Frostbitten Past

X V I

When she pulled away, Lila was standing in her doorway, her makeup already finished. She had her bag on and she rocked back on her heels. "I'm going back to my house to get ready. I'll see you there?"

Andorra just nodded, amazed at how quickly Lila did her makeup and how professional it looked, despite the short amount of time. Lila nodded, smiled at Andorra's parents, then made her way towards the front door of the house.

Andorra's mother was elated. She grabbed her daughter's hands and held them tight, leaning in closer. "Tell me about your date!"

Andorra let out a relaxed laugh, thinking of how to best describe Kyle. She wasn't sure if she should start with his devilish good looks, or perhaps his chipper personality. She settled on starting with an easy place: his humor. "His name is Kyle, and mom, he's so funny. He just always seems to make me laugh, even when I'm in a horrible mood."

Her mother let out a laugh, then eyed her husband with a knowing smile. "Your father was similar. He had the strangest haircut and the biggest ears, but he was the funniest boy in school. He won me over with his humor."

"And my charm!" Andorra's father cut in, smiling at his wife with nothing but adoration in his eyes. "She was quite the catch. All the boys wanted her, but she chose me! Ol' big ears."

Andorra's mother swatted him, but she was laughing too, the love clear in her eyes. Andorra wanted that so badly - to be married to someone who could make you laugh, even years down the road.

"And, he's cute mom. Like, the cutest." Andorra figured she should mention his looks, because after all, that was such a girl thing to do. And, as predicted, her mother squealed and hugged her daughter tightly.

"I'm so glad you've finally found someone!"

Her father cleared his throat. "And that someone will be here in about 20 minutes. So let's get downstairs and make sure you're all good to go. Are you hungry? Do you need something before you go?"

Andorra pulled away from her mother and picked up the bottom of her dress, smiling knowingly at her father. He knew she had the appetite of a bird, but he was always asking if she wanted more food.

"I'm fine, dad. But, I would like to go see if my makeup is still good after all this hugging."
She turned to go back in the bathroom, her gaze falling upon herself in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were so wide, and now surrounded by large, thick eyelashes that demanded attention. As did her lips. She was glad to see that nothing had changed, and nothing was out of place.

She gathered the bottom of her dress and swept back into the hallway, then down the stairs. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest she was beginning to wonder if she was going to be sick. She was nervous and worried, and most of all, she was wondering if Kyle was going to like what he saw.

She hated feeling so self conscious, but felt that she had no choice when it came to Kyle. He was popular, well liked, and his personality was kind and generous. He cared about her, when no one else did, and he always stood up for her. Always took the time to make sure she was alright.

He was a catch, but there was that nagging thought in the back of her mind that told her he wasn't enough. There wasn't enough of a spark, not enough desire, not enough of a pull. She didn't feel like she was flying when she was with him. She didn't feel her happiest next to him, and she didn't feel like she was falling in love with him.

She wanted to, so badly, but there was something that was stopping her from feeling too deeply about him. Something that was holding her back like there was a wall in between them. It was frustrating, but she figured things like this, like falling in love, took time. It was a slow process. It didn't happen all at once. Or so she thought.