The snow was high, a carved out path leaving walls of white that rose as shields against the bite of the wind. Travelling north was a young man named Clarence. His journey was to visit the graves of his grandparents who had lived deep in the northern mountains. Around Clarence was a chill, not only from the winter air but something foreboding setting in. The sounds of the birds seemed to fade away as the man got closer. An uneasy feeling swelled inside his stomach, but he pressed on none the less.

Soon, Clarence reached a large house, a mansion that was cast in shadow. It was lonely looking and was covered in frozen vegetation, so much so that it seemed as if the house was growing from the earth as well. Without even a moment’s thought, Clarence ventured inside the front doors, his feelings of discomfort second to his curiosity. The entrance was dark, a dim light coming from candles ornamented on the walls. The dim illumination revealed a dark wooden floor covered with a long purple carpet. The walls were old, their many windows hidden behind long curtains that blocked out all daylight. The floor creaked as Clarence walked down the grand hall. He smelled the wood, orange varnish, and tea being brewed in another room. The smells calmed him, made him feel comfortable, and his worries fading away.

Clarence followed his nose into the kitchen. His presence seemed to neither alarm nor surprise a tall man in a suit, everything about him tucked and in place. His hair and skin were dark, but his eyes were a bright green. He smiled politely when Clarence entered and then resumed preparing for afternoon tea. The kitchen was silver. Silver counter tops, silver appliances, silver plates and the walls a brilliant white. The floor was the same dark wood from the hall. There were wooden stools that matched the cupboards on the walls and flowers of every type and shade decorated the room, giving life to the kitchen.

Clarence stood where he was, not knowing what to say now that he was noticed. Soon after, the man finished making what appeared to be finger sandwiches and arranged them in a spiral pattern on a large silver platter. He carried it out of the kitchen, asking Clarence to follow. They walked through a set of delicately designed glass double doors that led outside to on old table and chair set. The metal and wiring was rusted and had peeling ivory paint. The overgrowth had invaded the patio and was wild and tall. A young lady in a dark purple dress with a blue ribbon around the waist and a white sun hat sat in one of the chairs. She looked over when they entered and smiled sweetly in greeting. The man placed the sandwiches down and poured two cups of tea. He did not sit in the empty chair, and instead stepped back and stood politely by the door. The lady took a small sip of her tea then slowly placed it back down. She smiled at Clarence, and then gestured with her hand for him to sit.

“Won’t you join me?” she asked, her voice soft and melodic.

Clarence nodded, a blush forming involuntarily on his cheeks. The young lady was very beautiful, with her long wavy curls and her soft features. Clarence and the lady were both blond but the lady had much lighter hair. If the lady had noticed his flushed cheeks when he sat across from her, she did not show it, and simply continued sipping her tea.

There was a moment of silence before Clarence said, “Your home is quite beautiful.” The lady looked at Clarence, her blue eyes burning into his brown.

“Thank you. I like to surround myself with lovely things.” Her voice was measured, the meaning of her words remaining lost to Clarence.

He simply nodded and smiled, picking up his tea and tasting it. When he glanced back at the lady he was surprised. She appeared older than she had the moment before, closer to middle aged versus her almost adolescent youth. As Clarence stared in amazement, the lady continued to age right in front of him, until she became so old she closed her eyes and turned to dust.

Clarence awoke in a snowbank just off the path he had been walking. A little rattled from his dream, he decided to complete his journey another day.

Riding a train back home from the cold north was long and boring. Gazing out the window, he looked at fields of snow and trees until he noticed a building he recognized. In the distance he saw a large house that was surrounded by ferns and flowers. In the front yard stood the young lady, just as Clarence had first seen her, waving at the train as it passed.

Startled, Clarence got up from his seat and headed to the conductors room. Once there, he found no one. The train was empty, with him as the only passenger. He climbed off and the winter around him melted into spring. Lush grass and beautiful flowers grew everywhere. When he reached the large mansion from his dreams the house was no longer old and worn looking. It was perfect in every way, the creamy lavender of the walls now visible in its new state. The garden surrounding the home was well kept and magnificent. The lady was not waiting for him out front anymore, but her butler, the tall man with green eyes greeted him instead. He led Clarence through a gate and into the backyard. Flowers and bushes were surrounding a small fountain in the center of the yard. A path was clear that wound around it and then connected to a set of steps that led to the patio, now new and fresh like everything else. The lady was in the large flower garden, admiring a set of pink flowers that grew almost as tall as her. She was wearing a bright yellow dress that had a floral pattern and a yellow ribbon around the waist, tied in a bow at her back. Her hair flowed softly down, blowing slightly in the gentle breeze.

“My children are lovely aren’t they?” the lady said of her flowers. She turned to face Clarence, smiling as sweetly as she had before. She was young and beautiful, her eyes bright and happy.

“They are…” Clarence answered slowly, feeling as though those words had been spoken to him before. Something from his memory tried to break free but was restrained by an unknown force. He winced, his hands moving to clutch his head. The lady come over quickly and put an arm around him for support. She stared at Clarence in concern and then called for her butler to come over. The white chair from the patio set was brought down into the garden for Clarence to sit on. The lady helped him sit in the chair slowly then gave him a peck on the forehead.

Clarence’s brows furrowed in confusion. He stared at the lady, begging her with his eyes to explain to him what was happening. He felt so disoriented. She just shook her head sadly and brushed back his hair with her hand.

“You need to remember on your own.” Her words were lonely, a pain in her voice.

They gazed at each other for a long while, Clarence’s mind scrambling to make sense of everything and anything. Tears started to drip from his eyes as they widened and his mind found the answers.

“I… I died.” Clarence’s voice broke. The lady simply nodded, still starring at Clarence with concern. He swallowed hard. “But I was already old. I had lived my life… with you.”

The lady nodded again, her sweet smile forming across her face.

“I’ve missed you,” she confessed, tears of her own starting to fall. Clarence closed his eyes, the realization shaking him. He had met her when he was very young and they were married for over sixty years. Clarence watched his beloved wife grow old and die. He was alone for three years until he followed after her in his sleep. They left behind two wonderful children whom they had given their world to.

“What happens now?” Clarence asked, taking his wife’s hand in his own. His love was pouring out through his fingers and into her.

She smiled, her eyes sparkling from her tears.

“We’re together forever.”