Cranberry & Champagne

Milo the Snail had been invited to his very first-ever New Year’s Eve party. Everyone who was anyone was going to be there. Milo knew he had to look his very best so he put on his fancy red shell for the evening. He looked in the mirror.

“I clean up quite well,” he said to himself with a smile.

Milo arrived at the party and was blown away by how beautiful everything was. There was confetti and balloons everywhere, and the whole dance floor was decorated with ice sculptures! So many townsfolk were there, Milo started to get a little nervous. He hadn’t been inside a party this popular ever!

Before he lost his nerve, Milo looked to a table filled with snacks and saw a few familiar faces. He slid over to say hi to his three best friends: Nicholas the owl, Bernie the elf, and Peter the snowman.

“You’re looking sharp tonight, Milo,” complimented Nicholas.

“Love the shell!” offered Peter.

“Yes! You’re sure to get a midnight kiss with that outfit on!” shouted Bernie.

Milo froze in place. “A what?”

“Really, Milo?” continued Bernie. “Everyone knows that at midnight on New Year’s Eve, you have to find someone to kiss!”

“K-Kiss?” stuttered Milo. Milo wouldn’t admit it, but he hadn’t ever had a kiss before. He was instantly worried that his friends would think he was a loser if they knew the truth.

“It’s no big deal, Milo,” said Nicholas, sensing his friend’s worry. “You don’t have to kiss anyone.”

“But what about you guys?” Milo asked. “Do you have someone to kiss?”

“Well, Mrs. The Owl is here,” said Nicholas, gesturing to his wife, a snowy owl who was perched atop the rafters, chatting with a friendly red-tailed hawk.

“And Clarabell and I have been going steady for some time now,” Peter said, smiling behind him at a snowwoman admiring the ice sculptures.

“And you, Bernie?” Milo asked, hoping he wouldn’t be the only one without a date.

“Are you kidding? See that elf over there helping Santa put out the cranberry punch?” Bernie asked. “That’s Stacey, and she’s already agreed to be my midnight kiss.”

“So that’s that then,” said Milo. “I’ll be the only one without a kiss.”

“Oh cheer up, Milo,” said Nicholas. “Just try to enjoy the party. Don’t worry about that.”

But Milo did worry about it. For the next two hours, Milo spent the night asking everyone he could find if they had a date for their midnight kiss yet. He asked Penny the penguin – she said she was meeting Percy under the mistletoe. He asked Annie the albatross—she politely let Milo know that she had already promised Gary the goose hers. He asked Ceilia the seal—who giggled and let Milo know that he unfortunately was not her type. He even asked Patricia the Porcupine!

“Sorry, Milo,” said Patricia. “I have a cold and I shouldn’t be kissing anybody tonight.”

“Thanks, Patricia, it’s okay,” said Milo as he slunk away. But it wasn’t okay. Milo had spent so much time asking around that it was nearly midnight!

“Milo, come quick!” shouted Bernie. “I found you a date.”

“What? Who?” asked Milo as he made his way towards Bernie on the crowded dance floor.

“Look, she’s right across the way. The photographer!”

Milo looked across the dance floor to where Bernie was pointing. Sure enough, someone was on the other side, snapping pictures of everyone. Milo couldn’t see at first with the flash, but then, she paused her picture taking for a moment.

“Wow!” exclaimed Milo.

Holding the camera was the most beautiful snail that Milo had ever seen. With a camera draped around her neck and thick, wire-framed glasses resting atop her head, Milo thought he’d never seen anyone as pretty as her before.

“Who is that?” Milo asked.

“That there is Silvie! She’s a photographer that Santa hired to be here!” Bernie answered.

“She’s incredible!” said Milo.

“Well, hurry up, buddy, the clock’s ticking!”

Bernie gave Milo a push across the dance floor. Slowly, dreamily, Milo made his way towards Silvie. She caught his eye across the way and smiled at Milo. Milo blushed and smiled back. He was so lost in the beauty of her smile that he didn’t even notice that everyone else around him had begun counting down.

“10-9-8-”

Milo snapped out of it. He wasn’t even halfway across the dance floor yet!

“7-6-5-4”

Wait! I’m not gonna make it! Milo thought to himself as he shimmied as fast as he could!

“3-2-1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Milo looked around at all the happy couples smiling, laughing, cheering and kissing. He looked across the dance floor, but Silvie was gone. He had missed his chance. Too slow once again.

As the celebration kicked into another gear, Milo left the dance floor, feeling disappointed. He grabbed a cookie from the snack table and found a quiet corner to rest in, behind an ice sculpture.

“I blew it, now I’ll never get a New Year’s kiss,” he said to himself.

Milo sighed and ate his cookie. The music had gotten louder and everyone was really having a good time. Milo was just about to get up and head home when Silvie appeared from behind the ice sculpture, holding two glasses of cranberry punch!

“Punch?” She offered one of the glasses to Milo.

Milo was shocked. He grabbed it quickly.

“T-thanks,” he said quietly.

“I’m Silvie; you must be Milo,” she said, taking a sip from her own glass.

“You know my name!”

“Of course I know you! Everyone’s told me so much about you. I was hoping I’d get a chance to meet you.”

“I was really hoping to meet you too! My friend Bernie pointed you out to me and I just thought you were so pretty! I really—” Milo stopped himself. He couldn’t believe he just said that out loud.

Luckily, Silvie giggled. “Thanks, Milo, that’s very sweet of you. So what are you doing over here all by yourself?”

“Well, it’s sort of embarrassing,” Milo admitted. “You see, my friend Bernie kept talking about how important it is to have a New Year’s kiss, and I… well, I thought—”

“Oh,” said Silvie. “I see.”

“But I blew it,” Milo said. “I didn’t make it to you in time. I’m sure you found someone else to get a kiss from, I suppose.”

‘No, I didn’t,” Silvie answered. Milo suddenly felt a twinge of hope rise up in his chest. “But that doesn’t mean I wanted one. A kiss is something that should really mean something, Milo. You shouldn’t just kiss someone because you feel like you need to.”

“Oh, I guess I didn’t really stop to think of it like that.”

“Exactly. A kiss doesn’t need to be the only way to celebrate the new year. You can celebrate it however you want.” She raised her glass to a toast. “Even with punch!”

Milo smiled and clinked his glass in cheers. He took a sip.

“Hey, this is really good.”

Silvie laughed, “It is, isn’t it.” With a flash, Silvie snapped Milo’s photograph.

“What’s that for?” Milo asked.

“Just something to remember a great night,” Silvie answered.

Milo looked at her. “Hey Silvie, do you think… maybe—you’d like to dance with me?”

Silvie smiled, “I’d love that, Milo.”

So together, Milo and Silvie finished their punch and headed off to the dance floor. Although he wasn’t celebrating this New Year’s Eve party with a kiss, Milo found himself having the absolute best time he’s had all year. He smiled at Silvie as they danced and thought to himself, Hey, there’s always next year!