34: Kiss

Before long, the twins pass out on the couch, having been over excited playing with their new toys. Jeremiah and Reba take them to bed, and everyone settles back down around the fire. I listen silently to more of their stories, learning of the time when Jeremiah’s tongue got frozen to a pole and when Kiara tripped, and frosted cookies ended up stuck to the ceiling.

Reba shows pictures from an old photo album, from the time when she and Paul were married. Then when Jeremiah and Kiara were first born and when Nicky was adopted later. I soak in all their stories, finding myself craving more about them. I wish I had stories like this to share.

“Oh, I almost forgot to ask,” Reba says, turning to Jeremiah. “What did you end up getting for Maddie?”

His cheeks flush, as has been the norm whenever Macy is brought up. “A little heart necklace.”

“How sweet,” Kiara says, squishing her cheeks together.

“How original,” Nicky mutters earning a glare from Jeremiah.

“She liked it!” he protests.

I watch as they tease him back and forth. They had started dating a while ago and she has even been over for dinner a few times. They go out a lot also. She is quite nice. They both seem so happy when they are together.

Is that what being in love is really like? Ever since they got together, I ponder over this subject, only to become so confused. I suppose there is no point for me to wonder about it though since it is something that does not concern me.

As they continue to joke around, I head into the kitchen for a drink. After getting some water I turn back to the living room as Kiara comes my way.

“We should finish off these cookies since there’s only a few left,” she says, picking up the plate of holiday cookies her, Reba, and I had prepared.

I nod. Then suddenly from the living room I hear a loud gasp and look up as Jeremiah gawks at us, his mouth wide open.

Kiara turns around, the confusion on her face matching mine. “What?”

He grins, pointing upward. “Miiiistletoooe.”

We look up, noticing the green leafy twig with red berries held to the ceiling with a piece of tape. Is this some sort of prank?

Kiara screams and turns back to him, her face as red as the sun. “Why the heck did you put mistletoe up?!”

He laughs, falling over and pounding the floor, while Nicky can barely keep it together. Reba just shakes her head.

“What is it?” I ask.

“I-It’s… um… Y-you have to…” Kiara stutters.

“If two people are caught together under the mistletoe they have to kiss,” Nicky says.

In a split second I manage to glance back up at the mistletoe, then to them, before resting my eyes on Kiara. Suddenly, the room starts to get warmer, and I feel my heart racing.

“Is it cursed?” I mutter.

“Oh, yeah!” Jeremiah says, having caught his breath. “If the two don’t kiss, then they’re cursed until next Christmas!”

“Jer!” Kiara whines.

My eyes are stuck on her. How could I let her be cursed for a year? Then again, does it have to be on the lips? Will a kiss on the cheek or forehead suffice? My heart pounds and my mind swirls. I had never thought of such a thing before. What do I do?

“Jeremiah, stop it,” I hear Reba say as he falls back to the floor laughing. “Shyba, he’s teasing you sweetie. You won’t be cursed so you can ignore it.”

It is like a weight has lifted off my shoulders and I glance back at Kiara. She does not look at me, her face still red, and goes to sit back on the couch. I go back to my spot and glance back toward her, yet she still does not look at me. She seems upset.

Did I offend her? Perhaps my hesitation of not kissing her and breaking the would-be curse made her think I don’t care? My heart sinks. What should I do?

As the night continues everyone heads off to bed and I decide to sit outside for a bit to admire the snow once again. I gaze at the white blanket, showing off a gentle blue glow from the full moon. Everything is calm and quiet. Sometimes it is still so surreal that I am even here.

Suddenly, I hear the door open and look back to see Kiara. She hesitates before coming out and sitting beside me. She must not be too upset with me if she has decided to sit out here with me. I remain silent though, unsure what to say.

She looks out across the yard and points. “Did you see? Our snowmen had babies.”

I look over and sure enough, there are two little snowmen in front of the ones we made.

“I did not know snowmen could have children so fast,” I say.

She giggles and I suddenly feel my stomach do a flip, my heart rising. Then for a moment all is silent. What should I do? I don’t think she is mad at me, at least not anymore, but still. I at least want her to know I would not abandon her.

“Ah… Kiara,” I mutter, instantly unsure of myself. Crap. What do I say?

