Chapter 3

Snowflakes were descending from the heavens as if angels were having a pillow fight and is blown in different directions by the wind.

The buildings and small houses were coated in snow, windows were fogged and blurry because the world outside was dangerously cold. Some trees were naked and cold because their leaves dies and fall. Birds migrated during winter and only return in summer.

A lonely snowflake landed on my nose, I feel no more emptiness, desolation and sorrow but hope and purely happiness. God has finally answered my desperate and earnest prayers when the ree carnation of Juno stood right before my eyes.

"Jesus Christ, I almost got hit!" Juno dramatically clutched her chest. I heard her heart frantically beating when our eyes met. "Th-thank you! You have saved me." Even her voice sounded like my beloved warrior of the Moon.

"Are you okay though? Does anything hurt?" I asked worriedly as I looked up from her head to toes, just making sure her body parts were still intact. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

"You don't have to, I'm fine, nothing is missing." She replied as if she reads my mind with astounded and bewildered look written all over her face. "Yo-you look familiar to me, have we met before?"

My heart sank on my feet when Juno didn't recognized me. I was stranger and foreign to her.

"Yes." I whispered, my eyes never left her beautiful face that I truly miss. "In your past life Juno."

The ree carnation of Juno gave me a look that I was crazy. "Okay.." she breathed out, her frosty breath hung in the air like slow moving cloud. "That was a good joke."

"But you are Juno-" I tried to protest and tell her that she is finally back in my life.

"Ahm, excuse me Miss but I'm not Uno or Juno." The ree carnation of Juno cut me off. "Oh gosh my new boots! " She cried out when her boots were covered with ice. "I'm Celestine Peirre. How about you? What is your name?"

The cold wind of winter blew hard makes my hair flew and stumbled upon my shoulders. "My name is.." Even though I really want to tell her everything but at the same time I don't want to scare her away and think i'm a psychopath. " I'm Salt, Salt Quinn."

A smile crept on her lips, showing me her commercial toothpaste smile. "That is a weird but beautiful name."

"Yeah, I always got a same reaction about my name, it's either a compliment or insult." I told her smiling, it felt weird to wear this kind of smile on my face. "Hmm. Do you need help? Or are you going somewhere? I can drop you off."

Celestine vigiously shook her head. "Oh no, I am actually working here." She gestured her arms towards the street. "Anyway, I have to go now, I will be late to work." She adjusted her jacket making the snow fell from her shoulders. "Thank you for saving me from that crazy car, or else i would've been on the front page of the newspapers tomorrow."

My hands tucked inside my coat. "You are welcome." I honestly didn't want to drop this conversation with Celestine but I have to act like a normal people.

"Bye, Salt." Celestine said, waving her hand before quickly walked away. My necklace has stop glowing when Juno vanished out of my sight. I honestly didn't know where she went because of the food truck that passed by.

"See you Juno." I whispered to myself as I slowly walked back to my car. I can't really wait to talk to my best friend about my encounter with Juno.

My breath had fogged the wine glass as I watched the blizzard harshly slam against the glass windows. The blade of moon lights illuminated those delicate crystal won't stop falling from heaven.

The weather reporter from the television was talking about something but my mind can't seem to process it. I couldn't stop thinking about Juno or Celestine. Aside from her memory lost, she is still physically the same.

Suddenly I felt the gust of wind lingered inside the living room. My head twisted and saw Suruel gripping hard against the railings of the window. His black long sleeves was half open showing his slightly rounded and perfectly contoured musculine chest to fit the shallow palm of a girl's hand and his ashen wings was glittering behind him.

"Hmm, there is a door Suruel." I told him, just in case he forget that the right way to get inside the house is through door.

Suruel grinned and carefully set his foot on the carpeted floor, a powdery snow has just fallen from his wings. "But your window is always open for me Wendy."

"What are you Peter pan?" I snorted as I crossed my legs and leaned back against the couch. "Anyway, I was calling you."

