UNEDITED
Between his semi-committed addiction to smoking and his role as CEO of Elemental Coffee, Cassian Russell has spent the majority of his life running one of the most popular coffee shops on the Island with his best friend, Jake Swift. After a...
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Penelope
"You didn't have to get me a hot chocolate," I smile, licking whipped cream from my fingers. I dip my finger in again. The whipped cream is the best part.
"Please," Cassian laughs. "You love your peppermint hot chocolate. Besides, it's snowing." He reaches down to grab his coffee cup. After a sip, he shoots me a sardonic grin. "You must feel extra Christmassy with your toque, the snow, and peppermint hot chocolate."
I rest a hand on my baby-pink toque. The pom-pom on top has silver sparkles. Although there are no Christmas trees or candy canes patterning it, it reminds me of the holidays. It reminds me of the champagne toast candle from Bath & Body Works, which I burn every Christmas. The correlation between the two items stirs up the holiday spirit. Which is why I associate baby-pink with Christmas. It's a very non-traditional colour, but I don't care.
"What is it with you and holidays?" I ask, giving his shoulder a nudge. "You're very pessimistic about them."
"What?" he snorts, easing the brakes to a stop. It hasn't stopped snowing since the night we got our Christmas tree. The roads are icy, but I'm at ease with Cassian's driving. Other peoples' driving scares me. When the road is clear, Cassian takes a right. We're in the Glenrosa area, on our way up to Telemark—a lodge for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. I'm not sure which trail Cassian has chosen, but I hope it's Jack Creek. It's a ten-kilometre hike alongside an old logging road. If you switch to the Crystal Mountain Trail at the six-point-five kilometre mark, there's a spectacular lookout.
"I'm not pessimistic," he continues.
"You must feel extra Christmassy," I mock, cocking an eyebrow.
We drive up a steep incline. At the top, it flattens out. That's when he blesses me with an eye roll. And a sheepish grin. "There's a difference between pessimism and teasing, Pen. I'm teasing you. I don't like Halloween, though the couple costume made me feel less isolated. Christmas is overrated, but I'm not dissing it. I enjoy the comfort it brings. It strengthens the ties of families and friends." He mutters something under his breath.
Lovers.
"Which one is your favourite?" I ask. Although his additional word has caused my tongue to turn to molasses, I need to fuel the conversation.
Cassian ponders my question for a moment, leaving nothing but the slow trickle of Willow by Taylor Swift playing. Aside from Halloween, I know he dislikes Canada Day. It's a harsh reminder of what happened to his ancestors when Europeans first came to North America. When Cassian pointed out how selfish it is for us to celebrate stolen land and stripping away the rights of First Nations, I was ashamed. I still am. We should approach Canada Day with melancholy. We shouldn't be throwing parties and parades. We should learn about our past and work to prevent further systemic racism from occurring. Never again will I be excited about the "holiday."
