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Isaac
Six Years Ago
“Ican’t believe you’re leaving three days before Christmas. What am I supposed to tell Cobie?”
The bitter chill of my wife, Lonnie’s, words hang in the air as I pack my bags, preparing to leave behind the warmth of home and family for a new photojournalist assignment in Germany.
“It’s one Christmas, and she’s two years old. She won’t even realize I’m gone,” I say.
She crosses her arms over her chest and stands in the doorway. “That’s not the point. I will. Your parents will.”
I close the top of my suitcase and walk to her. “I’m sorry. I know this is horrible timing, but it’s the first on-location assignment I’ve been offered, and I need to go. This is a good thing for us. For our future. This is big.”
She sighs and plants her forehead against my chest. “I know you’re right. It’s just Christmas with our family is big too. I don’t want you to miss the big stuff.”
I kiss the top of her head. “One year. I promise. That’s all. I just need my foot in the door.”
She looks up at me. “Okay, one year.”
The doorbell rings.
“Your chariot awaits.”
She gives me a half-smile as she goes to answer the door.
I pick up suitcase and throw my camera bag over my shoulder.
Excitement washes over me as I head out to the taxi, but I can’t shake the pang in my chest as I look back at Lonnie, holding a waving Cobie in her arms, knowing that this Christmas, my lens will capture stunning scenes far away from the cozy embrace of my family. For the first time, I’ll miss the sparkle in Cobie’s eyes as she unwraps her gifts, the sound of her giggles filling our living room.
But with every shutter click, I vow to freeze the moments I witness, not just for my camera and the magazine feature, but also for my heart, so when I return, I can share the world with her.
One frame at a time.
Isaac
Present
Ihold Cobie’s hand tightly as I help her down from the passenger side of the rented SUV.
The crisp air carries the scent of pine, and her eyes widen with excitement as she takes in the sight of our stopover on our way to Paris for Christmas.
“Daddy, it’s so pretty here!” she exclaims, her small hand pointing toward the glistening lake across the road.
Her excitement is music to my ears. She’s been rather melancholy since I picked her up yesterday, but the sight of snow perked her up on the ride from the airport.
Living in San Antonio, Texas, she has never seen snow falling in person before. When the flakes began to flutter around the SUV, I had to stop and pull over onto the side of the road so she could get out and touch it before we could continue.
I smile down at her, my heart filling with love for my moody little girl.
Lake Mistletoe is a holiday destination here in the Idaho Rockies. Nestled in the valley just down the mountainside of Sun Valley, it has grown in popularity over the past few years and has landed on the radar ofEpic Odysseys, my employer and one of the largest international travel magazines in the world.
“It sure is, sweetheart. We’re going to have a great time here,” I say, ruffling her hair gently.
Cobie beams up at me, her freckled face lit up with joy.
As we walk toward the cozy inn the magazine booked for us, I can’t help but feel a sense of peace settle over me. It’s been a few years since I was able to spend the holidays with my daughter.
Her mother and I have a custody agreement in place that allows me to spend every other Christmas with Cobie, but work has caused me to be away most every December, and Lonnie and her new husband, Greg, have been playing Mrs. Claus and Santa in my stead.
