Chapter 26 Harper #2
“Merry Christmas!” Connor echoed back, his grin wide. His eyes darted to the present in Ryan’s hand, curiosity sparking. “Who’s that for?”
Ryan chuckled. “Why don’t you open it and see?”
I leaned against the doorframe, watching as Connor tore into the wrapping paper, his excitement bubbling over. The second the sleek, shiny snowboard was revealed, his jaw practically hit the floor.
“No way! Mom, look! It’s so cool!” Connor exclaimed, holding it up like it was the greatest treasure he’d ever seen.
Ryan crouched down beside him, pointing out the matching boots and bindings tucked in with it. “Got you the whole set up,” Ryan said with a grin.
I glanced at Ryan who gave me a sheepish smile.
He’d asked me a couple of weeks ago if it was okay to get Connor a snowboard, explaining how Connor had been pestering both of us about wanting to learn.
At first, I hesitated, what if Connor hated snowboarding?
What if it was just a passing phase? Then I remembered Connor wasn’t the kind of kid to give up easily.
Once he set his mind to something, he was determined to be the best.
And seeing the joy radiating from him now, I knew I’d made the right call.
“Thank you, Ryan!” Connor beamed, hugging the snowboard tightly.
Ryan chuckled. “You’re welcome, kid. Just let me know when you’re ready for your first lesson.”
Connor set the snowboard aside before hurrying over to grab a small box he’d set aside. His excitement was palpable as he handed it to Ryan. “This is for you!”
Ryan’s expression softened as he opened the box. Inside was a framed picture of the three of us from the tobogganing day. We were all laughing, our faces red from the cold, with snow clinging to our hair.
Ryan was quiet for a moment, his fingers brushing over the glass. Then, his voice came out softer, more sincere. “Connor, this is perfect. Thank you.”
Connor beamed before diving back into his pile of toys, already lost in the magic of Christmas morning again.
Ryan stood and crossed the room toward me.
His presence alone sent a warm, tingling sensation through my chest, but when he leaned down and brushed a soft kiss to my temple, my breath caught.
“Merry Christmas,” he murmured, his voice warm and low.
I turned toward him, my heart swelling in my chest. I needed to tell him. I liked him–so, so much.
Before I could find the words, the door swung open, bringing a blast of cold air with it.
“Merry Christmas!” Nina called, stepping inside with Liam on her heels.
Behind them, Shane strolled in, a familiar smirk tugging at his lips.
Ryan exhaled a quiet laugh, straightening up as I turned toward our friends, the moment between us slipping away.
Nina pulled me into a quick hug before glancing over her shoulder at Shane. “Look who I found wandering aimlessly on the side of the road.”
Shane grinned as he stepped inside, brushing snow off his jacket. “Always rescuing me,” he quipped.
The door closed behind him, and for a moment, we were all crowded together in the entryway, shaking off the cold and exchanging greetings.
“Merry Christmas,” Nina said again, turning to Ryan and giving him a quick side hug.
“Merry Christmas,” Ryan said, his voice as calm and steady as ever.
Nina gave Shane a much shorter hug, muttering, “Don’t make me regret this.”
Shane laughed. “Always a pleasure, Nina.”
He nudged me with his elbow, his grin easy. “No hug for me, Harp?”
I rolled my eyes but relented, giving him a quick, one-armed hug. “Merry Christmas, Shane.”
“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” he teased.
“Debatable,” I quipped, shaking my head at him.
We moved into the living room, the boys already diving into their bag of treasures. Nina and I shared a knowing look as they chattered loudly, their excitement filling every corner of the house.
The warmth of everyone being here settled over me, and as Nina leaned closer, she whispered, “Okay, this is nice.”
“It is,” I agreed, my smile softening.
It was more than nice. It was everything I’d wanted this Christmas to be–simple, easy, filled with laughter and good company.
There had been so many years where Christmas had felt like something to endure, like I was holding my breath, just waiting for the day to be over.
But not this year. This year, it felt right.
The energy buzzed around us, and I turned to Nina. “Want to help me with some mimosas?”
She perked up immediately. “Always.”
We headed to the kitchen, leaving the joyful chaos of the living room behind for a moment. Nina grabbed the champagne while I reached for the orange juice, and together we made mimosas for the adults and poured sparkling orange juice for the kids.
