45

We were sitting around watching TV on Friday afternoon when Tyler asked, "Does Pebbles like peanut butter?"

The rest of us chuckled as Pebbles ran over to him and put her face in his lap. Peanut butter was her favorite.

"I think she answered that for you," My dad said, pulling her peanut butter jar out of the cupboard and setting it on the counter. "What did you have in mind?"

Tyler showed us a video on his phone of someone putting paint on a canvas, putting that inside a bag, and putting peanut butter on the top. After that, the dog licked it and basically made a painting.

"I want to do that with Pebbs!" Sierra said, jumping from the couch and running to her room. She quickly came back with a canvas and paint from our arts and crafts closet and put them on the counter. Dad shook his head, smiling, and pulled out a jumbo Ziploc bag and got a knife out of the drawer.

"Someone is going to record this, right?" Dad asked as he started spreading the peanut butter onto the outside of the bag.

Sierra and Tyeshia dolloped the paint on the canvas, and then Tyler held the bag open while I gently pushed the canvas inside.

Sierra pulled her phone out and started recording as Dad put Pebbles' canvas on the floor. She was a bit hesitant at first, but then she went to town. After a few minutes, she had licked all the peanut butter off the bag and had a very artistic mix of fall colors on a small canvas. We all laughed and enjoyed the whole thing.

"We should have made it more like a turkey or something," Sierra said, putting her phone away. "Oh! We should do one for each season! Like we can do red and green for Christmas, and…"

"Don't get carried away," Dad said, picking up the new artwork and throwing the bag away. "But, yes, I think that's a great idea."

November flew into December, and soon fall semester was almost over.

"You're coming with me to the Parade of Lights, right?" I asked Tyler over breakfast. I was trying to do the New York Times crossword puzzle and not think about my Chemistry final. "After Chemistry, I'm finally free until January."

"Sounds like you're not giving me much of a choice, darling."

I put my pen down and gaped at him. "Please! It will be so much fun! Do you really not want to go?"

He smiled and took both my hands in his. "Ali, my love, I would be happy to go with you."

I almost skipped as I left my Chemistry final. It was the last Friday of school, and it was over for me. I was looking forward to spending the rest of the day with Tyler and enjoying my winter break with my family at home.

As I was packing for break, I decided hot cocoa was necessary for our Parade of Lights date. That would require us leaving half an hour earlier than we'd originally planned.

Tyler was done with finals, too, and I was taking him to the airport the next morning. I was sure he was also packing, but that could wait.

"You aren't busy, are you?" I asked when he answered my call.

He cleared his throat. "No, not really."

"Good. We're going to The Roasted Bean before we leave for the Parade."

"I thought you were almost through the menu already."

I found the scarf I was looking for and started digging in a drawer for the matching gloves. "I'm about halfway through the hot chocolate selections. I'll eventually find my favorite hot chocolate flavor, too."

He chuckled softly. "As long as you pick something for me."

"Cool. I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes. I love you."

"I love you, too, darling. I'll see you soon."

***

Our walk from The Roasted Bean to the square was quiet. I ordered a salted caramel hot chocolate, and Tyler had decided on orange flavored. We just enjoyed the campus being lit up for the holidays.

"This might be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been." Tyler reached for my hand as we walked down the sidewalk.

"It really is beautiful when it's lit up like this," I agreed. "I love just looking at the lights.

"Dance with me," he said as we got to the parade route. There weren't too many people there yet.

I stared at him. "Here? Tyler, I don't want to dance."

He took the blanket out of my arms and set my cup of hot chocolate on the ground next to the blanket.

"Please, darling?"

He held his hand out to me, knowing I couldn't resist.

"Only because I love you," I said, taking his hand.

He held me close and started humming, twirling me like he did on our first date. After a few minutes, more people started to arrive, so he let me go.

Even with my winter coat and the blanket wrapped around my shoulders, I was shivering. Tyler sat down on a bench on the extra blanket that he'd brought and pulled me down into his lap. He pressed my head to his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Better?" He asked.

"Mhmm." I snuggled in closer to him, trying to get as much of his warmth as I could.

He tightened his arms around me.

"You know, this is the happiest moment of my entire life."

I looked up at him, and he kissed me on the nose. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I drank the last sip of my hot chocolate, leaned against him, and watched the lit floats glide past.