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“From the way Gabe talked about her, without a doubt.” His laughter was so full of joy as it rang out. “They already met her. He said she was beautiful, and Heather couldn’t leave her the first night. She slept in the NICU with the baby on her chest. He’s going to send a picture.”
His phone dinged, and he picked it up, opening the text messages. What I saw melted my heart into a puddle of goo. “Oh, my goodness, look at them!” A tiny pink bundle lay on Heather’s chest, skin to skin. The baby’s little head was covered in a Santa hat. She had an oxygen tube and a feeding tube in her nose, but was pink, plump, and had dark hair sticking out from under the hat.
“These kinds of images really get me,” he said, and I could hear the emotion in his voice. “That little girl had no one, and now she’s got two of the best. She’s going to be just fine.”
“She is,” I said, looking up to meet his gaze. “So are you, Irving. I love you.”
“I love you too,” he whispered as I put my arms around his neck for a hug. “You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, Hazel. I keep waiting to wake up and discover this was all a dream.”
“I assure you, it’s not a dream. We are real. Do you know how I know?”
“How?” he asked, ending the hug so I could sit up.
“There’s a Christmas tree in the apartment of Irving Wallace that’s ready to be decorated! Surely, if this were a dream, it would be a nightmare, so it has to be real life.” I tossed him a wink so he knew I was kidding, but he tickle-attacked me as he laughed.
“You think you’re so funny, don’t you?” he asked, leaning in for a kiss. “What do you say we get it finished?”
“Let’s do it!” I said, hopping off his legs so he could wheel over to the tree. “I’ll do the top branches if you do the bottom,” I explained, pointing at the ornaments I had set out for him on the couch so they were easy for him to reach.
We got to work, hanging the ornaments while the Christmas carols played, and I sang along, the spirit of the season filling me as I pictured Heather and Gabe holding their new baby girl on Christmas morning. What better gift was there in this world than a lifetime of love?
“When I was a kid,” I said, hanging a star ornament on the tree. “We each had our own ornaments that we hung. My mom and dad had theirs from childhood and collected them for me over the years, so by the time I was a teenager, the tree was full of personal ornaments that reminded us of the things we liked at certain ages and favorite characters, things like that.”
“That’s a great idea,” he said, hanging an angel on a branch. “I could see where it would make the tree personal and more fun during the season. If I ever had a child, I’d want to do that. Where are your ornaments?”
I froze with a bauble near the tree and swallowed down the grimace. I hated telling another lie, but I didn’t have a choice. “They’re at my parent’s house. I didn’t know if this job would work out, so I decided I could always have things shipped.”
“But you didn’t have them shipped?”
“Couldn’t,” I answered, finally hanging the bulb on the tree. “My parents are working on a cruise ship until the new year. Once they return home, I’ll have them send me my things.”
“A cruise ship? I thought they were chefs?”
“They retired a few years back and sold their restaurant. They wanted to travel and discovered they could work on a cruise ship as chefs while they saw the world, so that’s what they did.”
“Not a bad idea,” he agreed, wheeling his chair backward to take in the tree. “Getting paid to see the world is a win-win.”
“What do you think?” I asked as I stepped back and stood by his chair.
“I think it’s beautiful and wish I hadn’t waited so long to put one up.”
I rubbed his neck as we silently gazed at the beautifully decorated tree. I had saved the red and gold ornaments for his tree. I also used soft white lights and gold garland as accents. “It’s not done until we…” I paused and jogged to the bag I had brought in earlier. “Put on the candy canes!”
“Of course,” he said, laughter falling from his lips as I handed him the bag. “Don’t we need a tree topper too?”
“Well, look at you,” I said, whistling. “You’re barely even a Grinch now!”
He swatted my bottom as I walked by to hang a candy cane, and I laughed, ducking behind the tree so he couldn’t get me. I took a candy cane and pulled the wrapping down on my way back.
“I hope they’re fresh,” I said, hanging it on my lip to taste. “Oh, yeah, there’s nothing like a candy cane as you decorate the tree. Try it,” I said, motioning at the bag.
“You know I don’t like them,” he insisted. “Except when I kiss the peppermint off your lips.”
“You told me you don’t like Christmas trees either.” I raised a brow as a challenge.
“Fine, fine,” he said, shaking his head as he unwrapped a candy cane and eyed it as though it would taste like dirty feet or garlic.
“These are gourmet candy canes. They’re impossible not to like.”
