"It's done. She won't bother you anymore."
I tried not to let my relief show too obviously. "And what about your child, Harry? What are you going to do?"
Harry's weariness showed on his face, aging him to the point where I realized how similar he and daddy looked. "Once she gives birth, I'll be taking the child. It won't be difficult—you know how much power our family holds. She knows that with one word, I could lock her up for good."
"Could you really do that, though? You loved her."
"I still love her, Yuki. She tried using magic when we left the hospital and... it just doesn't work anymore. The expression on her face broke my heart. So no, I could never let myself lock her up. But I'm taking her child, and that's far worse."
I'll always regret not having warned Harry. In the end, he and I both did the wrong thing. He never should have tried to convince me that Stefan was a bad person and I should have convinced him that Shauni was the opposite.
I threw myself back into work with vigour. The horses were tentative of me, at first, but Flame has always been brave and was the first to approach me. When he realized who I was, he snorted and nuzzled me affectionately. It didn't take long for him to convince Snowy to accept me as well.
The two had obviously been busy while I was dead, because it wasn't long before Snowy gave birth to a foal I named Nyoko. I loved being around a foal again, and with spring fresh in the air, it was hard for me to avoid falling in love with the little horse.
Nyoko wasn't the only one that I was falling in love with. There was something special about your childhood friend and old love bringing you back to life and waking you with a kiss. Needless to say, I was head over heels for Stefan.
I was very worried that we were going to have a honeymoon period. That things would be like the last time we dated, and things would fall apart again. But there was no denying that I felt differently this time. The time apart and years growing up had served us both well. Communication was easier and we were both unafraid to voice what we wanted.
It helped that I no longer had school, and although my horses were still my life, time with Stefan was a a welcome break from work. Slowly, I found myself putting him first more and more. In fact, I was so excited to go to the Spring festival with him that I cancelled my plans to attend a horse show.
"Are you sure?" Stefan asked when I told him. "I know how important these things are to your career."
"That may be so, but my career isn't the only thing important to me. We only have so much time in the world, Stefan, and after the whole ordeal with Harry and Shauni, it's made me realize how important family is. How important you are."
Harry had moved out and gotten a modest home for him and his newly born daughter, Suzanna. I didn't know where Shauni was, but he assured me that she wasn't going to influence his daughter.
Stefan accepted my words with only mild reluctance, seeing that he too was excited to spend the evening with me. Stefan was heavily involved with politics, and the two of us didn't get as much time to see each other as we would like. Consequently, we cherished our date nights even more.
"Let's try our hand at the love-o-meter!" Stefan said, pulling me towards it. Even now, the feeling of his hand in mine made me feel nervous.
"Oh man." Stefan groaned as the light flickered on blue, indicating the lowest rating possible.
I laughed, trying to cover my face with my hand to hide my smile.
"What's so funny?"
"I was really hoping it would be a bright red. Do you see what the top one says? Something about burning loins? I had a really good pick-up line for it."
Stefan quirked an eyebrow at me. "Oh? I suppose you have nothing for cold loins."
"Don't worry, I can certainly provide a warm remedy for that affliction."
Stefan chuckled, shaking his head at me. "Come on, silly, they just started the competition for the Spring King and Queen."
"Look, Yuki Blanche! People are clearing an area around us as we dance! They must be entranced by our performance."
Stefan dips be back, forcing me to cling closer to him. "Believe what you want, love, but the reason they're looking is because I'm a ghost. You don't see too many of those walking around."
"No, they do tend to float." We dance for a few more minutes to the rhythm of the song before Stefan pulls me tighter, lowering his voice. "Do you really face a lot of hardship as a ghost?"
I shrugged as best as I was able to. "It's not too bad. People stare and ask some intrusive questions, and I feel a little colder, but all of the important things have stayed the same. I can hug the ones I love, taste delicious food, and relax Flame with a few pats. Trust me, I received more flack back in high school."
"I'm sorry about that, Yuki. I should have seen more clearly how the other girls treated you. Were you friends with any of them?"
I sighed and pulled away from him slightly to catch my breath. They were announcing the winners to the Spring Dance and it wouldn't be me. "No, Stefan. I was friends with some of my cousins, but the only person who I was ever close with was you. That's why... Well, I was foolish when I was younger. But it's hard to find new friends in a town as small as this."
We settled down on a nearby patch of grass. Stefan was quiet, absorbing what I had said.
"The only person I ever connected with was you, Yuki. I don't talk to anyone from high school very often now. When we broke up... I tried moving on. I really did. But I just found myself not interested in any other girls. Instead, I tried growing up and learning from our relationship. But I always missed you. I missed how comfortable I felt with you. I missed how you always made me laugh, how much you cared about horses and other people. I missed the urgency in which you feel the need to make your bed, and I missed making you laugh. It's true, too, that you are undeniably the most attractive woman in the world. You just make other women seem so... bland by comparison." He turned to me, some shyness still spread across face. "Emotionally, I've always been so dependent on you. When something bad happened, you were the one I went to. And with good news, you were always the first one I told. You've always been my best friend, Yuki. I know I must have seemed popular, but in the end, you and I have always been so similar.
