I flew around my room in a frenzy, grabbing whatever I could find. My favorite dresses, my hoops, a sweater I had always cherished. I stuffed as much as a I could into my suitcase.

 

“Natasha!”

 

“Yes, Ma!”

 

“Pick up the phone!”

 

I ran to the phone. “Hello?” I gasped.

 

“Hey.” It was Ahmad. We had fought yesterday, yet another one of those stupid fights.

 

“Oh. Hi.” I fidgeted with the bracelet I had been holding.

 

“Look, I’m sorry about yesterday. You’re over it, right?”

 

“Yeah, whatever.” I wasn’t over it, but decided to let it pass. There were more important things to look forward to.

 

A minute passed before Ahmad spoke again. “So you’re leaving tomorrow, huh?”

 

“Yeah. Jess won the contest, and I’m going with her.”

 

Another pause. “Tomorrow’s our two year anniversary.”

 

I sighed. He was right. “Where are you?”

 

“In front of your house.” I could hear a smile creeping into his voice. Scrambling off my bed, I ran to the window. Sure enough, there he was, sitting in his car. “Come outside, I want to see you.”

 

Whatever had happened yesterday disappeared from my mind as I beamed at my boyfriend through the window. “Give me a minute,” I replied. After I hung up, I grabbed my coat before running downstairs. When I got outside, Ahmad was waiting, casually leaning against his car. He cradled a small bouquet, dusted with the snowflakes that softly rained down over us. “Oh, Ahmad,” I laughed as he hugged me.

 

“I’ll miss you,” he confessed. Breaking away from the hug, he reached his hand into his pocket. When he pulled it out, a necklace dangled from his fingertips. “You won’t forget me, will you?”

 

I laughed again, a cloud of breath escaping into the frozen air. “Oh, I don’t know,” I answered teasingly. “Spending a whole 2 months with 12 handsome korean men might mess with me a little.”

 

Ahmad didn’t laugh. “Natasha.”

 

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. I won’t forget you.” I clasped the necklace into place around my neck, and lightly touched the pendant. “Promise.”