One - Would You Like Some Hot Cocoa With Those Marshmallows?
Holidays in the mountains were Reagan’s favorite time of the year. And this year, it was even more special.
“I can’t wait for you to see this place!” Reagan squealed as she unlocked the door to the cabin in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. She’d picked it out as a surprise for her girlfriend, the one and only Violetta Dawson.
Vi flipped her hair over her shoulder and tugged her hands into the sleeves of her puffy coat. “I’d love to see it from the inside Rea, it’s freezing out here!”
Reagan laughed. “Okay, okay, let’s go.” She opened the door and led Violetta inside. Slipping off her gloves, she turned to her girlfriend. “Well?”
Violetta craned her neck, looking around the vast space. To one side was a large living room with a fireplace and giant couch facing a television. “This is beautiful, Rea.” She pressed a kiss to her cheek and shed out of her coat and boots. “Shall we unpack a bit?”
Reagan nodded. They brought their suitcases to the bedroom and began to unpack. Reagan had booked the trip for a week, and she already knew it was going to be a great time.
***
After they were settled in, Reagan and Violetta had made their way over to the sofa and were now watching holiday movies. But to make it more fun, they were creating their own dialogue rather than letting the movie play with its own sound.
Violetta giggled at the last line they’d come up with together. “Okay, I think with all of these Oscar-winning performances, we deserve some hot cocoa.”
Reagan sat up, wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. “There should be mugs in the cabinet—I checked earlier. And the cocoa packets should be on the counter.”
“I’ll get the marshmallows.” Violetta squeezed her hand and hopped up from the sofa.
Reagan prepped the mugs, pouring the cocoa powder into each before running water through the kitchen’s Keurig. This, of course, sparked a debate about if the water or the cocoa should go first. The debate ended with a draw—it didn’t exactly matter, but the Keurig was a much faster method to instant-cocoa compared to heating up a kettle on the stove.
Then Reagan learned something about her girlfriend that astonished her, but wasn’t surprising.
“I so love marshmallows,” Violetta said as she took out a handful to sprinkle into her cup. Then another handful. And another. And then the rest of the bag.”
Reagan gaped at her. “Are you going to leave some room in there for the actual cocoa?” She stuck a spoon in her mug and finished stirring. Then she blew on the cup and took a tentative sip, hoping it wouldn’t burn her tongue. The milky chocolate flavor of winter coated her tongue. She let out a happy sigh.
“It’s not cocoa without marshmallows, Rea,” Violetta replied, popping another handful into her mouth. “And I can see that yours is naked.”
Reagan blinked. “Naked?”
“Yes, naked.” Violetta pointed to Reagan’s mug. “No marshmallows. Hence, naked.”
“Ah, right.”
They stared at each other for a moment.
“I’ve never had marshmallows in my hot cocoa,” Reagan admitted finally.
Violetta, ever the drama queen, set down her mug—carefully—then clasped a hand to her chest. “You’veneverhad marshmallows in your cocoa? Rea, what are you doing with your life?”
“I guess I never saw the appeal.” Rea squeezed her eyes shut then peeked on eye open. “Oops?”
Vi shook her head. “Not acceptable. Can you at least try?”
“One.”
“Five.”
“Three.”
“Vi.”
“Rea.” Violetta handed her the bag of marshmallows and batted her eyelashes. “I love you?”
Reagan rolled her eyes and laughed. “I love you, too. Give me the marshmallows.”
Violetta squealed and clapped her hands. “You won’t regret it, I promise.”
And, after all that, Reagan’s mind on marshmallows in hot cocoa was changed. For good.
