Page 67 of Frost

And it was at the wedding reception where we encountered a woman neither of us had invited. With raven-black hair and wearing a red gown, she was both stunningly beautiful and a bit unsettling.

Sitting here now, I can vividly recall the moment when all our questions were finally answered.

“Dear Aeolus,” the woman said, touching Jack’s shoulder.

“Hecate,” Jack responded, his eyes widening.

“The goddess?” I asked.Holy shit.

“And this is the man you gave up immortality for.” Her dark gaze moved to me, her expression as neutral as her tone of voice. “A pleasure to meet you, Luka Summers.”

Jack downcast his eyes and slightly bowed his head. “The pleasure is ours, Goddess. What brings you here?”

“Your happiness,” she said, tucking a finger under Jack’s chin and lifting his head. “It is the very reason I placed a loophole in the deal. The price was your memory… but if you were to meet your soul mate and share true love’s kiss… those memories would be returned to you.”

“Thank you,” he said, eyes watering. “I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“You owe me nothing, Aeolus of the north wind. Or, should I now say, Jack Summers.” She kissed his cheek. “Treasure your love and cherish each and every day in this beautiful life you’ve chosen. None is more deserving than you.”

She disappeared shortly after that.

We found the perfect house in November, one nestled in the woods with a lake off to one side. It’s only a thirty-minute drive from my parents’ house and sits secluded at the edge of town. Peaceful.

The flapping of wings pulls me from my thoughts.

Jack smiles, moves the blanket aside, and goes to greet Págos. “Hello, old friend,” he says, petting the horse’s neck. “I wondered when you’d show. I missed you.”

Págos had visited Jack a few weeks after our memory returned. The ice Pegasus never stays for long when he visits, but the love he still has for Jack is as clear as the ice of his coat.

“Luka makes me happy,” Jack says in response to whatever Págos said. His ability to understand the horse is the one thing he was allowed to keep from his former life. Or maybe their connection is too strong to be broken so easily. The horse makes another noise, and Jack smiles. “Are you sure?”

“What did he say?” I ask, walking over to them.

Jack smirks at me. “Want to go for a ride?”

Minutes later, we’re in the air, flying above the snowy landscape of our home. Jack sits in front of me, hollering with delight as the wind whips through his hair. He’s more beautiful than the bird’s-eye view of the wintery scene around us. I press my lips to his nape and hold him tighter. Págos makes a slight left, glides for a bit, then goes right.

The ride doesn’t last long, but it’s enough to put that exhilarated smile on my husband’s face, one he only gets from soaring through the air like he used to.

“Until next time, old friend,” Jack says, resting his head to Págos’ muzzle.

The horse gently nuzzles Jack’s hair before looking at me. He strides over and butts his head to mine before lifting into the air and flying away.

“See? He likes you.” Jack slips his arms around me from behind. “He’s just stubborn and overly protective. He asked if you made me happy. That’s when he said he wanted to take us for a ride. I think it was his way of expressing his gratitude to you.”

“Me? I haven’t done anything.”

“That’s not true.” Jack turns me in his arms and grabs hold of my jaw. “You’ve given me everything I’ve ever dreamed of, Luka. A beautiful human life filled with laughter and so much love I could burst from it.”

“Do you miss it?” I ask as heaviness settles over my heart. “Being Jack Frost?”

“There are things I miss, sure.” Jack runs his fingers through my brown hair and smiles. “But this? With you? It truly is my happily ever after.”

“It’s mine too,” I say, tears stinging the backs of my eyes.

“Come on.” Jack kisses me lightly on the lips before stepping away. He keeps hold of my hand. “Let’s make some of those pretzel snacks for lunch.”

I laugh and walk with him into the house.

Ever since I was a boy, I was captivated by the legend of Jack Frost. Loving the man behind the legend, though, is even more magical.

The End