Joshua and Bella had barely stepped off the plane in Alaska when the cold smacked them right in the face. Joshua pulled his coat tighter around himself, his Rams beanie barely keeping his ears warm. Bella, bundled up in a fluffy white puffer jacket, thick scarf, and fuzzy mittens, was already shivering—dramatically, of course.

“It’s SO cold,” she said through chattering teeth, her breath visible in the freezing air. “Why did we come here again?!”

Joshua laughed, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close as they walked through the snowy parking lot. “You said you wanted to go somewhere new and different. This is definitely different.”

“I meant like… ‘Paris’ different. Not ‘frozen tundra’ different.”

Despite her complaints, there was still a sparkle in her eye. She looked around at the snow-covered mountains, the pine trees blanketed in white, and the little cozy cabins dotting the landscape. “Okay,” she finally admitted, “it’s kinda beautiful.”

They spent the afternoon wandering through a small Alaskan town, slipping around on icy sidewalks, ducking into warm little shops, and laughing every time Bella nearly fell and made Joshua catch her.

At one point, she stuck her tongue out to catch snowflakes. “It’s snowing harder now!” she said, beaming as the flakes melted on her lashes.

“Yeah,” Joshua said, “but you’re gonna freeze your face off.”

She immediately pulled her scarf over her nose. “Okay… but now I can’t feel anything.”

Later that evening, they made it to their log cabin rental. Inside was cozy and warm, with a crackling fire already going. Bella ran straight to the fireplace, plopping down in front of it with her blanket. “I’m never leaving this spot.”

Joshua joined her, handing her a mug of hot cocoa. “You wanted Alaska,” he teased.

“Yeah, well… at least now I have you to keep me warm,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.