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“Love?” she whispers.
“Love,” I growl, cradling her face in my hands and leaning down to look closely at her, into her. “I love you more than I knew a person could love. I love you, and I love our future, and I love everything we’re going to be.”
“I love you too,” she says, voice cracking as a single tear slides down her cheek.
“Good,” I say. “Now turn around, my perfect elf.”
She does it slowly, as though she wants to make this moment last forever.
When she sees the lights, she stares at them silently for a long time. Nerves writhe through me, pounding at my chest.
I’ve never felt anything like this, not whilst on a case or in a fight or anywhere.
But it’s too late to turn back now and, anyway, I have to know if my woman wants our happy-ever-after as hungrily as I do.
Kneeling down as quietly as I can, I slip my hand into my jacket pocket and take out the ring box.
I open it just as she turns to face me, revealing a full glittering diamond with a couple of green and red gemstones inlaid elegantly into the setting. The band a snow white.
It’s a ring that will always remind us of how we met, of the season which will be all the more special for us from now on because it’s when we found each other.
“Will you marry me, Natalie?” I smile, hoping she can’t sense the uncertainty inside me, the fear. “You know… if the sign wasn’t clear enough.”
Tears stream down her cheeks but her crying is silent, her mouth opening and closing as though she’s struggling to form words. For a second I think she’s going to say no when she finally finds her voice.
But then she nods fiercely.
“Yes, yes, of course, it’s a yes.”
I let out a whoop of celebration and leap to my feet, taking the ring and holding her left hand, I bring it to her ring finger far too quickly, almost fumbling and dropping it.
But eventually, I slide it on her finger.
She holds it toward the glittering lights of Santa’s Wonderland, tilting her head as she studies it.
“Do you like it?” I ask, smoothing my hand over her shoulder, through her hair.
“Like it?” she says, laughing lightly. “I love it. And I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I pull her toward me and we sink into a kiss, both of us melting into our love. She smooths her hands around me and hugs me close as our tongues clash, as meteors blaze through us, and we fuse together.
“I don’t think I’m ever going to forget this Christmas,” she murmurs, giggling as she reaches up to wipe away a tear.
I reach up and wipe it away before she has a chance, smoothing my hand across her cheek.
“We’ll have to work hard to make next year even more special.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” she says with a quiver in her voice, emotion bursting out of her. “But I’m up for trying.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Natalie
I stare down at the pregnancy test, at the lines that tell me I’m pregnant. We finally did it.
I try to shout for Nick but my heart is hammering too loudly in my chest, closing off my ability to speak, making it difficult to formulate thoughts, let alone words.
All I can do is stare down as my hands tremble, praying that the test doesn’t disappear.
The months since Christmas have been like an oasis finally found in the middle of a desert, with Kenny starting at community college for business, Nick and I living in his high rise apartment that overlooks the city. Sometimes, when it’s a clear night, I’m sure I can see the mall glittering from the other side of the bridge.
My mind flits over the previous two months when we did the pregnancy tests, how Nick’s face fell when I told him about the negative results. I felt the same collapsing feeling inside of me, as though all the things we were going to do, all the things we were going to be were crashing down.
“I love you, no matter what,” he said the last time it came back negative. “I’ll always love us. And we’ll always have a future together. I want you to know that.”
“I’ll always love you too,” I whispered, and laid my head against his chest, listening to the thumping of his heartbeat.
But now it’s positive.
Finally, I find my voice, raising it in a scream.
“Nick, Nick.”
His heavy footsteps pound through the apartment.
He throws the bathroom door open and looms in the doorway. He completely fills the frame, my perfect Santa. He’s wearing his jacket and trousers, ready for work, making me want to tear off his shirt and kiss his muscled skin even with the news I’ve got to tell him.
Heck, maybe especially with the news I’ve got to tell him.
