fragments

She's putting on her scarf, over her turquoise coat, wrapping herself up in yards of its softness. She feels my gaze, mid twist, and looks at me, eyes sparkling. 'What?' But she sees my smile. She knows what.
'What?' she whispers, as I tip her face up to kiss her. Her lips are soft and her face is warm. I take the end of the scarf and finish winding it around her neck, wondering if I flicked it in the other direction would she spin like a top until I'd unwrapped her.

'You know what.' She shakes her head, fluffing her hair out over the scarf, peeping in the mirror, picking up her hat. I nod, deliberately.

'You think I look cute.' I nod. 'You like me.' I nod again, and smile. And wait. 'You love me and I make your heart glad.' I take her face in my hands and I kiss her again, stroke her face.

'And you're beautiful.' She goes the sweetest shade of pink, and the happiness in her smile is more reward than I could ask for.

When she comes back, her cheeks will be flushed from walking in the cold, her nose will be red and I'll unwrap her then, the gloves, the hat, the loops of gold and turquiose scarf that her eyes and hair glow against. The winter coat. It's just her nose that will be cold, I know, the rest of her will be hot from walking all bundled up, and from coming home to me.