Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
We didn’t do a full Christmas with them the first year, but the next year we did, and it was incredible. The next year we just combined everyone into one big celebration with all the families, and now that’s basically how we do things now. We just pick a house, get everyone together there, and celebrate the holidays like one big family. This year Daisy and I are hosting. I was a little nervous at first. I thought it would be a lot of work and didn’t want to go and mess things up and let anybody down, but Marissa and Daisy helped get things set ahead of time, and everything came together just perfectly.
Who would have thought that my wife, a woman who used to hate Christmas, is now not just celebrating the holidays with her family, but is also helping to set things up and is even dressing up like Mrs. Claus? What a transformation.
“Okay, I’ve got the lights!” my mom says, tugging a string of lights from one of the boxes of decorations I set out earlier. “At least…I think these are the right lights.”
“Yes, those are the right ones, Ellen,” Daisy replies. “That other string is missing some bulbs and won’t work if you plug it in.”
“Tea time!” Caroline cries out.
“Tree time, honey,” Daisy laughs.
“Tree time,” she repeats, reaching into the ornaments box and retrieving a red bulb with a big smile on her face.
“Okay, let’s get started then, shall we?” I say, the warmth of the moment taking me over.
“Yeah!” Caroline giggles, rushing over to the tree, her bulb in hand.
I take Daisy’s hand and pull her to me, giving her a hug that’s appropriate in front of the parents but also getting her close enough so that only she can hear what I whisper in her ear.
“Five years. Can you believe it?”
She smiles back at me, and I see the tears forming in her eyes. “Yes, I can.”
“Do these last five together make up for the five I was gone?” I ask, feeling my heart expanding in my chest as the warmth of my love for her swells within me. Sometimes I wonder how it’s possible to love someone this much. Sometimes, at moments like this, I feel as though I’m about to completely explode with just how much I love her.
I see the playfulness sweep into her gaze as she wipes away her tears and looks up at me. “I don’t know,” she whispers. “But if you keep doing what you’re doing, I think you might.”
“So you like what I do to you?” I ask, keeping my voice extra quiet.
“You know I do.” She smiles, squeezing my shoulder.
“Well later tonight, when Caroline’s in bed…” I give her a silly little wink that always makes her laugh.
“Sounds like a plan, Santa.”
“It’s going to be tough to wait until tonight, Mrs. Claus. But I’ll do my best.”
I wrap my arm around her and take her back over to the tree, where we join the rest of the family and begin putting up the decorations.
What a journey we’ve been through. I thought when I left the first time that I’d blown it with her forever. But thankfully, that wasn’t the case. Thankfully, fate brought us back together, and my love was able to forgive me. Thankfully, I was able to prove myself to her, and we were able to build a life together.
Because truly, I don’t know where I would be without her.
I’d have a career, sure. I’d be successful, sure. But would I be happy? Would I be fulfilled? Absolutely not.
She’s given me love, she’s given be Caroline, and I’ll spend the rest of my life giving her my love and doing everything I can to keep her safe and happy.
Daisy, my Christmas gift.
MISTLETOE LOVE SERIES
Joy for the Scrooge – Cassi Hart
A Secret Baby for Christmas – Sadie King
Curvy Girl and the Grumpy Santa – Jessa Joy
Working for the Scrooge – Cameron Hart
Snowed in with the Grump – Fern Fraser
Unwrapping His Gift – Jenna Rose
Beauty and the Grump – Winters Travers
Screwing With The Scrooge – Shaw Hart
Scrooged all the Way – Mayra Statham
Mail Order Bride for the Scrooge – Ember Davis
Scrooge’s Curvy Neighbor – Loni Ree
The Taming of the Scrooge – Cassie Mint