Winter Swan

Beep, beep.

The street was busy with familiar yellow cabs and other cars. It was rush hour, and everyone was trying to get home while the restaurants and bars started to light up their neon signs.

Beep, beep.

The drivers honked in frustration, but Silje, who was on foot, was walking with a light heart. It was rush hour, but it didn't mean anything to her.

In an ivory trench coat, high heels, and a pink scarf, Silje looked like spring. Wearing a pair of sunglasses, she smiled happily as she hurriedly walked to her destination.

It wasn't that she was late, and she actually didn't know where she would be going tonight. She was going to call him very soon to find out what he wanted to do.

Waiting for the green light, she took a deep breath. The wind was still chilly, but it felt gentle, reminding her that the spring was finally coming to New York.

"Could it really be almost spring already? It has been so cold this winter in New York. Worse than any other year. I miss the warmth."

Silje smiled and murmured to herself.

When she first came to New York, she was so used to the harsh winter of Norway that she didn't find New York cold. But it had been many years since she arrived here, and now she craved warm weather.

Did she finally become a true New Yorker?

Silje grinned at the thought.

The light turned green and she walked in her high heels confidently across the crosswalk. She wasn't paying much attention to her surroundings until she suddenly realized that people around her was turning their heads to look at someone.

It was a tall man in a long cashmere coat.

He was walking toward her.

A long, dark gray coat and an expensive-looking briefcase.

He walked confidently and leisurely, and everyone stared at him.

Nothing changed. It was no wonder people stared.

She didn't like it, but oh well.

Continuing to walk, Silje smiled faintly.

"…"

As they passed each other, their eyes met, but they kept on walking in opposite directions.

Click, click.

The sound of her high heels echoed.

A mild wind blew, making her long scarf dance around her. Silje could feel the man following her from behind, but ignoring it, she kept on walking with a smile.

She walked slowly but easily as if she knew the streets very well. The man following her also seemed to be relaxed. His shiny black shoes moved confidently behind her.

Enjoying the wind, Silje continued to walk toward the Broadway. She looked like a beautiful actress.

She felt self-assured about herself and her place in this world. This was her home and she knew she had survived, even thrived.

She wasn't alone anymore.

Click, click.

The man was now very close.

Close enough to catch her.

The man looked persistent like a stalker, but Silje only smiled. She didn't look back once and it seemed like she was enjoying this situation.

The lights from the theaters were inviting and she was about to leave the street when suddenly Silje felt a hot breath from behind. The warmth enveloped her, and the man grabbed her from behind and whispered to her ear.

"…There was a woman who used to walk disguised in sunglasses and a scarf, and only in the nights in New York."

"Who was that?"

His voice was seductively baritone and Silje smiled. The long sensitive fingers caressed her chin and her fingers.

On her finger was a shiny emerald ring. It was his birth mother's heirloom and he proposed with it.

They had been married for two years now and were still in their honeymoon phase.

To his wife, Kail whispered, "Gretta Garbo. She retired at the age of 37 and she didn't want people to see her getting old. Funnily enough, she could've lived in a small town, but instead, she chose to live in New York. Every night, she would leave in her sunglasses and scarf and roam the city like a ghost."

"Do you think she was happy like that? Living in this giant city?"

"I am more curious about the woman in front of me and wonder if she is happy, Mrs. Silje Kim Bruntland."

"I have been counting to see how fast you would catch me."

Kail laughed and turned her around to look at her. The love in his eyes never changed.

It was a deep intense love, but from time to time, Silje could feel the sharp coldness in his eyes. The winter aurora would never leave Kail.

Others must've felt the same beauty in him because the passersby glanced at him as they walked by.

A striking man in a dark gray coat and a tall slim Asian woman.

Neat hair, clean suit, and a briefcase. He looked like an average New York salaryman from a first glance, but it was clear that he was no ordinary man. Feeling people's curious glances, Silje grinned.

'Well, he definitely isn't an ordinary salaryman since he is basically becoming a legend in the Wall Street world."

Every morning, Kail worked in his luxurious corner office, trading stocks with a large amount of money. He was a gambler now.

Kail gave up everything for her.

If he wasn't with her, his life was meaningless. He gave up the Bruntland family and sold the company. A majority of the money was given to various Norwegian charities.

He gave up everything and moved to New York.

He came to be with her.

Kail told her she was everything to him. He said that he wanted to be with her and someday, their child.

He promised that he would protect them this time, and Silje promised the same.

Feeling his love, Silje smiled slowly.

'He gave up everything for me. He knew that I would never go back to him completely if he was still a part of that bloody Bruntland family.'

Did she feel bad about it? Did she feel guilty?

Not at all.

Silje was happy because he was now hers.

She smiled.

Well, deep inside, she did feel some guilt, but she was still happy that he chose her.

Waking up together every morning and spending every day with him in New York was like a dream. She couldn't believe how happy she was, and she wished they have done this sooner.

"…"

Kail kissed her hungrily in the middle of the street, making Silje smile again.

She couldn't be happier.

A few people whistled and cheered, making Silje grinned. She kissed Kail back ardently.

Kail smiled.

"How passionate you are. I like it."

He caressed her face gently and Silje whispered, "Well, you know how I hate to lose."

"Then we will have to see who wins tonight. I am very curious."

Looking into his fevered eyes, Silje was reminded of their home.

More specifically, the giant bed in their bedroom.

Her blood boiled and her cheeks reddened, but she whispered while grabbing his hair hard.

"Fine. Let's see who wins."

They suddenly both laughed, and it was clear that their happiness was real.

-The End