My best friend brushed his curly hair out of his eyes. "That was the reason why I came here unannounced." He looked at me. "I felt unsettled this morning and you are the only person came into my mind."

Suruel and I are more than like twins, we have a strong connection and unforeseen bond.

"You flew from Russia to Manhattan?" I asked my best friend in disbelief.

Suruel slumped down the couch next to me. "Why not? We are talking about you Cassiel." I felt his arm over my shoulder. "You are the most important person to me here on Earth, I would fly no matter how far it is."

"Awe, touché." I dramatically clutch my chest. Of course I appreciate everything he did for me. Just imagine how far America from Russia. "I have to tell you something Suruel."

The handsome guy looked at me. "What is it?"

"I found her, I saw Juno." I admitted, his eyes went wide. "Her beautiful face, green eyes, red hair and her voice." A huge and heavy sigh escaped my mouth. "But..." My eyes lowered and stared hard on my hands. "She.."

"But she?"

"She can't remember who she is." I gingerly rubbed my hands against my face."She can't even remember me."

Suruel pressed my body more against him. "I think that is the consequence of her reencarnation."

"But what if she doesn't love me anymore, what is going to happen to me? I have waited for her for hundreds of years."

"Hey." Suruel hush me. "Never think something like that, memories maybe lost but I know the love is still there."

"Yeah.." A smile slowly drew my face. "I remembered." I sat up straight. "She told me that I was familiar to her, maybe her mind could not remember anything but her heart does."

Suruel stood up as his wings came out. The scent of his feather is like a petals in summer breeze. It always happened to him when my best friend got really excited. "Come on, I wanna see her."

"Not now, Suruel." I told him as I slowly stood up and walked around him. I noticed something strange. "Wait, why your feathers has color green?"

Suruel looked at his wings back and fourth. "Oh, It's because the eclipse is coming soon."

My forehead creased. "Really?" We have been experienced so many eclipse together but this is the first time that had happened to him.

"Green means my human blood Cassiel." he explained and slowly retracting his wings on his back. "Unlike you, I'm not pure angel that is why my feathers is slowly changing color every eclipse."

"Ohh.. " That is all I can say. "That was weird though." I walked back to the couch while Suruel followed me. "Let's watch a movie." My mind is tired, I need to rest for awhile. At least just for tonight because I will look for Celestine tomorrow. "Wonder woman."

We started to watch a movie, it was awesome. Suruel won't stop drooling over Gal Gadot. He was so funny. I kept on poking and pinching his cheeks to make him stop talking. He also gave me some ideas and instructions how to approach and befriend Celestine.

••

I'm patiently watching my students while doing their essay about an interesting topic about Rosie the riveter, it is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the American women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies.

"Finish or not finish please pass the papers,." I told my students when the bell rang. They quickly got up from their chair and silently put the paper on my table. "Have a nice day guys, drive safe."

When all of them were gone, I collected all the papers and left the room. Everything outside the school were covered of white, the snow hasn't stop since I first got here in Manhattan.

"How was your second day of teaching?" I heard someone spoke behind me, it made me jumped a little. I turned around and saw one of my co-teacher who is smiling big at me. "Jeff Peter.." He confidently introduced himself. Unlike the others, he is young, very professional with all black American suit. "My pleasure to meet you, the talk of the whole University."

"What do you mean?"

Jeff adjusted his eyeglasses and smiled at me. "Well I heard a rumour about this young, smart and very beautiful woman teaching at our school." There were a group of students walking across from us." I can really say they were telling the truth."

I felt my face grew hot because of the compliment I have recieved. When I was about to say something when someone interrupted us.

"Babe, " a hot breath stroke the back of my neck as I felt it's strong arm slipped around my waist. "Sorry, I was late."

"Hey." I said, smiling while I looked at my best friend, Suruel. Actually, this is one of his rolein my life, to pretend as my boyfriend and protecting me from any pervert guys. "Mr. Jeff this is Suruel--"

"Salt's boyfriend." Suruel quickly added as he offer his hand to my co-teacher. "Nice to meet you Sir."

