Epilogue
Edward
Christmas Day
The cabin at the Aspen ski resort where we’re spending our honeymoon is quiet, the kind of silence that settles like a thick blanket over everything when there’s a fresh layer of snow on the ground.
I lean back into the couch, fingers wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate, and glance down at Ember. She’s curled up beside me, wrapped in an oversized blanket, eyes bright as she surveys the little Christmas tree we’ve set up in the corner.
The tree is, let’s say…a work in progress. We grabbed it from a farm down the road, and it might be the smallest, scraggliest one there, but it’s ours, decorated with a mismatched collection of ornaments Ember picked up at a yard sale. A few candy canes dangle awkwardly from the branches, and the string of lights we draped over it blinks erratically. Still, it’s perfect.
“I think we did good,” I say, sipping the hot chocolate she made. It’s too sweet, and the marshmallows have half-melted into a sticky blob, but it has that cozy taste that reminds me of when I was a kid.
She laughs, nudging my leg with her foot. “Good? It looks like something a couple of kids threw together.”
“Well, maybe a couple of kids did throw it together,” I say, giving her a grin. “What’s a real tree supposed to look like, anyway? We’re making our own traditions.”
She rolls her eyes, but I catch the smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Fine. Then I’m officially declaring this the ‘Ugly Tree’ tradition. Next year, we find the ugliest tree we can and decorate it however we want. Deal?”
“Deal,” I say, holding out my hand for a shake.
She takes it, her fingers warm in mine, and we sit, soaking in the quiet.
I lean over, kissing the top of her head, and she lets out a sigh that sounds like contentment. We’re here, in this little cabin, miles from everything, just the two of us celebrating our first Christmas as husband and wife. It still feels surreal sometimes. The quiet life, the cozy cabin, knowing that this is forever—it’s more than I thought I’d ever have.
“You know, we could make this cocoa a little more exciting,” I say, reaching over to grab the bottle of Bailey’s we brought along.
“Oh, now you’re speaking my language.”
I pour a generous splash into each of our mugs, and we clink them like they’re wine glasses, grinning at each other before we take a sip.
She lets out a satisfied sigh, sinking further into the couch. “Now this is a Christmas drink. Instant cocoa and a splash of Bailey’s. I’d like to see those fancy cocktail bars compete with this.”
I laugh, pulling her closer. “I think we’re onto something. We should open a business: December’s Cocoa, LLC. ‘We add Bailey’s to everything.’”
She snickers, resting her head on my shoulder. “We could have the whole cabin aesthetic, you know? Mismatched decorations, ugly trees, cocoa on tap. People would eat it up.”
I grin. “Especially if we told customers it was ugly on purpose. We’d be a sensation.”
We laugh, letting the ridiculous idea carry us. It feels good to laugh like this. We’ve come a long way from the whirlwind of a year ago, from those darker moments that seem distant now.
I stretch my legs, and the movement bumps a gift under the couch, the one Ember handed me earlier, and then practically begged me not to open until tonight. She’s been grinning like a kid all day, practically glowing, which was all the more reason for me to hold off. There’s nothing like watching her try to contain her excitement.
“Want to open it now?” she asks, sitting up a little, her eyes gleaming with a look somewhere between excitement and nerves.
I raise an eyebrow. “You sure? I was going to save it for last. You know, savor the anticipation.”
She rolls her eyes, giving me a playful shove. “I’m going to explode if you wait another minute.”
“All right, all right, since you’re so excited.” I reach under the couch and pull out the little box. It’s wrapped neatly in red paper, with a little gold ribbon tied around it. I shake it a little, trying to guess what’s inside.
She groans, laughing. “Just open it already. Don’t torture me.”
With a grin, I slide a finger under the edge of the paper, carefully peeling it back to draw out the moment. She watches me like I’m about to pull a rabbit out of a hat, eyes wide, fingers twisting nervously in her lap.
I lift the lid off the box and inside is a tiny pair of knitted baby booties, soft and warm, like something you’d give to a newborn. It takes me a second to process what I’m seeing. Then it clicks.
I stare at the booties, then look up at her, my mouth opening but no words coming out. She bites her lip, watching me closely.
“You…We…You’re…”
She nods, her eyes shining with happy tears. The grin that breaks across her face is enough to melt the snow outside.
“Surprise,” she says, squeezing my hand. “I’m pregnant, Edward. You’re going to be a dad.”
For a second, I stare, my brain trying to catch up. Then, a laugh bursts out of me, loud and surprised, and I pull her into a hug, holding her tight.
“A dad,” I say, half-laughing, half-incredulous. “I don’t even know where to start. I mean, do I get a handbook with this?”
She chuckles, resting her head on my shoulder. “If you figure out where to get one, let me know.”
I pull back, looking down at her. “So…this is real? You’re sure?”
She nods, her smile softening. “As sure as I can be. I found out a few weeks ago, but I wanted to wait until Christmas Day to tell you. I figured it would be a pretty good present.”
I laugh again, my chest tight with emotions I don’t know how to describe. “Pretty good? Try the best damn present I’ve ever gotten. Apart from my Firefly, that is.”
We sit in silence for a moment, and I realize that this Christmas, I have everything I could ever want: a warm cabin, a crackling fire, the love of my life beside me, and the promise of a whole new adventure on the way.
“So…what do we do now?” I ask, grinning like an idiot. “Do we…start reading baby books or…build a crib or something?”
She laughs, curling up closer to me. “How about we sit here, enjoy the moment, and let the baby books come later?”
“Good plan,” I say, kissing the top of her head. “One thing’s for sure, though.”
She looks up at me, eyebrows raised. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“This kid’s gonna know exactly how to make a mean cup of instant hot cocoa with a splash of Bailey’s.”
She snorts, giving me a playful slap on the chest. “Maybe leave the Bailey’s out of the kid’s cocoa.”
“Fair enough.” I pull her close, and we watch the fire crackle and the lights twinkle on our ugly Christmas tree.
A thousand things run through my mind, all the preparations and plans we’ll have to make. But for now, I soak in the moment and the perfect Christmas gift sitting right here in my arms.
Thank you for reading Dad Bod’s Daring December—I hope you enjoyed Ember & Edward’s story.