"I think it's important to mention that you only came in contact with the girls. Ones who were jealous of you. There were a lot of guys who were jealous of me and I had to deal with them. Guys who would turn as you passed by, or blush whenever you talked to them. But you never noticed them. The only ones you saw were the girls who made themselves seen."
"I also saw you, Stefan."
When the air got too cold, we walked home in silence and held hands. Between the crackling fire we ignited and Stefan's tender words, it didn't take long for me to warm up. "This was the couch we first kissed on," I whispered.
Stefan wrapped an arm around me, pulling me tight to him. "You were my first kiss, you know."
"And you mine." And although I didn't say it, something in the back of my brain told me he would be my first, only, and last.
"Why don't we recreate that moment?"
Even all these years later, I still felt a desire for him that had never quite been sated, and it only made our gentle kissing all the more exciting.
When things got more heated, Stefan pulled away, readjusting his beanie.
I frowned, my brain a bit fuzzy. "What's wrong?"
He blushed. "Nothing. But I would prefer to... I mean... I just need to catch my breath. Besides, it's getting late."
Disappointed, I stood and pulled him closer to me, running a finger along the top of his chest, tickling hair that had never been there when were were teenagers. "Are you sure you can't stay?"
Stefan gulped and dipped me down so far that all of my body weight rested in his arms. "I would like to, Yuki. I would like nothing more than that." He leaned down and kissed me, brief but sweet.
"In fact, I would like it so much that I was wondering... Would you like to move in together? I feel like we get to see each other so rarely, and we're both so busy, not to mention that I would love nothing more than to fall asleep next to you. To be able to hold you in my arms as we fall asleep, and gaze upon your face the next morning..."
I silenced his words with a kiss, and he responded eagerly, parting his lips to mirror mine. I pulled away slowly, amused and warmed by the state of breathlessness he was in. "Yes, Stefan. I would love nothing more than for you to live with me. Although, I have to say, I think you're really romanticizing the appearance that my face will be in coming morning..."
He grinned, cupping my face in his hands and leaning forward to kiss my forehead. "Somehow, I think I will be able to endure it."
Living with Stefan made our lives much easier. We didn't have to coordinate plans with each other and it was easier to be spontaneous. Even on days when we were both busy, at the end of the night, we still saw each other.
We were reminded of what it was like when we were kids, too. We played horseshoes, swam in the pool, and even jumped on the trampoline. Well, tried, at least.
"I think you have an unfair advantage, being weightless and all," he teased, jumping to match my height.
"It's not something I can control," I responded, slowly floating back down to the trampoline. "What if one day I just floated away?"
Stefan smiled. "I'd get into a hot air balloon, grab your hand, and we'd descend together."
While floating away wasn't a real concern of mine, the possibility of me not having kids was one of my greatest fears. Seppen Hiver was on her fifth child, thanks to both Doc and Dopey. Daddy assured me that the family was happy and healthy as could be. Knowing Seppen, I didn't doubt this. I still thought that their whole... arrangement... was odd, but I couldn't deny my own envy.
Marty and his boyfriend had had quite the collection of their own kids, thanks to a surrogate. Their relationship was constantly on the rocks, and I couldn't get behind the logic of their decision to have kids considering their tumultuous situation. Harry told me that Marty had been pushing for kids for a while, and that it was a bit of an ultimatum between him and his partner. In the end, he got his way, so he couldn't complain too much. Daddy argued that Marty did, regardless, and became overly protective when daddy played with his kids.
Meanwhile, Bert and his wife were racking up the collection of kids, too, although their family seemed to be having a lot more issues. Their eldest son, Alvin, was a bit of a troublemaker, forcing dad to come over on more than one occasion to help deal with his behaviour problems. He asked Bert if he though that boarding school was a good idea—after all, Bert had gone to military school himself—but in the end, Bert refused. While Bert had voluntarily joined, Alvin would be extremely resistant, and Bert had seen the kind of mischief that rebellious kids got up to when away from their parents.
And, of course, even Harry had a little one of his own. Suzanna was old enough that I could see traits of both her dad, and unfortunately, her mum. Since I made my own hours, I often volunteered to babysit her for Harry while he was away at work. It almost made me regret him moving out, as it would have been easier if she lived with us, but Stefan reminded me that we'd have to make room for our own little ones eventually. My heart jolted when he said this, and I couldn't help but feel giddy that Stefan was already thinking of our future together.
I thought about these words often during the next few months, and on Christmas Eve, Stefan took me to the town festival on a date to celebrate both the season and my recent international jumping competition victory. The Christmas cheer gave me a happy buzz, and the party planned for the next day filled me with warmth. It had been lonely growing up in such a large house with vacant family members, and even more lonely now that Stefan, daddy, and I were the only ones left. I couldn't help but dream of a house filled with my children.
