I'll be Home for the Holidays

[Abby Foster]

Abby was on her way home from work, wrapped up against the biting cold of Chicago’s December. She had just parted ways with her friend Stephanie, a fellow waitress at Duke’s Café, and a smile still lingered about her lips. Steph had a wicked sense of humor and was far louder and more outgoing than Abby could ever dream of being. In many ways she reminded the small girl of her Rome and his boisterous ways.

At that thought Abby lifted her large hazel eyes to the clear, dark sky, wondering what her best friend was doing at this very moment, and if he was safe. Above all else Abby prayed for Rome’s safety and well-being. In Fox River you needed every prayer sent your way.

The petite girl was careful crossing the street, avoiding the icy parts with ease and reaching the opposite side of the road unharmed. Parts of the sidewalk had been shovelled by a generous individual, though the snow now piled up unhelpfully along the edges, and with the freshly falling flakes said piles had only grown larger. Abby, with her small legs and being already weighed down by her shopping bag, was forced to walk up the gutter a ways before she was able to actually step up onto the pavement.

She paused to heft the heavy bag further up in her arms, balancing it on the edge of her small hips. She sent up another quick prayer that the flimsy paper bag, made sodden by the falling snow, would hold until she was at least through the door of her apartment.

Once settled Abby continued on her way, moving faster now that she was on a shovelled path. Her boots left clearly defined footprints in the light dusting of snow. What a beautiful evening. With the white flakes descending gently on an already blanketed world everything seemed muffled and serene. The lone girl (at least she thought she was alone) walking up the street in her second hand winter jacket and distinctive pink scarf wished, not for the first time, that her Rome could be there with her.

Abby stopped when she reached the end of the shovelled path and saw that the steps leading towards her door were obscured by a mountain of snow. The Good Samaritan, who had shovelled both ends of the pavement, had obviously not seen fit to clear the small area in front of the half-way house. A cloud of air trailed from Abby’s lips as she gave a dejected sigh, glancing from the giant obstacle to her desired goal: the door leading into the building.

This was going to take some strategizing.


[Tag: Rome!! ]

[Rome]

He hated snow. He hated the cold in general, but snow was pretty much a general embodiment of the cold, so the two went hand in hand. Texas was a constant heat streak, warm waves and overbearing sun, and he missed it so damn much at times, especially at times like this when he felt like he was shivering vital parts of his being off despite at least three layers of good heavy clothing. The flimsy outfit he’d apparently arrived at the prison in so many years ago had hardly been good for such winter weather and his probation officer was enough of a sweetheart to lend him some things from his own closet before continuing to give him all the necessary information and things to get him started on his brand new life outside of Fox River.

Ignoring the fact that his new jacket smelled like old man and pipe tobacco, it was a sweet deal.

Pulling the festively printed toboggan hat further down to cover his frozen ears, he hurried along the street walk, mindful of the icy patches that loomed at every other step. He hated ice as much as he hated snow and cold. He would never put ice in his drinks ever again, for as long as he lived. Swear to God or Gods or whatever might possibly live upstairs – and he sincerely hoped that something did if it would make this snow stop. Flakes continued to fall into his face though, clinging to his lashes and to his clothes.

He was almost to the end of the road though. Each snow crunching step brought him closer to his destination – and to the girl that he’d been following for the last block or so. With his jacket zipped up to the point that it covered his mouth and ice practically taking over all of Chicago, he’d been unable to cry out for her attention or to hurry up to a fast enough pace to catch up with her. He’d made it all the way to Duke’s Café to find her and surprise her with his brand new living arrangements, only to be met with the news that the place was closing and she’d already gone. Splendid. He must have been on the wrong side of the street if he’d missed her!

