Christmas Promises (Port-Cartier #2)
1. Lucy
1
lucy
The past four months felt more like a dream than a reality.
They had changed the course of my life forever—after getting back with Luke, I started a new job at Port-Cartier Elementary School. Going back to Seattle wasn’t an option anymore, not with how my life finally came together, creating a perfect puzzle that I was content with. It all felt right. Shortly after deciding to stay, I made a quick trip to Seattle to pack up my belongings and sell anything I didn’t want to bring. It was one last chance for Sailor and me to have a girls’ road trip before we began living so far apart.
And while that was one of the hardest things I had to do, knowing that I had a home by Luke’s side made it easier. It wasn’t long before I moved in with him. We had spent ten long years apart, despite the love that always remained in our hearts.
“Why waste any more time?” Luke said, and I couldn’t have agreed more. We knew we got along well, we knew we were meant to be, and we were ready to start living our lives together.
It all felt like the plot of a romance story—which I had started reading again. In fact, my home library was full of them. My gaze wandered around the sage green room, with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lining the walls. They were only halfway filled for now, but it was enough for me to settle in with a different good book every evening. In the corner of my library was the fluffiest white sofa ever known to man, where I spent many hours immersing myself in different stories that filled my heart with so much warmth. Now that I had found a way to believe in love again, these stories made me feel so good—to the point where Luke occasionally said I lived for my books.
That wasn’t far from the truth—after all, I was living in my very own romance story.
As I heard the door downstairs open, I shut my book and hopped off my sofa. Luke was back from work, which was my favorite part of the day. Now that I worked at an elementary school, I had pre-specified holidays, but Luke wasn’t as lucky. Lately, his work had been booming—which was both a blessing, since we needed the money for renovations around the house, and a curse because it meant we spent less time together.
Once I reached the ground floor, I found him in the kitchen, holding a paper bag from a Chinese place one town over. We had only gone there once, but the food was so good it left a lasting impression on me.
“No way!” I dashed toward him, leaning up to peck him on the lips. A knowing grin spread across his face as if he knew exactly how happy this would make me.
“Yes, way. Pick a movie, sweetheart, and I’ll bring over the food.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. In a heartbeat, I was in the living room, choosing a movie for us to watch. I picked a Christmas movie I had been dying to see to fit the winter theme.
When Luke brought in our noodles and the duck sauce, he arched his brow at my choice. I, on the other hand, couldn’t help but stare at him. How was it possible for him to be so handsome? I had spent months by his side, yet I still couldn’t get used to the beautiful lines of his face and the warmth of his blue eyes.
“A Christmas movie?” he questioned as he placed the food on the small coffee table in front of us. Before I moved in, Luke didn’t have a TV, claiming he didn’t need one. But he did, exactly for evenings like this, so I could snuggle into his arms for a few moments before we dug into our food and focused on the movie entirely.
“Why are you surprised? It’s past Thanksgiving so technically it’s the Christmas season. Besides this is my favorite time of the year.”
His expression scrunched in confusion, eyes curious as they stared at me.
“Is that so?” He ran his hand through my dark curls. I rested my leg on top of his, allowing myself to bask in the warmth his body radiated. I had always been a secret fan of Christmas time, even if I refused to admit it. For years, though, I forced myself to bury that passion deep inside me to avoid the painful memories linked with it. But now that we were back together, I could allow myself to enjoy this season to the fullest.
“Of course. Don’t tell me you didn’t know,” I teased him with a playful nudge. “And here I was, thinking you knew everything about me…”
“You do manage to still surprise me every day, sweetheart,” he said, handing me my noodles before they started cooling down. Curiosity still lingered in his expression. “I thought summertime was your favorite. At least, it used to be when we were dating ten years ago…”
“People change in ten years, Luke,” I retorted, scooping up some noodles with my chopsticks. This hardly fit the winter theme, but they were so delicious I couldn’t say no. The exquisite taste melted on my tongue, awakening every single taste bud I had. “In more ways than one—I mean, it took you long enough to stop using three-in-one shower gel…”
Luke chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Guilty as charged,” he murmured, even if it was somewhat of a sensitive topic in our relationship. “No need to attack me, Luce. Instead, you can tell me why this time of year is your favorite…”
My mind instantly drifted back to when we first started dating. It was winter, and we were just kids, yet he somehow managed to make every moment feel so special that it stayed with me for the rest of my life. Luke seemed to have some kind of winter magic going on for himself. I could vividly recall us ice-skating, which I had always been terrible at, drinking hot cocoa, and staring at the Christmas lights together. It wasn’t one big thing that made it special—it was a collection of moments combined to create an unforgettable experience.
“I thought you’d know. Come on, use those deduction skills in that big ol’ head of yours…” I encouraged him, tapping the side of his head playfully. Luke thought for a moment, his brows furrowing in concentration.
“Was it because we started dating during winter?” he asked at last, and I shrugged my shoulders slightly.
“Partially. We had our first date around Christmas. I can still remember it so clearly…But then the next Christmas came around, and you did your best to make that one special as well. We went sledding with your parents and brothers and laughed until our stomachs hurt. And then, on Christmas morning, you gave me that scrapbook you made yourself…” My words trailed off as I recalled memories from ten years ago. Funnily enough, I had recently found some pictures from that period of our lives. “I don’t know, those two winters were so amazing, and I just know that if we had stayed together, we could have…”
My voice broke a little at the reminder of everything we had lost. A small swallow disrupted my throat as I fought to keep my emotions at bay. I didn’t want to get upset now. We were meant to have a chill dinner.
“Hey, hey…” Luke said soothingly, capturing my chin between his fingers and tilting my head up so I would look at him. The warmth of his tone struck me right at my heart, deepening the ache. How could I ever have thought that he didn’t love me anymore? “No getting upset, sweetheart. We’re back together now, and we have the rest of our lives to spend together. That’s at least sixty more winters that I will make special for you. I promise.”
A small, stifled laugh escaped my lips. This was one of his many talents—he could make me laugh anytime, anywhere. He leaned in, kissing my forehead and lingering there for a moment.
“That’s a big commitment, you know,” I teased, “because you’ve set up big expectations, and I’ll expect you to top the previous year every time.”
“And that is a challenge I gladly accept,” he retorted with a cheeky grin before his lips dipped lower, kissing mine, only to pull away after two seconds. “I love you, sweetheart, but right now, you taste like beef pan-fried noodles, and I’ll have to pull away.”
All the sadness evaporated instantly as I grabbed him by the back of his head, pulling him in for another kiss. Our laughter blended with the collision of our lips on both ends, and at that moment, I knew this was right where I was meant to be all along.