December Rain

    Her already rosy cheeks turn brighter against the whip of the wind. Her hair flies, hundreds of strands each with their own agenda. Exhale and her breath appears in front of her before quickly vanishing into the sky. She turns to her big sister.
    "I wanna build a snowman." The little girl had brought a carrot for the nose.
    "To do that there would have to be snow," Her sister puffs, rubbing her hands together. "C'mon. It's gonna rain soon." The darkening clouds cast a shadow over the park, making it colder. Cold, so cold, but no snow, never snow.
    "It only ever rains," the little girls whines, then stomps her fur coated boots, "If I were Elsa, I would cover the town in snow and build a snowman so big you could see it from the moon. My books say snow is magical," she continues as her sister grabs her freezing fingers and leads her home. "If you catch a snowflake on your tongue you can make a wish. It is white and bright," she giggles, "and we could make snow angels." Then the little girl's eyes darken. "I felt a drop in my hair." Her sister pulls her along faster.
    "Quick, before it pours." They break into a sprint. The little girl clutches her sister's hand like a lifeline, still fantasizing about the snow, even as the droplets multiply. 
    "It will snow. I know it will. We can't have Christmas without snow." The older girl just nods. The rain hits the pavement, loud and clear, splashing into puddles created moments ago, yet already draining into the gutters. She knows it won't snow. Fifteen Christmas's had gone by without snow, five of those, her little sister witnessed. The twenty Christmas's her parents spend here never saw a flake. It did not snow here, it never did, and it never would, it only ever rained. Cold, miserable, mocking, December rain. She slams the front door as it begins to downpour. The two girls stand in front of the doorway dripping puddles onto the wooden floor. The little girl immediately settles on top of the vent blasting warm air.
    "Just imagine. When it snows on Christmas morning we can have a snow ball fight. I won't even need any presents. The snow will have it all. I will move into my igloo and you can come visit. Tomorrow morning it will snow," She looks up at her sister. Her sister pulls her dark brown eyes away from her big hopeful ones, averting them to the tree covered in paper snowflake ornaments.
    The morning comes with hot cocoa wafting through the chimneys of the brick houses lining the street and the shouts of children as they tear open various wrapping papers. It comes with the honk of a horn on a new bike and the clink of teacups from little girls playing with their new dolls. And it comes with the constant patter of rain on the roof and the rush of small streams into the gutters.
    The little girl's eyes are glued to the window watching the never ending droplets fall from the dark grey clouds above. When she finally pulls away from the glass, the heat of her breath has fogged it up and the imprint of her nose and mouth remains.
    "It's not gonna snow is it?" She asks her sister, but she doesn't need an answer. She knows. Her big eyes fall to the ground and her bangs sweep over them, covering the rain of her tears. Her sister shakes her head and takes her hands.
    "No it's not," She whispers.
    "I wanted to build a snowman." She says, her voice trembling, "I wanted to main a snowman family, but it is raining and I can't make a snowman family from rain."
    "You don't need a snowman family," Her sister said, "your real one is right here." She hugged her little sister, wiping her tears with the edge of her sleeve.
    "You'll wear a carrot nose and a black top hat?" The little girl looked up, tilting her head sideways.
    "I dunno about the carrot, but I'll consider the hat." She smiled and her sister smiled and who needs anything else?