Encounter

Alya's POV

The Christmas festivities had begun, and as a longstanding tradition in the Monroe family—chaotic as ever—we gathered at our family home down south. 

I drove into Home Goods to grab a few Christmas ornaments and picked up some gifts along the way for my siblings and parents. 

I blasted "Single on the 25th" by Lauren Spencer Smith in my car, singing every single lyric at the top of my lungs.

"Praying for the love you see in the movies, not asking for much, just one," I sang aloud, longing for that kind of love. I was tired of watching everyone else paired up; even my siblings were in relationships. My older brother was married with kids, and my younger sister was engaged while I felt stuck in between — a tough spot to be in. 

Every year around Christmas, my uncles and aunts made it their mission to humiliate me by asking when I was going to get married, even though I was just entering my late twenties. Thankfully, my parents never pressured me; they were just happy to be grandparents. 

"Alya, you'll find the right person at the right time. Don't rush, honey," they'd always say after I faced my aunts' and uncles' well-meaning but annoying questions. 

I was always too busy to meet anyone. With regular meetings and business trips as a director at a high-tech company in Miami, I could only take time off during the holidays. 

I parked in my driveway, hurrying to pack my bags since I had a plane to catch from Miami to South Carolina in about six hours. I included spare clothes for my stay until New Year's, packed the gifts for my family, and added the necessary ornaments. 

I booked an Uber to take me to the airport, which was arriving soon. I took one last look at my almost-empty house. "Merry Christmas Eve," I whispered before walking out with my two suitcases and boarding the Uber. The car was filled with Christmas music as we passed by streets adorned with decorations. 

The flight was smooth, and I had a car waiting to take me to our family house. After an hour and a half of driving, we pulled into the driveway, the snow crunching underneath the tires. The Duplex house looked just as it always did, covered in a blanket of snow. 

The driver helped with my bags and then drove off. As I walked in, my senses came alive. The smell of freshly baked cookies, gingerbread houses, and hot chocolate filled the air, accompanied by the joyful sounds of laughter throughout the house. A huge Christmas tree stood in the centre of the room, adorned with decorations and surrounded by colourful presents. 

"Aunt Alya!" my little niece Sylvia called out as she spotted me, her face lighting up with a big grin as she ran into my arms. 

"My Sylvie! How have you been?" I said, hugging her while spinning around, her small giggles erupting joyfully. 

"I'm good; I missed you!" 

"Me too, honey." 

"I got you a little present, but don't tell Daddy," she whispered. 

"I heard that, Alya," my older brother Ian said as he walked into the room, and I chuckled. 

"I came bearing gifts not just for my niece and nephew; I got you something too, Ian." 

"And for you too, Sydney," I added as my sister entered the room. 

We chatted and exchanged gifts for a while. We planned to stay up all night in our Christmas pajamas, binge-watching Christmas movies while the kids slept. We laughed, ate, shed a few tears, and overall bonded again, all thanks to our cherished tradition.

Christmas was lovely, with gifts being unwrapped and happy smiles on everyone's faces as we indulged in delicious food. We enjoyed various activities like snowboarding and building snowmen with the kids. It was the perfect opportunity to unwind and spend quality time with loved ones.

New Year's was a blast as well. We all made resolutions for the year ahead, but unfortunately, New Year's

signified the end of our holiday, and it was time to return to daily work life without any breaks.

"Alya, I wish you could stay longer," my mom said as I stood outside, watching my bags being packed into the trunk of the car.

"Me too, Mom. But I have work to do. I'll try to make time to come back again, hopefully before Christmas. Take care, Mom and Dad," I replied, hugging them both before saying goodbye to everyone else.

I fell asleep for most of the ride and managed to board the plane just in time. As we prepared for takeoff, my phone received a weather alert warning of a possible snowstorm. I ignored it, thinking it wouldn't hit until we landed in Miami.

I was wrong. Halfway through the flight, the snowstorm began, and the pilot's voice came through the speaker.

"All passengers, please remain calm. This is your captain speaking. Due to the snowstorm, we have to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV)."

The plane landed shortly after the announcement. We were instructed to leave our larger luggage behind and only take our small bags for the night, as our flight would be rescheduled for the following day.

Everything happened so suddenly, and I remembered my mom's words; I probably should have stayed longer. I grabbed my hand luggage and took a cab to the nearest hotel, but only bad news awaited me—it was fully booked due to the emergency landing of numerous flights.

I visited a second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth hotel, but had no luck; all of them were fully booked. The driver seemed to be growing tired of me, but surprisingly, he made a suggestion.

"Ma'am, there's an inn a little further from the city, but I'm sure you'll be able to get a room there for the night. Would you like me to take you?"

"Yes, please," I responded.

He dropped me off at a small inn nestled in the snow. After paying the fees, he drove off. I stood there, hoping it would work out since this was my seventh attempt, and seven is considered a lucky number, so I felt hopeful.

As I walked in exhausted and cold and prepared to ask for a room, something strange happened. "Can I book a room?" I said simultaneously with another stranger. We turned to face each other, and the receptionist looked like she was in a tough spot.

"I'm sorry, but there's only one room left. It's a master suite with a twin bed, and if you both would be willing to share..." she suggested. The idea of sharing a room with a stranger was not appealing to me at all.

"Just so you know, I'm not giving up the room. I don't want to share a room, as much as you don't, but this is my seventh attempt. There's no hope of finding another place this late, so we might as well coexist for one night and go our separate ways by morning," I proposed, feeling desperate.

"Fine, I guess we have no choice," he said as he collected the key for our room. I placed my bag in the closet and grabbed the supplies I needed for the night.

After we took turns enjoying a warm bath, we both settled down by the little fireplace in silence.

"I'm Alya, by the way," I said, breaking the quiet since we hadn't formally introduced ourselves.

"Levi. Nice to meet you," he replied with a faint smile, and once again, silence fell over us.

"Would you like to play a game? You know, as an icebreaker. I can't sleep in the same room with someone unless I'm comfortable. So, what do you think?" I nudged him, and fortunately, he agreed.

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