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I always knew Owen would be a success in his life, but I never expected him to be living in a $20 million apartment in New York City. It was quite impressive, and I was not easy to impress. He had clearly worked incredibly hard for his success, and I had to admit, that was easily the thing I admired most about him. He always committed fully to anything he put his mind to. He had been like that his entire life, and it seemed nothing had changed.
“So, Luke,” I said casually as we waited for the shuttle, “what was going on the other night? You seemed a little bit, um, stressed out.”
“I have three kids, Skye, I’m always stressed out.”
“Yeah, but it seemed a little worse than usual.”
“Well, for starters, our basement flooded, which is where our passports were,” he said, pulling a stack of water-damaged passports from his pocket. “And then the company we called to clean it up said they couldn’t come until after Christmas.”
“Oh, no. I’m so—”
“I’m not finished. Then Oliver and Henry decided they needed to go downstairs and play in the water which was, in a word, disgusting.”
“They were filthy,” Taylor chimed in.
“AndthenPenelope went downstairs with them and started splashing them with water and just being, you know, an older sister.
“The dog pooped on the carpet upstairs and I didn’t notice it until I took the kids up to get in the bath and Oliver stepped in it and tracked it all over the house.
“We ordered dinner because everything was chaos, and they completely messed it up. The kids were mad they didn’t get what they wanted. I was soaking wet and furious. And Taylor was nearly vomiting as he cleaned up dog poop that had been tracked all over.”
I stared at them in shock, hoping they were finished with their tragic tale.
“Are you guys seriously telling that story again?” Amelia chimed in from the bench where she was sitting. “It’s all they talked about on the flight.”
“Amelia, when you have three kids and they absolutely wreak havoc on your life, don’t come crying to us,” Luke said with his signature sarcasm.
“I amneverhaving kids. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“You guys, I am so sorry. That sounds like an awful night. Did you get the basement taken care of?”
“Yeah, we found someone who came that night, so it’s all good now, but we will have to deal with all of the damage when we get home.”
“We’re trying not to think about it.”
As we unloadedout of the shuttle upon arriving to the resort, we were immediately embraced by the breathtaking panorama of the Swiss Alps. The peaks of the mountains were kissed by the soft glow of the sun. The air was crisp, but not too cold. And the scent of pine trees was overwhelming, in the best possible way.
As we wrapped ourselves in warm coats and scarves, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the natural beauty surrounding us. I was thrilled to finally be here. I had been dreaming about it for a year, ever since we voted on our destination at last year’s Christmas gathering. It had already far surpassed what I hoped it would be.
With our ski equipment in tow, we ventured towards the heart of the resort. The village square was a bustling scene of holiday cheer. Families and friends gathered around a majestic Christmas tree adorned with twinkling lights and ornaments. Somewhere in the distance, there were voices harmonizing in cheerful carols.
I felt like I had stepped into a Christmas card. It was, without a doubt the most beautiful place I had ever been. The years of vying for this to be our destination had paid off.
When we arrived at our chalet, the roaring fireplace cast a cozy light across the room. The kids ran around the cabin, arguing over who got which bed, and where the best place for Santa to leave their gifts would be.
It was difficult to find a chalet to fit all fourteen of us, but this was not an ordinary ski chalet. It was a magical scene that only existed in romantic Christmas movies. It was immaculately decorated for the holidays, and there were views of the snow-covered mountains outside every window.
All of the bedrooms had their own private balcony, and the bunk room for the kids was the type of place that every child dreamed of. On the large back balcony, there was a hot tub and a fire pit, which I knew would get plenty of use from my family.
There was only one other cabin near us, and it had a small pathway connecting the two. There was a courtyard in the middle with heaters and a covered sitting area, perfect for morning coffee or late-night wine.
As I wandered the chalet, I heard the sound of children’s laughter coming from outside. It couldn’t possibly be who I thought it was, could it?
I peeked out the window and saw fiery red hair dart past me and into the chalet next door. Following closely behind Laila was little Cora, trying her best to keep up with her big sister. Owen and Beth trailed behind, and I couldn’t stop the smile that crossed my face when I saw him coming down the pathway.
“Owen!” I called, stepping out onto the balcony.
He looked around for a moment before finally finding me up above him. The gentle snowfall speckled his hair with white as he waved to me.
