Chapter 26 #2
I study the image, then hand the device back to him.
He helps me gather my stuff from the car, and we make our way inside.
A long entryway leads to a cozy living room.
There’s a TV, huge L-shaped couch draped with several blankets, rustic coffee table, and a six-foot-tall living Christmas tree near the fireplace.
“I’m impressed you had time to put this up! And it’s still alive. Considering you’ve been away.”
“I got it last night.” He places the bag of gifts down. “A part of my plan was going to be asking you here after dinner to help me decorate it while we ate dessert. But now it looks like I need to make a few changes to the agenda.”
Butterflies flutter in my stomach. I stare at him in awe, touched by his level of thoughtfulness. Not only did he spend the last two days traveling to be back in Sequoia Valley for the holidays, but he did it for me. Me. If that’s not one of the ultimate grand gestures, I don’t know what is.
Max barks and claims a place on the sofa, interrupting my thoughts. “Down, boy. This isn’t our home. You can’t just jump up onto Fernando’s furniture whenever you feel like it.”
Fernando laughs. “Aww, leave him. He’s fine. It’s not a home unless it’s lived in. I’m not the type of person who cares too much about keeping furniture clean. There’s already some coffee stains on it, crumbs in the cracks, and who knows what else hiding under the cushions.”
My heart grows even bigger.
“So do you want to decorate the tree? I have some hot chocolate and cookies we can enjoy to give us some energy.”
“Let’s do it.”
Fernando gets a cozy fire going, as I place my pies in the oven and send a quick text to mom.
Ava: Hi mom! Change of plans, I won’t be coming by at 1 after all. But will still be there for dinner. I’ll fill you in later.
We spend the next two hours having a blast hanging lights on the tree and trimming it with the leftover ornaments he picked up from the craft store.
“It looks like something a five-year-old would’ve put together,” he says with a sigh when we finish. “Nothing matches.”
“That’s what makes it unique. I love it. It’s just like us.”
“It is?” he asks, placing the last of the ornament boxes to the side.
“Yeah. When we were in Spain, we didn’t have a plan. We hoped for the best and things worked out beautifully. With this tree, the same rules apply. I love that from every angle you look, you see something different. No two ornaments are the same.”
He walks over and kisses me on the cheek. “I love your positivity, Dr. Brown,” he purrs. “How did I get so lucky to have you in my life?”
“You walked into my clinic, that’s how.” I spin around and clap my hands together. “Now that you have a tree, you need some presents.” Walking over to the bag, I pull out the top two boxes. “It’s not much, but these are for you.”
He studies me with wide eyes. “Ava, you shouldn’t have.”
“Yes, I should have. You deserve it. And it’s not like it’s anything too fancy. They’re homemade.” He stares at the green paper decorated with candy canes, running his fingers over it. “You can open them now if you want.”
“I can?”
“Yup. Unless you want to save one for tomorrow. But if I were you, I wouldn’t want to wait.”
“You’re sure?”
I nod. “Go on.”
We sit down on the couch next to Max. Soft holiday music plays in the background as logs crackle in the fireplace. Slowly, Fernando peels back the layers of paper on the first gift to reveal a recipe book I’ve put together for him.
“The Book of Pies,” he reads aloud, then carefully opens it. With each flip of the page, the corners of his lips twitch up wider and wider.
“I went around town and collected the best pie recipes from everyone I knew, including two pies from the Lucky Dog Dinner. Gemma made me promise I wouldn’t tell you which recipes they are, but I bet you can figure it out.”
“Thank you, Ava, it’s one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received. I can’t wait to try them out.”
He sets the book aside and opens the second gift. It’s a picture of us taken at the Christmas market in Madrid.
“I went through a hundred different photos trying to decide which one to have printed for you before I finally settled on this one. I know it’s the day I face planted, but something else special happened before that.”
He lifts his chin and locks eyes with me. “And that was . . .?”
“It was the day I realized I’d fallen head over heels for you, Fernando. I knew that even though I’d agreed to a fake relationship, I wanted it to become real.”
“That’s the same day I knew my feelings for you were real too.” Placing the frame down on the table, he reaches over and takes my hands in his. “Thank you so much for these gifts. They’re the best things I’ve ever received. Happy Christmas Eve, Ava.”
He gives me a kiss, and I feel like I’ve been transported to the land of the Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Everything about it is magical.
Later, Fernando disappears into his bedroom and returns with a large box.
“If we’re exchanging gifts, it’s my turn to spoil you.” He sets the package on my lap.
“But I thought you were my gift,” I mumble, my cheeks warming.
“I am.” He puffs his chest out. “But this is something practical we can both enjoy,” he says with a wink.
I hesitate, then rip open the paper. I’ve never had the patience to keep the wrapping paper nice. “Wow, my own skates!” I bound out of my seat, hugging him tightly. “Thank you!”
“These come with lessons from me too.” He grins. “I can’t have my girlfriend getting hurt. I’m going to turn you into a pairs skater.”
“We have a looooooooong way to go until that happens.” I peck him on the cheek. “But either way, thank you. I can’t wait to try these out. I wish the rink were open now. It’s too bad they’ll be closed until next week. I’m off work and actually have the time.”
Fernando’s eyes twinkle with mirth. “What if I had my own personal rink?” Smugly walking over to the back sliding door, he pulls open the curtain to reveal a flat portable rink that’s about twenty feet by twenty feet. “It may not be the best quality, but ice is ice.”
I smile widely. “I’m game if you are, Coach Fernando.”
We spend the rest of our Christmas Eve skating together on the ice until it’s time to head over to my parents’ place. It’s hands down one of the best holiday experiences slash dates I’ve ever had.
It’s hard to believe that only a few weeks ago, Dylan had shot me down and I was sitting at home eating a pint of ice cream, trying to get over him.
I never thought my heart would heal. And I certainly never pictured myself having an ice skater as a boyfriend, but fate works in mysterious ways.
It doesn’t follow a timeline, and it doesn’t allow you to pick who you’ll fall in love with. It just happens.
Both Fernando and I still have a lot of growing and learning to do together, but one thing is for certain: I’ve finally broken out of that loop. I have a friend and boyfriend who loves me for being me, and I don’t plan to ever look back.
“Hey, Ava.” Fernando points up at the doorway, just short of us entering my parents’ house.
“Mistletoe,” I breathe.
“Shall we?”
He doesn’t have to ask me twice. Under the sparkling lights and falling snow, we share a Christmas Eve kiss. “I love you, Fernando,” I whisper into his ear as we take a moment to breathe.
“And I love you too, mi amor.”