Alex and Melissa

Glittering frozen paradise, surrounded by the harsh reality and beautiful ethereal nature of the elements. Snow-covered houses stand in a row like pristine palaces. It's easy to get caught up in the unfiltered beauty. Until you have to scrape at the windshield of your car and shovel a driveway out of the snow.

That's what Melissa thought, every year. She felt a pang of regret messing up the perfect white blanket, but needs must.

In a funny way, she enjoyed the peacefulness of it. It was chance to enjoy a bit of calm before her shift.It also gave her a chance to spend time with Alex. He had a smile and demeanor that calmed Melissa. They had known each other since Alex moved in two years ago.

During the pandemic...they became friends and spent many evenings over the garden fence and mornings at their doors exchanging gripes, moans and jibes about each other's attempts at banana bread and Zoom mishaps.

There had always been chemistry...but both had been burned badly in the past by relationships. Even when restrictions were no longer in place, Melissa and Alex maintained their electrically-charged relationship with the garden fence between them.

Until that morning.

When Alex stepped out of his house, looking like he was going on an expedition to Antarctica, and caught sight of Melissa, shovelling at snow, her long brown curls standing out against all the white. He knew today would be different.

"Yes" was her reply to his simple question of "Dinner?"