"Look!" someone shouted.
Sarah looked out the window and put her hands to her face.
Snow fell silently and steadily as it drifted into the room and then out. As they watched, the flakes grew thicker and larger. Within minutes the tiny flecks grew to the size of cotton balls.
The kids cheered as they waited for Amelia to be wheeled out first. Sarah's tears froze on her cheeks as she pushed the little girl into the falling snow. She had her hands out, her tongue, all to catch even a single flake.
The kids that could started dancing and jumping, squealing and screaming even as Miss Farrows came to Sarah and told her she was heading back in to get some hot chocolate and snacks ready.
Sarah hugged the woman before she left and looked up at the sky. It was white against the green of the trees. But it was here.
It was snowing. On Christmas Day.
When it became clear the snow was accumulating and weather reports forecasted four inches—the staff hustled the kids back inside for warm snacks and naps. The Christmas tree sparkled in the corner of the room.
Amelia gave Sarah a kiss before Miss Farrows took her back to her room. Her heart rate was good, her cheeks were pink. Tonight Sarah chose not to worry about the little girl who still believed in miracles.
Soon she was alone in the room. The darkened sky threatened more snow. It was close to three in the afternoon as Sarah refilled her mug with chocolate. It wasn't as hot as before, but it still tasted as good.
Sarah opened one of the doors and stepped outside. The snow was over her shoes and piling high in the corners. After dinner and before it got too dark, she wanted the kids to come back out and build a snowman.
She felt a warm presence nearby as she stood still and let the flakes fall around her. "I know you're there. Amelia told me you became Jack Frost as you fell…you saved her." She wasn't sure why she was talking to the air and the snow. Flakes piled into her coffee mug and she looked down to see them spell out Yes before they melted. She shivered. "It's like talking to a ghost now. I want to see you." She looked around at the snow, at the white world of the patio. "Can I still see you?"
And there, off to her right, something moved. She had to blink a few times before she realized it wasn't a reflection, though at first it had the consistency of one. She set the mug on a nearby table, pushed to the side, and took a hesitant step toward him. "It's you, isn't it?"
He was beautiful in her opinion. Still the detective Jackson Frost she fell for but very different. He wore jeans, a soft blue hoodie tucked inside a black navy blazer. She recognized the clothing as something he was more comfortable wearing during the winter months. At his hip hung a sickle knife of crystal—though for all she knew it could have been carved out of ice. He perched on the edge of the balcony's iron railing, his expression unreadable.
It was an expression painted on a face marred by differences. His eyes were bluer now than before, his hair white with gray and blue hues, and his skin…so much like untouched snow. A fierce fire burned in his eyes, or it might have been the stern set of his brow. Other than his skin and hair, the more drastic difference was the shape of his ears. She marveled at their slender upward slope into dulled points. Sarah was afraid if she got too close he'd disappear again. And her heart couldn't take that.
Once he was completely visible he jumped down to stand in front of her and though he walked toward her over the gathering snow, his bare feet didn't leave an impression.
And when he smiled, she recognized him, the man she'd fallen in love with. "Jack."
"It's me," it was his voice.
"Can…can I touch you?"
"I think so."
She was hesitant at first, unsure what she'd feel when her fingers brushed his neck and was surprised to find it warm and smooth. She flattened her palm against his cheek and he nuzzled into it. "You're warm. I guess I expected your skin to be cold."
He focused on her and frowned. "Sarah—I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't know it myself until I saw Jason."
"You really are Jack Frost?"
"Yes."
"Did Crow know?"
"Yes. Is he okay?"
She smiled. "No. He looked pretty bad. I think Captain Rucker drove him home. Can you show yourself to him? Just to ease his mind?"
He looked so very sad. "I can try."
Her expression sobered as he took her hand in his and they stood face to face as the snow rained down. Not a single flake touched her as she held him. "So…is this permanent? You saved Amelia and Bishop's dead and as a reward you become a myth? What about us? Our child?"
She could see the panic in his eyes, the sadness, the anger and frustration. She'd given her heart to this man and nothing—not even this—would take it away from him. When he shook his head her own heart froze inside her chest.
"For me it's different. Jason had the ability to be human at times. But I—I can't." He let go of her hands and pulled the collar of the hoodie down to expose the upper part of his pale chest.
Sarah gasped when she saw the hole and reached out to touch it. Her fingertips lightly touched the smooth edges. "The bullet—"
"It pierced my heart. I wanted you to know it's my fault. I screwed up."
"Screwed up?"
"My dad warned me not to use the power so I could stay human. But I couldn't let Amelia die. Not like that. I can't go into the details but just know if I try to become human, the bullet will give me final death." He let go of the hoodie collar and took her hands again. "It's their way to keep me where they want me. I'm locked in this life so I won't disrupt things the way Jason did. But I wanted you to know that I love you and our child. I didn't abandon either of you. I would never do that."
She reached up with her hands, his still holding on, and pressed them against his lips. "Sshh. I love you too, Jack Frost. I love you as a crime fighter. And I love you as a beautiful myth. Either way, you won't ever leave my heart. And if I can only see you like this—I'll have to accept that."
"I don't know if even that's possible. I can feel the winds pulling at me as I stand here. It's like…a part of my soul belongs to the cold. But I'm only half a man. I'll never be whole without you," he said as he reached up to touch her hair. "But you have a small piece of me to take with you, and they can't ever take it away…I wanted to see our child come into this world."
She reached up around his neck and pulled him to her. His cold lips pressed against hers, and he tasted of peppermint. His entire body cooled as she held him. Jack pulled away from her, his eyes wide and she would never forget his expression of sorrow. "I love you…."
And then he was gone. Little more than a swirl of snow and ice.
Sarah put her hands to her face and wiped away her tears. She stood still as the snow came again, caressing her cheek, kissing her softly, and she knew he was still there. Her hands roamed the slight lump in her belly, their child growing steadily inside of her, and vowed their child would know who their father is.
She turned to the door and stopped.
Written across the glass in the same familiar, frosted penmanship were the words,
Name her Amelia.
About the Author
Phaedra Weldon got her start as a child re-writing the endings and plots for some of her favorite television shows. Her favorite show was Scooby Doo, and she yearned for the day when there wasn't a mask and the ghost was real.
In 2007 she lived her dream seeing her first book published and his now the author of 10 published novels in urban fantasy, fantasy, science fiction and romance.
Read more about Phaedra Weldon at phaedraweldon.com.
Table of Contents
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About the Author
Frost Page 10