There was envious look in his eyes while looking at me and Suruel. "Jeff Peter, glad to meet you." He look down on his wristwatch. " Anyway, I have to go now, I still have class." Wiithout looking back he walked away in defeat.

"Yes that's right, save your face from shame." Suruel muttered his breath.

I looked at my best friend through my eyelashes. "What are you doing here at school? I thought you have something to do?"

"Yes.." he paused and accompanied me towards the icy parking lot. "I got a partnership with Emerson shipyard." I opened the door of my car and put all my stuff inside. "Let's celebrate our new job Cassiel."

I slammed the door closed. "Sure, maybe on friday? I have no work that day."

Suruel smiled and put a red scarf around my neck. He knew I wasn't affected by the coldness or summer. He just like to do it. "It's a date." He smile widely, some of his bread begins to grow. "So, where are we going to look for Juno first?"

The thought and sound of her name made my heart beat skip a beat. We started to walking towards the street where was the last time I saw Celestine. "She is just here."

Most people were busy to shovel snow, scrapped the frozen white dust of their windshields. Some people complain of winter, cursing the cold and praying for the summer but as for the kids they were running and throwing snowballs.

"Wait." I whispered as we both stopped and closed my eyes. Multiple voices were started to talk inside my head, they were talking about many things but then I heard a familiar voice not so far away from me. I excitedly opened my eyes and search for a certain place. "There.." I pointed the coffee shop across us. We didn't waste any time, Suruel and I crossed the slippery road.

"Are you ready?" I heard my best friend asked, he was holding the doorknob of the coffee shop. My necklace is glowing. I let a huge and heavy sigh before nodding my head.

Once we stepped inside the place, we are greeted by delicious aroma of brewed coffee wrapped and delicious pastries. The place is almost full but luckily an elderly couple left.

My heart melted when I saw the woman behind the cashier and was busy getting customer orders.

"Go talk to her." I heard Suruel whispered before he went to the empty chair.

As if Celestine felt someone is watching her from somewhere, her head lifted from a computer in front of her to me.

"Hey." Celestine greeted me when it's my turn to order, her angelic voice sending shivers down my spine. "It's nice to see you again Salt."

I felt my face blushed."I'm glad you still remember me." A smile tagged at the corner of my lips. "This is my first time coming here, what kind of coffee you can offer to me?"

"Are you new here in Manhattan?"

"Yeah, I just moved here from Russia."

Celestine gave me a thoughful look. "Are you Russian?" Then she was typing something in her computer.

"No, I'm not Russian, I was born here." I laced my fingers on top of the counter and smile. Well at least I discovered something new about the Juno.

"We have Espresso, Macchiato, Café Latte, Cappuccino and Ristretto." She told me without breaking her gaze at me. "But personally I like Cafè Latte, this coffee is much sweeter compared to an espresso due to the steamed milk, it's my favorite."

"Okay then, I will order Cafè Latte for me and Macchiato for my friend over there."

The barrista next to Celestine started to make my coffee. Every ingredients were precise, his hands were moving in sync.

Celestine followed my gaze and saw Suruel, my best friend was busy on his phone but I know he was listening to us. "Only friend? You guys look like a perfect couple."

I chuckled and nodded my head. "He is my best friend." I gave Celestine my payment. "Keep the change."

"Ah, wait." She tried to stop me as I carried my orders. "This is huge, I can't take this."

"It's a tip." I told her. Eyeing the 100$. "Beside I don't have any smaller bill."

Celestine scratched her eyebrow still looking at me. "Okay, but can- hm we-" Celestine's green eyes sparkled like a diamond dust in the skylight. "Will you go out with me tomorrow? Just a simple way of saying thank you about yesterday and I also want to give you a tour around Manhattan."

I'm was actually really surprise that Celestine ask me out of the blue though it was not a date but to be with her is everything. I really want get to know Juno's ree carnation.

"Yeah, sure Celestine."