25. Kayla

Chapter 25

Kayla

March is the busiest month in the season, with perfect snow conditions, and families from all over the world descending on the resort for their winter vacations. I have tours or lessons booked every single day, sometimes multiple, and by the time I crash into bed at night, Ryan is busy at work.

Our schedules don’t match up often enough to talk on the phone regularly, but we sustain our friendship with text messages, the occasional photo, and now, apparently, postcards.

My slim mailbox in our shared hallway is usually empty, but something told me to check it when I got home, and I knew immediately I had something from him.

Inside, I get comfy on my sofa and I manage to catch him for a video call before he heads to work.

“Did you really send me a postcard?” I ask when he answers, and a huge smile breaks across his face.

Fuck, I miss that smile.

“Might have done.”

“Why?” I lift it to my nose and inhale deeply.

“At Christmas, you said a postcard would have been nice. It felt like a guaranteed way to get in touch with you.”

“You went to California, not to war,” I laugh, sniffing it again. “It smells like you. ”

“Sprayed it with my cologne before I posted it.”

The way my heart flutters and my toes wiggle is almost embarrassing. It’s as if I’m stuck in my teenage crush on him. He’s never done cute shit like this before, and neither has anyone else. It’s so sweet I could puke and still be happy about it.

We sit like that for a while, two idiots who can’t stop smiling, until his eyes flick down to his watch and he breaks the spell.

“I’m sorry we keep missing each other, but I need to head to work.”

“That’s OK. I need to shower anyway. I’m heading out for dinner with a few instructors tonight.”

“Have a great time, you deserve it.”

I pin his postcard to my wall with all my most treasured photos. Another postcard arrives the following week. And the week after that. Then another. And another.