By the fifth day, neither of them felt ready to strap skis back on.
Not after the red hill.Not after the snowstorm.Not after discovering how comfortable the cottage couch was for binge-watching and being wrapped around each other.
So they decided to explore the rest of the winter resort — and very quickly discovered the best thing listed on the activity board:
Reindeer sledding.
Raylene gasped so loudly Jedson thought she had seen a celebrity."We have to do this."
"Obviously," Jed agreed. "This is destiny."
They hurried to the booking desk. But the earliest available time was in the late afternoon.
Ray's face fell for half a second.
Then Jed squeezed her mittened hand."Hey. More time for snow adventures."
---
They started by building a snowman in the small yard behind their cottage.
Ray wanted it to be whimsical.Jed wanted it to be structurally sound.
Neither happened.
The snow was too powdery, the body too lumpy, and the head kept rolling off in silent protest. Eventually Ray balanced it on a tilt, so the snowman ended up looking like he was judging them.
Ray pointed at it proudly. "Art."
Jed nodded solemnly. "A masterpiece."
---
They flopped onto their backs in the untouched snow, arms and legs sweeping out into soft, crunchy wings. When they both tried to stand up, Ray fell onto Jed, Jed fell back into the snow, and they lay laughing, snowflakes catching in their hair.
They hiked up a small hill afterward — a perfect photo spot overlooking the snowy valley.They took turns capturing silly pictures of each other, then took a few cuddled-up selfies, cheeks pressed together, wind tugging at their hair.
Some photos were blurry.Some were perfect.All of them felt like proof that this week was real.
---
When lunchtime came, they rode the lift up to the summit lodge — the mountaintop café with panoramic windows and prices designed to make people cry softly.
Raylene stared at the menu.Jedson stared at the menu.They both whispered "oh no" at the exact same time.
"One tiny biscuit for seven pounds," Ray muttered.
Jed placed a hand over his heart. "I think it's threatening my wallet."
But the view was incredible — sunlight glittering across the valley, mountains rolling in white waves, the storm clouds finally parting.
"It's once in a lifetime," Ray said.
He smiled. "Then let's do it."
They ordered pancakes and hot chocolate, sitting near the window with the expensive biscuit as a joke between them.Ray offered Jed the last piece dramatically.
"For you. A sacrifice."
He broke it in half. "We share the suffering."
---
Later, they wandered to the resort's indoor pool — though "pool" was hardly the word.It was a hot spring spa, the water steaming, the air warm, the light dim and golden. There were lounges along the wall, heated stone benches, and a passage leading outside.
They drifted into the outdoor pool where the freezing winter air met the rising steam in thick, magical clouds. Snowflakes melted the instant they touched the surface.
Ray leaned into Jed, her fingers trailing along his arm beneath the water.Jed kissed her shoulder, slow and gentle, as if the moment asked for quiet rather than heat.
They exchanged soft kisses, hidden by the mist.Laughed when snow landed on their heads and instantly vanished.Floated side by side, hands linked beneath the surface.
Time slowed.Warm water.Cold sky.Each other.
---
As dusk settled, they bundled up again and headed to the reindeer sledding area. Lanterns lit the path, flickering softly against the snow. The reindeers stood harnessed, their antlers decorated with woven cords and gentle bells.
Ray's eyes were wide with childlike wonder.
Jed whispered, "We're literally about to be chauffeured by a reindeer."
They settled into the wooden sled, blankets pulled up to their chests. The handler gave the reins a soft call, and the reindeer began to move — slow at first, then gliding smoothly through the snowy forest trail.
Snow drifted down in silver flakes.The sky deepened into violet-blue.The world around them grew quiet, magical.
Ray rested her head on Jed's shoulder.Jed kissed the top of her hair.
"This…" she whispered, "is unreal."
He tightened his arm around her."It's perfect."
The sled curved around the last bend, the lights of the resort coming into view. The ride ended, but the feeling didn't — that soft, warm glow of sharing something new together.
---
Back at the cottage, they kicked off boots, hung jackets by the door, and exchanged the kind of exhausted smiles that only come from days filled with simple joy.
They fell asleep close, breath to breath,hearts full from a day where everything —the snowman, the photos, the hot springs, the sleigh ride —reminded them that this was their new life now.
Trying things.Laughing.Falling.Together.