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Beneath where the snow globe had been laying, there was a small handwritten note. I opened it up and read the short message with a silly grin on my face.
Thank you for making this the most magical Christmas ever. -Skye
I looked up at her, nearly speechless. It was such a simple gift, but it was thoughtful and meaningful, and that was really all that mattered.
“This is the most thoughtful gift, Skye. Thank you.”
I wanted to lean over and kiss her, but a quick glance around the room reminded me that this was neither the time nor the place. She smiled at me and reached out to squeeze my arm.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get you anything,” I said, hardly able to meet her eyes.
She bit her bottom lip and leaned towards me.
“Last night was the only gift I need,” she whispered, “and you promised me that we weren’t done.”
I felt my jaw drop open, and when I looked up at Skye, she had a satisfied grin on her face. Clearly, she was rather proud of leaving me speechless. And I guess I had my answer. There seemed to be no regret from either of us, unless you count the regret that it didn’t go any further.
The room echoedwith the sound of clinking mugs and the gentle hum of conversation. Children’s laughter intertwined with the melodic tunes of a classic Christmas playlist softly playing in the background. The rest of Skye’s family, their faces lit with the warm hues of the fire, exchanged thoughtful gifts – tokens of affection and appreciation that spoke volumes without the need for words.
As the morning sun filtered through the snow clouds, it cast a brilliant, golden glow over the entire resort, as if nature itself was bestowing its blessings upon our gathering. In the midst of this picturesque setting, amidst the laughter, the love, and the shared moments, I felt an overwhelming sense of contentment.
I wasn’t sure why I had been so terrified and timid about taking a trip that felt “Christmas-y.” So far, this had been the best Christmas in years, and the day was only getting started. Every time I looked at Skye, or she gently brushed my arm, I felt a jolt of excitement shoot through me. And knowing that she was feeling something similar only made things that much better.
After the merriment of gifts,breakfast, and Christmas music had started to die down, Annie ushered everyone outside for the annual Harris family snowman building competition. I wasn’t sure why everything in this family had to be a competition, but it certainly brought out different sides of Skye’s family that I hadn’t realized were in there.
“You’re going down,” Skye whispered as she pulled on her coat and stepped outside.
“In your dreams,” I retorted. “I might as well be a professional snowman-builder.”
“Oh really? When’s the last time you built a snowman?”
I wracked my brain. It had been years. Many years. Perhaps since childhood. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. Had I been depriving my girls of a beloved winter tradition all their lives? As I made my way outside behind Skye, I saw that Laila and Cora were managing just fine.
Laila was working alongside Beth to build, and Cora had teamed up with Eva and Mae. They were incredibly focused as they packed the snow and placed it in just the right spot to create the best snowman.
Before I knew it, everyone around me was nearly done, but my snowman still looked like a lump without any real shape to it. Sierra and Greg’s snowman must have been ten feet tall, and I had no idea how they got the head up there until I saw Sierra sitting on top of Greg’s shoulders as he inched closer and closer to their towering creation.
Luke and Taylor’s looked like it had been sculpted by Michelangelo himself, and even Beth and Laila’s was quite impressive. When I turned to see how Skye had fared, I saw not only a picture-perfect snowman, but also an igloo that was large enough for most of the kids to gather inside, which they were quickly doing.
I caught her eye, and she tried to keep from laughing as she approached me.
“It’s okay,” she said with a patronizing pat on my shoulder, “there’s always next year.”
“How did you do that?”
“Oh Owen, you have so much to learn.”
She shook her head at me and walked back towards her creation. I never thought building a snowman and an igloo would be such a turn on, but apparently I had very strange taste.
13
SKYE
The morning after Christmas is usually a bit of a downer. The festivities are over, the snow is less magical and somehow more cold, and the anticipation for next year begins. Normally I dread the day after Christmas, but this year was different. There was something in the air that told me the magic hadn’t finished yet.
Despite our best efforts, Owen and I didn’t get a moment alone the entire day. There was far too much going on. Between the gifts, the meals, the snowmen, and the games, it seemed like the entire day was packed. I was actually looking forward to the next day when the excitement had worn off a bit.
We didn’t have any big plans for the day, so I sent Owen a message, asking what they were up to. I was sure he had plans with his girls, but I secretly hoped he would invite me along, or at least that I would get a chance to see him.
