Page 11 of Gingerbread Houses with the Mountain Man

“Will you make me and my children so happy and become my wife, Aurora? I love you so, so much.”

“Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!”

Jumping to my feet, I slipped the ring on her left finger and lifted her into my arms, spinning her around. Auggie and Lola danced and cheered, jumping up and down as we all celebrated a joyous moment together.

I kissed her soft lips, tears slipping down her cheeks as I tried to blink mine away. Unsuccessfully.

I scooped Auggie into my arms while Aurora picked up Lola and the four of us hugged and danced.

Four months later, in the warm weather of June, we were married in the backyard of our cabin, surrounded by our family and friends. Auggie was our best man and Lola, our flower girl. We took a family trip to Disney world for our honeymoon, though I insisted we could leave the kids behind and go somewhere tropical, but Aurora wouldn’t hear of it. Still, I promised Aurora I’d take her somewhere soon, only the two of us.

When Christmas rolled around, it was my wife’s first time getting her own gingerbread house to bake, build, and decorate.

And come to find out, she blew us all away with her perfect gingerbread cottage, complete with candy-stained glass windows and freshly fallen snow made of coconut shavings.

Like I knew from the moment I laid eyes on her, she was my forever.

It was time to grow our family.

THE END