{"id":220,"date":"2026-06-30T20:08:51","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/?p=220"},"modified":"2026-06-30T20:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T20:18:37","slug":"warmth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/?p=220","title":{"rendered":"Warmth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>2024, written by Alex Bregy. A short fiction piece about a young girl who gets locked out of her house on a snowy winter day\u2014themes of neglect, care, and, of course, warmth.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Small white clouds escaped from my mouth as I walked home from my bus stop. Sometimes I liked to pretend I was smoking when it was this cold, just like I saw grownups do. I\u2019d bring two fingers to my mouth and take a deep breath in, then form a tiny circle with my lips and blow out the pretend smoke. But today, my hands were bundled up in my puffy snow gloves, so it wouldn\u2019t have the same effect\u2014no one wore snow gloves when they smoked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I carefully stepped up the edge of our icy steps, the same way I did everyday. One side of the steps had been progressively falling apart for years, the concrete breaking into small stones if you stepped on it the wrong way. I\u2019d taken enough tumbles and gotten enough stones wedged into my knees to avoid that side at all costs, especially when it was coated in slushy snow.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was a latchkey kid, but I wasn\u2019t trusted with a latchkey because I had a tendency to misplace my things. So, my mom left a key underneath our welcome mat for me to unlock our door after school. But today, when I peeled the mat off the concrete, there was no key underneath it. This had never happened before. Sometimes my mom would use the spare key when she got home late from work and didn\u2019t want to search through her big ring of keys for the one that opened our door. But she would always put it back in the morning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I jiggled the doorknob, hoping that my mom had accidentally left it unlocked, but it didn\u2019t budge. Then I waited there for a while, watching the cars shoot slush all over the sidewalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I only really had one friend: a boy named Ivan who lived down the street. We shared a seat on the school bus\u2014in the back of the bus, now that we were fifth graders\u2014and got off at the same stop. We also played a lot on the weekends and sometimes after school\u2014always outside\u2014either at the park or in his front yard. Lately we\u2019d been building snowmen and having snowball fights, but when it was warmer out, we would play at the playground a few streets over, seeing who could get the highest on the swings. Some people thought it was weird that we were friends, since I was a girl and he was a boy and we didn\u2019t have a crush on each other. But I didn\u2019t think it was weird\u2014he was just my friend.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My body shook and my head started to hurt. I\u2019d felt this way before, when I played outside for a long time in the wrong gear\u2014my jeans freezing stiffly to my legs. When that happened, I\u2019d rush inside, change my clothes, and huddle under my blankets. But I didn\u2019t have that option today.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I knew that knocking on Ivan\u2019s door would be rude. My mom told me that I always had to ask my friend\u2019s parents before going to their houses; because no one wanted to take care of kids that weren\u2019t theirs. But my teeth were getting sore from their chattering and I couldn\u2019t think of anywhere else to go.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Snowflakes gathered on my pony tail as I walked to their house, making it heavier as it swung side to side. With each step I took, I heard the contents of my pencil case rattle inside my <em>Hello Kitty<\/em> backpack.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As I approached their steps, I carefully examined them, checking for broken wooden planks or hidden ice. They seemed sturdy and were littered with that non-slip salt.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I fought with the velcro on my snow glove before pulling it off. Then I knocked on their door. There was no answer. Wind howled in my ears. My cheeks burned. My breath was sharp, chest filled with icy air. <em>Why did I think they would answer?<\/em> I turned back toward the steps.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The door creaked open. \u201cHey! Sorry, I\u2019m just getting back from work.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ivan\u2019s mom peeked out of the cracked door. She wore a uniform from the local gas station. I recognized the logo on her chest.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOh sweetie, come in!\u201d She exclaimed. \u201cYou must be freezing!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was still as a statue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLook at your cheeks, they\u2019re red as tomatoes! Come in here, warm up!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As I passed through the door, she wrapped her arm around my back, and my body jolted, in the involuntary way that it tended to when people got too close to me. It made my heart race and my muscles stiffen.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHey, it\u2019s okay,\u201d she said, shutting the door.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The warmth defrosted my body like vegetables in the microwave. Their house smelled clean and sweet, like laundry detergent and vanilla.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s super cold out there!\u201d She rubbed her hands together. \u201cHow long were you outside?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI got locked out,\u201d I said quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOh my goodness,\u201d her voice was loud. \u201cThe bus dropped you off thirty minutes ago!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I said, fidgeting with the velcro on my glove. \u201cI didn\u2019t know where else to go.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo, sweetie,\u201d she cupped her hands around my biceps. They were warm. My body jumped, but I didn\u2019t want to move. She must\u2019ve known because she didn\u2019t let go. \u201cYou\u2019re welcome here anytime, okay? My door is always open.\u201d<br>I nodded even though I didn\u2019t really believe her. \u201cThank you, Miss-\u201d I forgot Ivan\u2019s last name. \u201cMiss\u2026\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cJust call me Crystal,\u201d she rubbed her hands up and down my biceps, moving around the warmth.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I nodded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDo you want some hot chocolate?\u201d She moved towards the counter, where an electric kettle sat.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo, I\u2019m okay,\u201d I said. \u201cI just needed to get inside.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crystal looked at me, the way that a lot of adults looked at me, like they were trying to solve a math problem.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOkay, well, take that wet snow gear off,\u201d she directed. \u201cIt\u2019s not gonna help you warm up. You can hang it on the rack next to the door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I stripped my coat, gloves, and hat, hanging them on the rack. Then I undid the velcro on my snow boots. As I placed them next to the door, I realized I had tracked slushy footprints all through the entryway. Crystal would definitely be mad now.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDo you have a towel?\u201d I asked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAre your clothes wet? You can borrow some of Ivan\u2019s.