Now there she was, paused outside of the halfway house, and he came right on up, slowing once he got near. With his bulky jacket and fuzzy hat, she probably didn’t recognize him, and he savoured that anonymity because it pretty much guaranteed surprise. And filling this day up with surprises for her would make it an excellent day indeed. Removing his hand from the warmth of its pocket, he quickly reached up to the jacket collar that covered majority of his face, preparing himself for the rush of nipping cold as he tugged it down and leaned forward a bit. “I think ya should just jump right in.” He advised with his tell-tale Texan accent, standing out like a sore thumb in the midst of Chicago, his brilliant smirk lighting up his face as he looked to her as if he wasn’t supposed to be at Fox River Penitentiary. And as of that day when he’d been officially released from the prison on account of good behaviour and set up in the sweet new digs, he truly wasn’t anymore.

[Abby Foster]

Snow held a lot of dear memories for Abby. The connotations of Christmas spent with a nuclear family, snow ball fights with friends, snow angels, snow forts, snow men. Within the one word there lay a childhood. She would have loved the swiftly tumbling flakes of white all the more were they not making the barrier before her slowly but progressively bigger.

With nothing to lose and no way around it, Abby prepared herself to attempt to step over the pile. At that moment a familiar and completely out of place Texan brogue broke through her concentration.

“I think ya should just jump right in.”

Abby gave a jolt and spun quickly, starring in astonishment at the smirking mouth and excited hazel eyes; all the handsome features that turned this stranger into her best friend.

“Rome!” His name was gasped from her lips and the bag of groceries tumbled to the cold pavement. Her personal boundaries were forgotten in that rush of shock and elation as she flung her arms suddenly about his neck, staggering on the tips of her toes as she did so. The sound of Abby’s muffled laughter filled the air as her face was pressed against the rough, sodden material of his jacket. The smell of tobacco and old spice rushed in to overwhelm her senses with every breath she took. It was a scent uniquely different from the one she had come to associate her friend with: the blandness of prison soap and the tang of sweat, but it mixed pleasantly with the strawberry scented shampoo Abby used.

Keeping her hands on his shoulders, Abby pulled back enough to inspect his features, drinking in the details because it suddenly felt like forever since she had seen him last. And there was no denying that the man into whose arms she had leapt so eagerly was anyone other than her Rome.

“It really is you.” She wondered softly, her hazel eyes wide and shining.

“When…? How did you…? When were you…?” Each question ran into the other and she gave up the attempt with a laugh. The answers didn’t matter. They were trivial; paling in comparison to the overwhelming joy she felt. And she hugged him again, pressing him tight because she could; because he was safe and that was all that really mattered.

[Rome]

His grin brightened as she jumped and focused on him, the surprise of her features proving truly satisfying. And then she was shouting his name and he couldn’t help but laugh with her, eyes widening as she carelessly dropped her groceries so she could fling her arms happily about him. He forgot about how strange it was for his Abby to be this animated, he didn’t care about her usual timid nature or how things usually went or how he might have expected them to be. He had this very moment where she was excited to see him, hugging him and he felt satisfied in a way in so very long.

With deep breaths, he drew her scent into his lungs as much as he could, suffocating himself on the generic smell of strawberries and sweetness. His arms folded tightly about her slim frame, crushing her to his body with warmth and happiness. Straightening up, he lifted her so her tiny feet could flail in the air, good nature and exciting bubbling in the moment of their reunion.

Once she was no longer clinging to him, hands moving to his shoulders, he took the cue and dropped her down to the ground once more. His arms slid from her, but not by much as his hands came to a friendly rest upon her slight hips, his glittering eyes smiling down at her with the broadest of his grins. He let her absorb all the details of his face with that pretty gaze of hers, because he was greedily doing the same. He’d been looking for her, he’d known he would find, but he looked over her features in the same way that she looked over his own. As if he couldn’t quite believe it was her and he couldn’t quite believe this was happening. Any moment, he expected to wake up from a dream, back in his cramped cell about to face another nightmarish day of Mama, alone and battered.

Of course, if this was any sort of dream, Abby or not, there’d be no snow. So this was real.

“It’s really me.” He uttered back, grin stretching crookedly at a corner.

