warm on a cold night |m.g.c.|

one. is the loneliest number

"You guys are leaving while it's snowing?" Aaran asked, wrapping a fleece around her body, raising a brow up at her parents.

Her mother, Alice, gave her husband a look then shook her head at her child.

"Ary, if we don't go then we'll be blinsided by the blizzard coming this way." Alice reasoned, taking a peek out her burgandy curtains to reveal the snow cascading from the smoky colored sky.

Aaran bit at her bottom lip, something she does when she's nervous, shifting from her left foot to the right.

"Uh, okay but do both of you have to go?" She mumbled out the question, making an uncertain face at her dad when he turned away from the coat rack.

"Baby girl, it'll only take a few minutes. The supply store is just downtown." Her father explained, raising his brows when she rolled her eyes.

The supply store was certainly not just a skip and a hop away.

On days when traffic wasn't too hectic, it'd take thirty minutes.

But since she's guessing everyone was thinking like her parents, she suspected the road to be clogged with last minute shoppers.

And that, that drive, took almost a full hour.

A whole hour she'd be forced to be in her two story home alone.

A two story house that had creaky floors and squeaking doors, or maybe it was the opposite.

Either way, it creeped her out and that's when her parents were home.

Imagine being by yourself, on a snowy day, in a huge house...did she mention she was alone?

The girl visibly cringed at the thought, squeezing the fuzzy blanket further into her body.

Alice noticed and took a step towards her daughter, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Sweetie, is it that serious? I mean, I'd stay with you but your father would need help with toting the wood to the car."

"No, you know what, it's fine." The girl replied, her cheeks sporting a scarlet red as they flared up in embarrassment.

"Aaran--"

"No, dad, really go ahead." She flashed them a small smile, hoping they'd just leave so she wouldn't have to continue to feel like a child.

She was eighteen, so it was unusual for an eighteen year old, practically a grown up, woman to not want their parents out the house.

Aaran was aware of that but then again, she's sure that, that 'rebellious teen' notion wasn't made when they were alone in a two story house on a cold, winter day.

However, she sucked it up, at least until her parents left, and threw on a convincing smile, nudging her mom softly.

"Go on, you two. I want you back here in an hour." Aaran joked as if she wasn't a few seconds away from panicking.

"Look at that, Gerald, she the mama and daddy now." Her mother snorted playfully, patting her husband's shoulder.

"Yes, mama Bradwell." Her dad responded in a kid-like tone, zipping his jacket up and grabbing his scarf.

The three shared a small laugh, Aaran's was more forced, of course since she was counting the seconds until they were gone.

Alice gave her daughter one last look as she pulled her arms through her coat.

"You sure, baby? You know mama would stay right here with you." Alice pushed the topic, making sure her daughter was one hundre percent with her decision.