I arrived at the park slightly earlier than we agreed to meet, to my consternation, and took it upon myself to wander around.
I happened across a snowman that someone had built and immediately felt cold. Well, colder than I usually felt, being a ghost and all. The snowman was dressed up like Death, complete with a scythe and hood. I didn't remember my encounter with Death, but I couldn't help but feel oddly triumphant. I kicked over the snowman and carried on, proud to have defeated Death. Thinking back on it, the reality was that I likely ruined some poor kid's proud creation.
The night got considerably better when Stefan arrived. We built a snowman (just a regular one), had a snowball fight, made snow angels, and finally settled down in front of a toasty bonfire.
"Look what I brought," Stefan teased, pulling a bag of marshmallows from the confines of his jacket. They were a bit squished, but otherwise edible. We scrounged up some sticks and settled ourselves in front of the fire.
"Thank you for today, sweetheart," I said, looking over at him. I appreciated our moments together so much more. For some reason, I never grew tired of his presence. Just being near him had a calming effect on me, that made me feel like I was safe in the world. He really understood me, from my sense of humour to the way I felt about topics. Love was a hard thing to describe, but I knew that I was feeling it.
"No need to thank me, love." He smirked. "This marshmallow is plenty of payment."
I cocked an eyebrow at him as his marshmallow caught fire.
"Still delicious!"
When we returned home, we immediately headed for the hot-tub in an attempt to warm up. We casually stripped down and hopped in. Living together, and having a relationship for so many years, meant that we had already seen each other naked. Stefan and I both agreed that sex wasn't an option before marriage, however. The risks were too high for both of us. Besides, I was never particularly interested in that sort of thing anyway.
Sitting next to the man I loved, naked, stirred up feelings of affection inside of me. The hair on his chest was veritable proof that he was a man, and yet the rosiness of his cheeks still reminded me of the boy that I had befriended as a child.
"You're beautiful, Yuki."
I laughed. "You can barely even see me because of this wispy appearance."
"Yuki, you could be turned into a toad and you'd still be the most beautiful woman in the world."
"You sure do know how to say all the right things, don't you?" I snuggled close to him, tucking myself under his arm. "Dating my best friend has been the most wonderful thing in the entire world."
"Yuki! You didn't tell me that you're dating someone else!"
"Oh, stop it, you. You've always listened to me—even if I didn't realize it—and been there for me. That time I spent away from you was important, for both of us to grow, but it was also the hardest time in my life. I don't think I could live without you."
Stefan smiles, wordless, and rubs his cold nose against mine. "Hey, I have something to ask you, but we need to get dressed."
We dried off changed back into our slightly damp clothes. I shivered slightly, glancing towards the house. "Shall we head back in?"
"No!" Stefan shouted, then took a step back. "I mean, it's just that there's always paparazzi in the front, the snow is so pretty, your dad is inside the house, and this is the spot that he... Well, it won't take long."
Puzzled, I stepped back and cocked my head.
Stefan took a deep breath. "What you were just saying right now... That you couldn't live without me? Yuki, I wouldn't be able to live without you. When you died... well, I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't been able to bring you back to life."
"I doubt many girls can brag about being brought back to life by their true love."
"We do have quite the story, don't we? One that would be great to tell our children..."
My heart skipped a beat. "You want to have kids with me?"
"Of course, Yuki. I've thought about our life together. In fact, I've though about our future a lot."
"You're right, Yuki. Dating my best friend has been wonderful. I can only think of one more thing to top that." Stefan kneeled down in the snow, ignoring the coldness no doubt permeating his clothing.
My mouth felt dry, and a snowflake drifted into my eyelashes, causing my eyes to water.
Or maybe I was just crying.
"Yuki Blanche, nothing would make me happier than being married to you: my best friend, the love of my life, and the future mother of my children. I promise to love you for each second, waking or asleep, to raise you up when times are rough and to act as a partner, a source of support, and a friend. Yuki Blanche Casmin, will you marry me?"
He opened the box that he was holding and I couldn't help but gasp as the gleam caught my eye. I covered my face, overwhelmed with emotion, and nodded vigourously, extending my hand.
After a moment, I was able to regain speech, and cried out, "Yes, of course I will marry you!"
I embraced him, a surge of happiness incomparable. This, by far, was the best day of my life. It even beat the day I got Flame, our when we won our first championship. Yes, I had a special bond with my horses, but at the end of the day, no one could compare to Stefan. I was glad that I had managed to finally figure that out.
"You know, Stefan, you were my first crush. And now, you're my only and last."
"I guess our moms were right to betroth us."
I winked at him. "I'm just fulfilling my mum's last wish." And with that, I could wait no longer, and kissed him.
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