When we got back, Shane had claimed the couch, looking far too comfortable, while Ryan crouched on the floor with Connor and Liam. The three of them were deep in conversation about some action figure or car–I couldn’t tell which–but the sight of them made my chest tighten in the best way.
I sank into the armchair with my drink in my hand, watching the chaos unfold around me. Ryan glanced up briefly, his eyes catching mine, and for a second, it was just us in the room. The corner of his mouth quirked up in that way that always did something to my heart.
Nina plopped down beside Shane, offering him a pointed look before turning her attention to the boys.
The room was alive with energy–voices overlapping, toys clattering, laughter echoing through the walls. It was noisy. Messy. Absolutely perfect.
The boy's laughter echoed across the yard as they bounded outside, the chill of the winter air doing nothing to dampen their energy. Their boots crunched against the packed snow, and their breath curled in the crisp afternoon air like wisps of smoke.
Connor dragged his shiny new snowboard across the yard, his cheeks pink with excitement. “Ryan, can you help me?” he called, already climbing the tiny hill in the yard.
Ryan grinned as he followed him. “Of course, buddy.”
I watched as he crouched down, adjusting the straps on Connor’s boots and gave him a quick lesson on balancing. His voice was steady, patient, the way it always was when he was coaching.
“Okay, ready? Bend your knees a little and lean forward–no, not that much,” Ryan guided patiently, jogging beside Connor as he took his first wobbly ride down the hill.
Connor made it about halfway before toppling over into the snow with an exaggerated groan. But instead of frustration, he burst into laughter.
“You okay?” Ryan asked, reaching down to help him up.
Connor nodded, shaking snow from his sleeves. “That was awesome! Let’s do it again!”
Meanwhile, Shane and Liam had started constructing an elaborate snow fort, piles of snow growing higher by the second.
“Ours is going to be the biggest snow fort ever,” Liam declared, his hands working quickly as he packed another block of snow into place.
Connor abandoned his snowboard and ran over to inspect their progress. “Ryan, we need to build a fort too!” he shouted, pointing to the other side of the yard.
Ryan chuckled, brushing snow off his gloves. “You got it. But we’re going to need a plan if we’re going to win this.”
I stood off to the side with Nina, watching as Ryan and Connor huddled together like they were plotting an invasion.
“Should we join before things get too out of hand?” Nina asked, raising an eyebrow.
I laughed, shaking my head. “We probably should.”
It wasn’t long before snowballs were flying through the air in a chaotic free-for-all of laughter and shouts.
Connor and Ryan worked as a team, ambushing Liam and Shane from behind their carefully crafted fort.
Nina and I switched sides more than once, throwing snowballs indiscriminately before inevitably getting hit ourselves.
At one point, Shane landed a perfect shot right to my shoulder. “Oh, you’re dead,” I threatened, scooping up a handful of snow.
He smirked, backing up with his hands raised. “Now, now, Harp–let’s talk about this–”
I launched the snowball before he could finish, nailing him square in the chest. His eyes widened in mock betrayal before he dramatically collapsed backward into the snow.
“Man down!” Ryan called, laughing as he deked another flying snowball.
My yard was alive with laughter, the kind that made my stomach hurt in the best way.
The snowball fight ended in a tangled mess of limbs and snow-covered jackets, our breaths coming in short, exhilarated puffs.
I flopped onto the ground, the cold seeping through my coat, but I didn’t care.
Connor collapsed beside me, his giggles ringing in my ears, his cheeks flushed pink from the cold and excitement.
For a moment, we just lay there, staring up at the pale blue sky, our laughter slowly fading into comfortable silence. Then, Connor turned his head toward me, his green eyes bright and unguarded.
“Is this what it feels like to have a family, Mom?”
The question hit me like a snowball to the chest–sharp, unexpected, knocking the air right out of me.
My throat tightened, and I froze, the weight of his words settling deep in my bones.
Across the yard, I caught Ryan’s gaze. He was standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable, though there was something steady and warm in his eyes that kept me from unraveling completely.
I swallowed hard and forced my voice to stay even as I reached out, brushing a gloved hand over Connor’s tousled hair. “Yeah, baby,” I whispered. “It is.”
Connor grinned wide, his face bursting into pure, unfiltered joy. He threw his arms around my neck in a quick, fierce hug before springing up and darting off to join Liam by the snow fort, already shouting about their next battle plan.
I stayed where I was, the lump in my throat refusing to go away. My heart ached in a way that was both beautiful and painful–a mixture of longing and gratitude swirling inside me.