You see? They seem barren, don't they?" I nodded. The layered hills were shades of gray and brown, with only a few splashes of evergreen. "They're not, of course. In fact, they're teeming with life even in this cold. You just have to look close to see it. Winter does extraordinary things to these hills. And when April does arrive, everything will burst forth with color and things will look completely different." "Are you saying I'm going to look this way until spring?" I asked somewhat teasingly. But Neil was not in a teasing mood. "You don't know how thankful I am that I can sit here and look into your eyes right now, do you?" I didn't know what to say to him, nor could I have spoken if I had wanted to. I did know how thankful he was. His prayer the day I had woken up had told me that. "Yes, Neil, I know," I managed to say. I felt tears beginning to pool in my eyes. "I'm thankful, too. So thankful." Uncurling my hand from his, he kissed my open palm with a surprising gentleness. The first tear slipped down my cheek. Neil saw and tenderly wiped it away. Winter had come to the mountains -- but not to my heart. Subject: RAD: Yet another mini-swoonfic -- "Winter in the Mountains" Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001 22:46:02 EST From: MilSprings@aol.com To: Sisginers@aol.com "Winter in the Mountains" by Angela Note: I started this story the day Annie challenged us to write a "snow day" swoonfic, but I'm only now finishing. Since I couldn't keep myself from reading all of the *wonderful* stories everyone else wrote, I sincerely hope that mine bears no resemblance to anyone else's. If it does, know that it was completely unintentional. ;-) I kept looking at myself in the mirror, and it never got any better, no matter what angle I chose. What was I going to do? I remembered quite vividly looking into another mirror almost a year earlier, right before I had arrived in Cutter Gap. The hollows underneath my cheekbones then were evidence that I was thin. Now I was positively gaunt. Only the day before, Neil had given his permission for me to get out of bed for short periods. I was more than ready to be up, too, although I became tired easily. All of my energy was spent bathing and dressing. After spending an hour or so downstairs for the first time in weeks, I returned to my room and fell back into bed, completely exhausted. But today I had more strength, and I longed for something useful to do. I had no idea what that would be, unless it was writing a letter to my parents, or maybe reading for a while. I was still so weak, but a desire to do something more than lie in bed welled up in me. Washing the dishes or sweeping the floor had never sounded more appealing. I knew better, though. Neil would soon be coming by to check on me, and I didn't dare let him find me occupied with household chores. At the very least, I could have a change of scenery. I opened up the French doors that led to the balcony and stepped outside. How different the mountains seemed since the last time I had seen them from this viewpoint! Late autumn had transformed them, stripping away the bright golden and red hues. Suddenly, I felt plunged into wintertime. It was exhilarating to be outdoors again, although the chill wind felt as if it were blowing straight through me. The starkness of the mountains made me feel lonely. It was a curious brand of lonesomeness, though -- I felt solitary, yet not. All around me, I could neither see nor hear another human being. But I knew Miss Alice was probably at her cabin, and David was teaching my classes at the schoolhouse. Knowing that they were nearby was all I needed. My solitude was comforting and without any hint of desolation. The mountains had so mesmerized me that I didn't even hear Neil's heavy footsteps until he was upstairs and entering my bedroom. "Christy?" His baritone voice was a welcome sound, and I turned to see him as he joined me on the balcony. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing!" Even though I'd started to shudder from the cold, I told him, "I know, but it's so nice to be out in the open. I've been inside for so long now." "And you'll be inside even longer if you have a relapse. Come on. Back inside you go." He wrapped an arm around me to usher me back into the relative warmth of my room, but I held onto the railing. "Please, Neil. Just a moment longer. I've missed looking out over these mountains so much." His eyes met mine and I knew that he understood. "All right, then. But at least wrap up so you're not shivering so." I watched as he retrieved the quilt from the foot of my bed. Unfolding it, he wrapped it around my shoulders. "There now. Better?" "Yes, thank you," I answered, smiling. His hands still clutched the quilt tightly about me. Was I drawing closer to him, or was it my imagination? "Hardly proper for a girl from Asheville to be on her balcony in only a nightgown, robe, and house slippers, anyway," he teased. "Hardly," I agreed with him. "I'll always be from Asheville, but these mountains are more a part of me now than the city ever was." Neil's smile at hearing me say those words was enough to warm me from head to toe, but a sudden gust of wind made my teeth chatter. "Woo!" Neil exclaimed, and drew me close to him, his arms enveloping me completely. The warmth of his chest against my face and the scent of his jacket combined to make me feel slightly lightheaded, and my knees even folded a bit. Neil noticed this and held me up. "It's time we got you back inside now." I nodded, too cold to speak. This time I let him guide me back inside, and I climbed back into bed, grateful to be under the covers once more. Cold to the very core of me, I pulled the covers up under my chin. "No more balcony scenes today, Christy," Neil said, turning to close the doors. He pushed back the shades, though, so I could still see outside. Sitting beside me on the bed, he touched the back of his warm hand against my cheek. I remembered the drawn face that had stared back at me earlier from my mirror and was suddenly self-conscious. How could Neil look at me that way when I looked the way that I did? "What is it?" he asked. I touched my own cheek. "I looked at myself today in the mirror -- really looked for the first time since..." My voice trailed off. "I barely knew the person looking back." Neil took my hand away from my face and held it in his. "Look outside to those mountains, Christy." He glanced quickly over his shoulder. "You see? They seem barren, don't they?" I nodded. The layered hills were shades of gray and brown, with only a few splashes of evergreen. "They're not, of course. In fact, they're teeming with life even in this cold. You just have to look close to see it. Winter does extraordinary things to these hills. And when April does arrive, everything will burst forth with color and things will look completely different." "Are you saying I'm going to look this way until spring?" I asked somewhat teasingly. But Neil was not in a teasing mood. "You don't know how thankful I am that I can sit here and look into your eyes right now, do you?" I didn't know what to say to him, nor could I have spoken if I had wanted to. I did know how thankful he was. His prayer the day I had woken up had told me that. "Yes, Neil, I know," I managed to say. I felt tears beginning to pool in my eyes. "I'm thankful, too. So thankful." Uncurling my hand from his, he kissed my open palm with a surprising gentleness. The first tear slipped down my cheek. Neil saw and tenderly wiped it away. Winter had come to the mountains -- but not to my heart.