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I wondered if one little thing made this life different than the other one where we were together. Some butterfly effect from an inconsequential moment that rippled into the paths we were on. Maybe if William had gotten into pine tree farming instead of the law, he might be the lumberjack I was moving to Little Christmas to fall in love with. Or maybe the ripple was more recent. Maybe if William and I hadn’t negotiated the hot chocolate shop into the prenup, it wouldn’t have been the offer I couldn’t refuse and I’d be moving to Chicago instead.

So many alternate universes in which this worked.

But this is the reality we lived in.

The kiss ended and he stepped back, looked at me one more time. I watched him take his luggage and roll it to the door. He let Daisy go first, then let himself out. I stood there by the credenza in my light blue snowflake pajamas, right where he left me.

And that was it. He was gone.

It was the most hollow feeling. This house that was so warm and festive just a few minutes ago felt empty. And the thing I feared was suddenly true.

William was the magic.

I waited for a minute or two in the vestibule like I needed to stand there to adjust while the new reality loaded. Once I was sure he was gone, I went back to the kitchen.

I couldn’t eat. I felt bad tossing what he made me, so I just put plastic wrap over the plate. I was setting this in the fridge when I heard the door open again.

It was probably Noel. William probably stopped in at the house to say goodbye. She knew he was gone and she knew I’d be upset.

I came around the corner expecting my best friend and gearing up for a good cry. But it wasn’t Noel. It was William.

“Fuck it,” he said, coming back in. Daisy trotted past him to the living room while William unraveled his scarf and peeled off his coat.

“What… what happened??” I asked, blinking at him.

“I can’t do it.”

“You can’t do what?”

He hung up his jacket and came to stand in front of me. “I can’t leave.” He shook his head. “I know it’s… it’s unhinged. I realize this. It’s reckless and it’s irresponsible and extremely out of character for me. But I can’t do it. I can’t leave.”

My heart was pounding. “What are you saying?”

He wiped a hand down his mouth. “What I’m saying is I think we need to see this through. I think it would be a mistake if we don’t.”

“How???”

“I’ll move here.”

I was rendered speechless for all of two seconds before the words came pouring out.

“William… you cannot leave your life for a woman you met three days ago.”

“Four days. You got here Thursday. It’s been four days.”

I threw up my hands. “Oh. Well, then.”

He laughed, despite himself.

He stepped closer. “Here’s what I’m proposing. I relocate. I just do it. We date and see what happens. If you’re not feeling it, I’ll go,” he said. “Tell me now. If you’re not feeling what I’m feeling, it’s fine, I can take it. But if you are… if you are, tell me to stay. I’ll stay if you ask me to. Please. Ask me.”

I shook my head. “You’re sure you want to do this…”

“I’m sure. Oddly enough I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”

I blew a breath through my nose. Then I gave him a playful grin. “Big-city boy leaves his big-city corporate job for a small-town girl who owns a struggling hot chocolate shop.”

The corners of his lips quirked up. “He finds the spirit of Christmas and leaves it all to write cease-and-desist letters in exchange for fruitcakes.”