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I looked down at the cuffs of my shirt and pants. Wet rings, about two inches high, darkened the fabric.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo,\u201d I said. \u201cI made a mess,\u201d I pointed to the footprints. \u201cI can clean it up.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOh, sweetie, don\u2019t worry about that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I looked at the footprints.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy don\u2019t you go into the living room, it\u2019s that door right there,\u201d she pointed to an old brown door. \u201cIvan\u2019s in there, watching TV.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I stood there for a moment, recalibrating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crystal stepped out of the room. Hesitantly, I moved towards the brown door and pushed it open, revealing Ivan who was laying on their big, fluffy couch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOh, hey,\u201d he sat up, his eyebrows knit in confusion. \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI got locked out,\u201d I said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOh, that sucks,\u201d he clicked the TV off. \u201cWhat do you want to do?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I shrugged.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI just got some new drawing stuff,\u201d Ivan said. He pulled out a big pack of paper and some markers. \u201cYou wanna make something?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We laid on the floor and put all of our focus into our drawing. We created a scene from a fairytale, with beautiful princesses, fire breathing dragons, and knights sword fighting. I liked pretend worlds like that. Sometimes, I would imagine that I lived in a pretend world; often, I was a struggling orphan, like in <em>Annie<\/em>. Life was more fun when I pretended that way\u2014a better story.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crystal came into the room. \u201cLuna, you should call your parents,\u201d she said, handing me her phone. \u201cI just realized that. You should let them know where you are.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I stood up, typing in my mom\u2019s phone number.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAnd Ivan, you better clean all this up before dinner.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI wiiiilll,\u201d he whined.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAre you sure? Because last time you left this all out. I\u2019m too tired after work to clean up your messes, Ivan!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stepping away, I put the phone up to my ear. It rang, and rang, and rang. Finally, a robotic woman said: \u201cThe person you are trying to reach is not available. Please leave a message after the tone.\u201d A familiar beep blasted into my ears.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHey mom,\u201d I said. \u201cThis is Luna. I got locked out. The key wasn\u2019t under the mat. I\u2019m at Ivan\u2019s house. I just wanted to let you know.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I pressed the big red button and handed the phone back to Crystal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThank you,\u201d she said, putting the phone in her pocket. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you two clean this up, then come get some dinner?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crystal placed a scoop of gooey mac and cheese with hot dogs onto Ivan\u2019s plate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThank you, Crystal,\u201d I said as she platted my scoop.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re welcome, Luna,\u201d she looked at Ivan. \u201cYou know, you could learn something from Luna\u2019s manners.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ivan rolled his eyes. \u201cThanks, mom.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d Crystal pulled up one of the stools from the counter, which was a bit too tall for the table, and took a seat. \u201cHow was school today?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was good,\u201d Ivan said. \u201cWe had extra recess.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They began to eat. I followed their lead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOh, that\u2019s fun! What did you do with the extra time?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPlayed four-square.\u201d<br>\u201cVery nice,\u201d Crystal turned to me. \u201cLuna?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I stared at her for a moment. <em>Did I do something? Did I miss a question? <\/em>Sometimes I wasn\u2019t a great listener.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat?\u201d I finally asked.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow was school?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I paused. \u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat\u2019s good. What did you do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy?\u201d My heart sped up. <em>Why was she asking so many questions?<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI was just wondering,\u201d she smiled. \u201cDid you have extra recess, too?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I nodded.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI hope that was fun.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The phone rang. Crystal got up and answered it. \u201cHello?&#8230;Oh yes, she\u2019s right here, eating dinner\u2026okay\u2026yes, okay, I\u2019ll send her over when she\u2019s finished\u2026great\u2026okay, bye.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She hung up the phone. \u201cLuna, that was your mother. She wanted me to send you home once you\u2019ve finished eating.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">My plate was already cleared. I looked at Ivan\u2019s plate, still half full. He took small bites, like the food was unlimited.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Crystal looked out the window. \u201cIt\u2019s already pretty dark out,\u201d she said. \u201cHow about we walk you home once we\u2019ve all finished?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOkay,\u201d I said. I didn\u2019t understand why Crystal wanted to walk me home; I\u2019d walked from their house in the dark plenty of times before. But I didn\u2019t mind staying a little longer.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We bundled up in our coats, hats, and gloves before heading to my house. Ivan told his mom about something funny that happened at school and I listened.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLuna,\u201d Crystal said as we approached my house. I turned to her and she pulled me into a hug. \u201cCome over anytime, okay?\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She rubbed my back. I took a deep breath, the icy air feeling refreshing rather than&nbsp; painful.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I nodded. She slowly released me, then waved. \u201cSee you soon!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSee you soon.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I climbed up the edge of my steps and knocked on the door.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2024, written by Alex Bregy. A short fiction piece about a young girl who gets locked out of her house on a snowy winter day\u2014themes of neglect, care, and, of course, warmth. Small white clouds escaped from my mouth as I walked home from my bus stop. Sometimes I liked to pretend I was smoking [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fiction","category-short-fiction"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=220"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224,"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/220\/revisions\/224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alexbregy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}