White Fluff
by Linda Schwartz copyright
Feb 2000

The sounds of giggling could be heard in the crisp, cold winter air.

"Peter?" Kwai Chang Caine looked around the drifts of snow that had been formed by the fierce winds. He saw a flash of blue quickly disappear behind a big pine tree.

"I must be mistaken, I thought I heard my son. I think I will return to the temple and have tea and almond cookies," Kwai Chang called out loudly.

He slowly walked off, waiting patiently for....

"Fadder!!!!!" the small form came bounding forward and crashed into his father. He wrapped his small arms around his legs.

"Ah, there is my son." He picked Peter up in his arms and hugged him tightly against him. This was their first winter together without Laura. It had been a very hard time for both Caine and his young son, adjusting to life without her.

It was the first snowfall of the year. A blanket of pure white covered the landscape. Kwai Chang decided to take Peter outside to play in the snow. It was only Peter's second time seeing it. He was only an infant when he and Laura took him out to look at it.

"I hidded good didn't I fadder? You didn't see me?" He looked at his father, his hazel eyes revealed the playful soul that was his beloved son.

"Yes, my son, you hid very well." He put him back down on the ground. They walked side by side down the path back to the temple.

Caine felt his son's hand take hold of his. He looked down at him and smiled. He didn't realize anyone could feel as much love and joy as he did when he was with his son. Laura had given him a precious gift.

"Snow," Peter giggled as he grabbed some snow and held it up to show his father.

"Yes, Peter. Can you make it into a snowball?"

Peter looked at the snow, his tiny fingers trying to gather the snow and push it together. He didn't quite manage to form a ball before the snow crushed and fell out of his hands.

"Ah, look fadder." Peter looked sadly at him.

"Here, my son." Caine patiently showed Peter how to form a perfect snowball and gave it back to Peter, who gazed at it with a smile on his face.

"Come, Peter, let us go home now." They made their way back down the snowy path.

Caine reached the temple and pushed open the large doors.

'Crack, hit'

Caine felt the cold, wet snowball hit his robes. He quickly turned around and saw his son looking up at him, an innocent look in his eyes.

"Peter?" he gently admonished his son. Peter stuck a finger in his mouth, fearful of displeasing his father.

Caine started laughing and Peter joined in. He guided Peter inside with a hand to his back.

"Let us have some tea."

"And almond cookies, fadder?" he said expectantly.

"Yes, my son, almond cookies."

"Pop?" Peter put a hand on his father's shoulders.

"Yes, my son?"

"You looked like you were miles away," Peter asked his father. They were taking a walk through the park. There was a winter carnival setting up. Ice sculptors were getting ready to carve their creations.

"Just memories, my son."

"Yeah," Peter sighed," I've taken a lot of trips down memory lane. I miss the temple, those were special times."

"For me as well, my son." They stopped to watch some ice skaters gliding their way across the frozen pond.

'Hit!'

Caine felt the snowball hit him in the back.

He turned to see Peter looking innocently at him. He shook his head in mock disapproval then smiled. Some things never changed.

"Gotcha Pop," Peter laughed.

'GRIND' a sculptor had revved up a chainsaw, which he would use to carve the ice. Peter turned at the noise.

"Peter?" Caine called out.

"What?"

'SMACK'

Peter got hit in the chest by a snowball.

Father and son looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Come on, Pop, let's go watch the carvers.

He put an arm on his father's shoulders and pulled him against him in a hug and they walked down the snowy path together.