Your boyfriend, Ivan, had insisted on teaching you how to snowboard, and somehow your younger brother ended up coming too—mostly because the two of them were inseparable.

It’s barely 4 a.m. when the three of you sit on the first bus, the world still dark and quiet. You take the window seat, then wordlessly make your brother switch places. He rolls his eyes but moves, leaving your boyfriend to sit beside you instead.

The bus hums as it drives on. Your boyfriend keeps glancing over, checking if you’re comfortable. He fixes your scarf, adjusts your jacket, and quietly points out stops on his phone as you transfer buses—three in total.

Between rides, you lean against him. He stays perfectly still so you won’t wake, hand resting close to yours without fully touching. Outside, the sky slowly begins to lighten.

On the last bus, he finally laces his fingers with yours, warm and steady. “You comfortable?” he asks softly, tugging your scarf just right. “Tell me if it’s too cold, okay?”