“Hm?” she mutters, and I can’t help but notice how entrancing her eyes look in the moonlight. Beautiful blue, glittering like ocean. I never noticed how full and long her lashes are.

After wrestling my gaze away, I find myself staring at the snow. “I… The mistletoe…”

“Oh, you really don’t have to worry about it. Jer was just being dumb and pulled a prank on us,” she says.

“I know, but… If it was true, I will not let you be cursed,” I mutter, my face feeling warmer. “I thought you were upset because I hesitated.”

She is silent for a moment. “I wasn’t upset at you or anything, so you don’t have to worry. I was just upset with Jer. But thank you. I’m glad I mean that much to you.”

I glance up at her and she gives me a warm smile. It is almost as if my heart is dancing. What should I say?

Then she leans a bit closer and grins. “But what if I had kissed you?”

Suddenly, the world stops spinning. “Eh?”

The thought sends my heart into my throat, my face warm. Why would she even ask? Was she going to? Just the thought makes me feel like my nerves are on end. Stuff like that only happens with lovers though. Why would she want to kiss me?

She laughs. “I’m sorry. It’s just so fun to tease you sometimes. You get so flustered.”

I glance away, trying to calm my heart. “I see.”

Everything is silent for a moment. What is wrong with me? Why do I feel like my head is spinning? What is this weird gentle ache in my chest? Am I getting sick? Maybe I am starting to get a cold.

“Shyba, do you want to help me with something?” she asks.

I look up. “What is it?”

She grins mischievously and tells me her plan. Then we get to work, setting everything up. As the time goes by, she practices her Japanese with me. She has learned quite a lot these past few months. We can hold a small conversation now. It is comforting to hear her gentle voice speaking to me like that.

Still, I am unable to calm my heart. Perhaps so much has happened today that I am overwhelmed. Though, I do not think that is quite it. It is almost that feeling as if I am about to fall, but not quite anxiety. What does it mean? Once we finish, we sit on the porch steps, looking out at our creation that spans across the yard.

“They’re gonna flip when they see this in the morning,” she says.

I chuckle, feeling a sense of pride for our work. Across the yard are dozens of little snowmen and above our original ones is the mistletoe tied to the arch. My gaze drifts to her, taking note of the way the moonlight washes over her cheeks and glints off her auburn hair. Her words tickle at the back of my mind again.

What if she had kissed me?

That weird anxiety creeps into my chest again. Am I really so superstitious I’m still worried about this? Maybe I should just go ahead and do it. And besides, it’s not like I would hate kissing her. If it had to be someone, I’d rather it be her. I care about her a lot. And she is beautiful. Anybody would be lucky to be hers.

Still, how do I go about this? A peck on the cheek? The forehead? What if it has to be on the lips? My stomach flops at the thought. Can I even do that? I’ve never even thought about such a thing before!

I swallow. “A-ah Kiara.” Her name leaves my lips before I can even decide to say it.

My heart nearly jumps out of my chest as she turns to look at me. My eyes fleet away, and I stuff my hands into my jacket pockets. Kuso! What do I say now? I try to gather the nerve and words to convey my distress. Why is this so difficult?

She leans toward me, and I glance at her, taking note of her rosy cheeks and really soft looking lips. Have they always looked that way?

Her lips curve into a sideways grin and she giggles gently. “Still thinking about the mistletoe thing? Goodness, you’re such a worry wart.”

“I-I am a wart?” Whatever that is, it sounds very strange.

She laughs. “No, no. Never mind.” She takes a deep breath, clasping her hands in her lap. “Well, I don’t want you up all night worrying so…”

As she closes the distance between us, the chill in the air seems to melt away from her warmth. And the earth becomes still as her supple, warm lips meet my cheek. Everything seems to stop in its place for eternity and yet also only for a split-second. The scent of her sugary lotion still lingers as she pulls away.

“There,” she says, the sound of her voice causing everything to start moving again. And her little giggle catches me off guard, it sounding new in a way. “All better now.”

She starts heading up the stairs. “You better get a good night’s rest now. Sweet dreams.”

It takes me a second to find my voice. “You too. Good night.”

After the door closes, her footsteps linger away into the house. I remain seated here, time unmoving. My face is still warm. And though the property has become still and silent, my mind and my heart race.

She kissed me.