He chuckled as her questions stumbled and inevitably failed to actually fall into any form of completion, but that didn’t matter. She didn’t need to finish any of them for him to know exactly what she was curious about and he wrapped her up into another hug, his face moving to fit easily into the crook where her shoulder met her neck. “I got parole, for good behaviour. Can ya believe it?” He asked with an amused huff, his words muffled as he spoke against her jacket. He couldn’t be bothered to move away from her any bit just so he could speak clearly. Pft on that formality.

[Abby Foster]

His face was pressed into the crook of her neck; warm breath slipping through the gaps in her scarf to tickle at her skin. And it didn't feel wrong. It felt natural, joyful, as easy as breathing. Abby had been scared to let someone close for so long and yet here they were now, wrapped up in each others arms, each abandoning the rules that had been so meticulously set and followd. And she wasn't afraid.

Abby felt his words in short bursts of hot air against her neck. They were funny words too, urging a laugh from her but no response could follow. She was still stuck on his surpise like a child unable to tear itself away from an impossible gift unwrapped on Christmas. It was all a little overwhelming, a lot to handle at once, but that was Rome. Loud, boisterous, a whirlwind of activity, chatter and warmth. And she couldn't believe that he was here like this, just like this, with his arms around her and his face to her neck as hers was to his; the heat of his skin, the smell of old spice, and the loud, lovely, demanding thud of his pulse. He'd made it out of that hell, they'd made it out together; they were free.

Abby gradually became aware of her surroundings again: the flakes that were beginning to fall faster and faster; the accompagning nip in the winter air. Slowly, reluctantly she pulled away. "You must be freezing." At this close proximity Abby had to tilt her head up to meet his gaze and she smiled a full, honest, happy smile. "Come on inside so we can warm up and I can show you my home finally." She stopped as she caught sight of her groceries lieing on the pavement, a short 'oh' of surprise escaping from her lips. In their moment together she had forgotten entirely about her shopping trip and even the snow barrier that obstructed her path.

Embarassed, Abby stooped to scoop up her fallen groceries, bundling them back into the paper bag and tucking it up in her arms. There was an impressive rip along the sodden bottom, and a few items could be seen making a desperate bid for freedom. Abby stopped again at the sight of the barrier, clearly hesitating for a long moment. She turned back to face Rome, her nose wrinkling lightly as her lower lip portruded. "I'm still too short."

[I'm still of half a mind to have Abby find a way around the barrier so they can carry on into the appartment. I'm not sure that leaving it as it is will give you enough to reply too. If it doesn't just gimmie a shout, 'kay? ]

[Rome]

He didn’t want to be anywhere else in that moment. Despite the awful cold that was still seeping through to his bones, he didn’t mind anymore. His face was warm where he tucked it away against the crook of her neck and he felt strong as he folded her up tight against him in a hug. He’d missed her so much throughout the remainder of his bid since she’d left. A visit every so often wasn’t good enough. Each walk back to his cell had been the loneliest walk in his life and now he didn’t feel alone anymore because she was right there wrapped up in him. It was the best feeling in the world. He was such a sap.

And then she spoke and reminded him of that awful cold.

He huffed an amused laugh as she pulled away from him, his hazel eyes darting down to take in the flush of her cheeks and the white specks flaking her mousy brown hair. His own nose was red, his breath frozen, and his jacket covered in miniature drifts of snow. “You have no idea.” He replied with a lopsided grin, shivering and panting from the effort to do so, looking back up to her face with another chuckle riding the comment. This snowy wonderland was definitely no Texas. Dear sweet scorching hot Texas.

As she recognized the mess of groceries she’d dropped to the ground, so did he. Quickly, he followed her lead and crouched down, helping her gather up the items to squeeze back into the broken bag they’d been trapped in. It seemed unstable and, as they rose to their feet, he held his hands out with the intention of catching anything that might manage to escape her grasp. She managed to balance it all though, keeping it all in place – but one obstacle was merely replaced with another as she turned to face the barricade that kept them from a nice warm place to settle. Eugh, he really hated snow.

