18 ...

Today as I drove to work in a storm that UT had saved to celebrate the 28th {wink wink} birthday of Bunk, safely tucked in bed in CA as he would have it, I found myself {in spite of my favorite UT drivers forgetting that we get snow each year and how to maneuver in it} elated.  I was first to the office, per usual due to my incredible sleep patterns, and searched for someone, anyone to talk to about the beauty that was outside.  My favorite IT guy D was first to be spotted and I was going at a million miles an hour to describe what he had just driven through, the beauty, the magic, the snow ... he was not as elated.  As I sat down in a feeble attempt to channel my energy and elation into productivity I received a ping from R who is back East, "Happy Snow K ... its here too."  And then I remembered ...

We were with the group in the living room playing a rousing game of Catch Phrase, he was on my left.  His hand on my knee, squeezing with each ridiculous comment made by our incredibly entertaining friends.  As someone mixed up the word 'desert' with 'dessert' {blessing hearts} his squeeze caused me to turn my head to stifle my squeal of a laugh, leaning on his shoulder, my eyes looking out the large bay window ... it had begun to snow!! I jumped up and ran to the window, R followed.  "It's snowing," I whispered the obvious to him, hoping he would see the invitation to get out of there in my eyes.

"Let's go," he whispered back as he took my hand and led us to the piles of shoes at the door, our ears were deaf to our friends remarks as we walked away from the gathering.  My excitement grew with each article of clothing I layered on, the extra pair of socks, boots, scarf, additional scarf, gloves, coat with hood up, mittens above the gloves ... R laughed as he saw me but understood as well as I did that I was not trying to be cute, just trying to keep all of my limbs.  We made our way out to the side walk where he grabbed my hand.  We laughed as his ginormous ski gloves could not really even grasp my double-gloved {HA!}-hand.  He then proceeded to ramble, for the length of an entire block, about the purpose of hand holding and finished the ramble with the bold action of taking off his glove to be able to feel my hand.  I grabbed his hand with both of mine to keep it warm.

The snow was falling heavily and quickly, coating his black cap and my hood.  When I would look up to talk with him my eyelashes would catch quarter-sized snowflakes, I'm certain he thought I was batting my eyes in some flirtatious-come-closer way but it was merely to get those snowflakes off so I could see.  He wiped off the flakes that fell on my hood.  We walked slowly, soaking up the magic that was the first snow of the season.  He started humming and I joined, minutes passing to the two-part harmony of my favorite Christmas Carol, he's one smart cookie.  I pulled out his glove from his pocket and had him put it back on as I could feel the coldness of those fingers through my layers, after the famous R eye roll he obliged.  Then he put his arm around me and plopped a kiss on my head {well, my hood}.  The first snow and an adorable head kiss, could this get any better?

Yes.  As we made it to the end of the next block we stopped.  He wiped a few more snowflakes from my face and we laughed at the moment.  As I hid my head from the wind in his chest I heard it, "Kas..." I knew what was going to happen next and felt First Lt. Flighty {of the butterfly brigade in my tummy} announce to the fleet that it was time for a quick takeoff.  I looked up and saw that face, the one I would come to adore over the next three months {I was oober young and hadn't quite perfected my 10 Week and Bolt method}, and he came down for his kill, his kiss ... in the snow.  It was perfect ...

So to R: You are the reason I get elated at the first snow each year, I'm certain my subconscious chimes in to my alert conscious "Remember how simple things were then ... let's find that simple magic and happiness again."  You may not have been my first kiss but that was our first kiss and you were my first 'elements' kiss and it is this story I will tell to my nieces {because the Guy Upstairs knows better than to give this slightly dramatic girl a melodramatic daughter} and they will adore this memory as much as I.  Every year I smile at the first snow storm and get a few goose bumps of elation even when sitting in front of the fire, this year I remembered why.

Merry Christmas R!