I Waited on the Melting Snow While They Sang Her Birthday Song Chapter 01

I was a snowman who lived high in the mountains.

When I was little, I guided three lost boys out of the snowy mountains.

One of them eventually became my boyfriend. The other two became my childhood friends.

The Snow Realm had allowed me to live among humans, but there was one condition.

Every year before spring, at least one person had to walk the final snow-covered stretch of the trail near the summit with me.

If no one came, I would lose my human form.

The first year, all three of them showed up, practically fighting over who got to clear a path through the snow for me.

They did the same thing every year after that.

That changed this year, when Lily Bennett, my boyfriend Graham Wilder’s cousin, came to town for school.

She’d never seen the ocean and wanted the three of them to take her.

Before they left, I asked, “Who’s coming up the mountain with me this year?”

Graham answered immediately. “I am.”

Elliot Brooks and Miles Carter laughed, too. “Have we ever missed a year?”

But on the day we were supposed to go, I waited at the bus station until dark.

Then Lily sent me a group photo from the beach.

She stood in the middle, surrounded by all three of them, her smile as bright as the sun.

“Weren’t you supposed to come up the mountain with me?” I asked.

“It’s Lily’s first time seeing the ocean,” Graham said. “I can’t just leave her here.”

Elliot tried to reason with me. “You go up there every year. What’s the big deal if you skip it once?”

“We’ll go with you next year,” Miles said.

I looked toward the distant mountains. “But the snow will be gone tomorrow.”

“Then we’ll go earlier next year,” Graham replied.

That night, they even asked in our group chat, “We’re coming back to the beach next week. Wanna come?”

I looked down at my hand. The snow on the back of it was slowly melting.

…

I wiped it with a tissue, but the tissue soaked through almost immediately.

I tried another. It got soaked, too.

It took me a long time to realize the water wasn’t dripping from my clothes.

My hand was melting.

When the people of the Snow Realm sent me down from the mountain, they’d warned me.

If there ever came a year when no one made it to the end of that final snow-covered stretch with me, my body would begin to melt before the last of the snow disappeared.

But if someone made it to me in time, the melting could still be stopped.

I bought a ticket for the earliest bus to the foot of the mountain the next morning, then posted the drive time from the beach to the mountain in our group chat.

Me: [It’s a three-hour drive. I just need one of you here by 5 p.m. tomorrow.]

Elliot replied: [Why are you counting the hours now? It’s not like we’re avoiding you.]

Miles sent a GIF of someone getting a reassuring pat on the head.

Miles: [We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Go get some sleep.]

I stared at Graham’s profile picture.

He hadn’t said a word.

Last year, he’d been halfway along the snowy trail with me when he realized my gloves were still in the car. He’d insisted on going back for them.

I told him not to bother, but he’d said, “I hate seeing your hands get cold.”

Back then, he’d run back and forth through the snow twice. Now all I needed was for him to make one trip back to me.

It was almost eleven when he finally sent a message.

Graham: [Lily got carsick. She needs to sleep in tomorrow, so don’t start rushing her first thing in the morning.]

Me: [I won’t rush her. I’ll wait for you.]

He sent me $75 through Apple Cash.

He’d added a note: [Get yourself a good meal. Take care of yourself.]

I didn’t accept the payment. Instead, I called him again.

“Graham, can you come tomorrow?”

Someone on his end was laughing and calling him over for a picture. He stepped a little farther away before answering.

“Didn’t I already explain? Whatever gift you want, I’ll bring it back for you.”

“I don’t want a gift.”

“Then what exactly do you want?”

“I want you to walk with me. Just that one stretch.”

The line went quiet for a moment.

“Nora, Lily just got here. She doesn’t have a single friend in town. What’s she supposed to do if all three of us leave?”

“You don’t all have to come.”

“Enough.”

He went on as though he hadn’t heard me. “I’ll talk to the others tomorrow.”

I looked down at what remained of two of my fingertips.

“Just don’t leave it too late,” I said.