Biting at his lip thoughtfully, he studied the drift that had accumulated before looking back to her as she faced him with a dissatisfied wrinkled of her nose. He offered another chuckle, grin sitting bold and crooked on his features, as he went ahead to lift a hand up and playfully ruffle her hair. “An’ don’t you grow none, you might not be as cute.” He teased, shifting his weight before moving to step around her to face the drift head-on. He was lean at only 170 plus pounds, but he was six foot and considerably broader than her own petite frame. He was more of a match. “Um… follow me, I guess.” He directed uncertainly, holding his arms out for balance as he tackled the obstacle, taking large steps into the drift, dragging his feet in order to crumple the snow and create a more tolerable pathway for Abby. It was uncertain how well it would work, but, well, he’d seen the tactic on TV once or twice.

[Abby Foster]

Abby ducked her head to avoid Rome's hand, but he still managed to playfully ruffle her hair. Her face scrunched further as the mousy strands fell messily across her delicate features. She hook her head to clear her vision, and equally as playful stuck her tongue out at him. Abby moved out of his way as Rome stepped forward, crushing the pile of snow with his boots. She watched his progress and when it came time for her to follow, Abby shifted the bag of groceries to one arm and reached out to grasp the back of Rome's jacket in her gloved hand. She stepped onto the compacted mound, her feed sinking slightly in the gaps that Rome had made. She moved carefully, making sure of her footing before she dared to take another step. Abby had no wish to take too hurried a step and end up sliding on her backside, the groceries flying higgeldy piggeldy.

They made it across soon enough and Abby breathed a sigh of relief as her feet touched ground. The steam from her breath formed a wispy cloud that lifted and whirled away in the frigid breeze and fastly falling flakes. The small girl released the back of Rome's jacket, hefting the bag up further in her arms and letting a grateful smile touch her lips. "Thanks." She didn't pause for long, figuring that her Texan boy would want to be out of this cold and warming himself as soon as possible. Abby turned to take the lead; a movement that she didn't seem to think twice on.

As the front door neared Abby dug in her deep pocket and produced a small set of keys, promptly letting themselves into the dingy lobby. "There's no elevator." She explained as she headed for the stairs directly. Abby was acutely aware of the stained carpets as they climbed; the lingering odour of cigarettes and mold; the water stained ceiling and the torn wallpaper that belonged to a long outdated era.

Thank goodness Abby lived on the first floor.

She stopped otuside a dark wooden door, the paint chipping from the 155 that identified this appartment as hers. "Um, just here." Abby unlocked the door, feeling a mixture of embarassment and nerves suddenly. Still cradling the groceries, Abby used her shoulder to pushe the door open and let them in. She made sure that Rome made it through before rushing to the kitchen counter and setting down the slipping groceries. Abby reset a few items, using the time to collect herself. Hesitantly she peaked at her appartment from behind her strands of mousy hair - some habits die hard. Her hazel eyes went around the cramped one bedroom, one bathroom appartment. the single stained window that barely opened; the sagging, thread bare couch, the ancient television set; the small wooden table and chair with their pockmarked surfaces; the rickety bookcase that's emptiness was emphasized by the few books that sat on it's shelves. Second hand copies of Romeo and Juliet and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime stood out visibly.

Abby removed her coat and scarf slowly, moving to hang them up in the cupboard. She tried to keep the place tidy because it was after all her home. No matter how small, how thrifty it seemed, it was hers; her own corner. Abby lifted her gaze to Rome, nervous and hopeful, embarassed and proud.

"I'd offer you a tour but..." She lifted her arms to indicate the space that served as a kitchen, living room and dining room all in one. Abby dropped her hands back to her sides, her hands linking in front of her where her fingers knotted about themselves.

"I can take your coat for you...and are you hungry or anything?"