Chapter 18
“Hi, Mom! Merry Christmas!” Molly waved enthusiastically.
“Waking me up early on Christmas morning?” Julie asked sleepily, smiling as she rubbed her eyes. Her alarm wouldn’t go off for at least another twenty minutes, but she’d jumped to life and snatched the phone the moment it’d started ringing.
“Of course! I might be over in Europe, but some traditions have to be kept,” her daughter replied happily. “Besides, with the time difference, I could still sleep in.”
“Lucky girl, but also lucky me. I guess I’m carrying on some traditions from this end, too. You see I’ve got my lovely Christmas PJs on.” Julie waved her fingers at the reindeer-printed flannel.
Molly giggled and then sighed. “I miss you, Mom.”
“I miss you too, baby. I hope it still feels like Christmas over there.”
“Mom, you’ve got to come see Paris at Christmastime!
” Molly gushed. “It’s so beautiful! They take that ‘City of Light’ thing to the extreme this time of year, and all the store windows are done up, too.
There are the most amazing treats at all the patisseries, and oh!
The concerts they give at these old churches!
It’s absolutely transformative! And Nick and I went ice skating at the Grand Palais! ”
“That sounds awesome.” It also sounded incredibly romantic. “Is Nick in your program?”
Molly flushed a pretty shade of pink. “He is, and we’ve been hanging out a lot. You’d just love him, Mom.”
“Oh, honey.” Tears sprang to her eyes, but they were tears of joy. “I’m so happy to see how much you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Are you really?” Molly’s forehead wrinkled with concern. “I feel like I’m just bragging.”
“No,” Julie replied swiftly. “You’re exploring the world and making new friends. That’s exactly what you should be doing right now. As much as I miss you, I’d be much more upset if you didn’t call and tell me all about it. Let an old woman live through you, okay?”
Molly rolled her eyes. “You’re not old, Mom!”
She sure as hell felt old right now. There was nothing like getting involved in a battle between bear clans on the beach to make you feel so sore you dreaded going down the stairs.
None of that could be shared, though. Molly was dishing out all the details about her adventures, but she could never know the adventures Julie was having of her own.
“I’m just old enough to ruin all your fun by reminding you to be safe, stay with your group, and call me if you need anything. ”
“Yes, ma’am,” Molly teased. “It might be a bit before I come home. When I do, we should still celebrate Christmas together. It doesn’t matter how late it is.”
There was no greater gift she could’ve asked for. “That sounds perfect, darling.”
“I’ll talk to you later, Mom. Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas.” As she hung up, she heard a door close down the hallway.
“You do it,” Vivian urged, her voice muffled through the walls.
“No, you do it,” Elijah retorted.
“No way. You’re the youngest. They’ll still think it’s cute if you do it,” his older sister reasoned.
“Why don’t we just make Lila do it?” Elijah suggested.
There was more whispered arguing as the kids headed downstairs to wake up Dylan and Stacey. A few minutes later, Julie could hear the rustling of everyone getting up.
She swung her legs out of bed and looked down at her pajamas.
She thought about changing, but then Will’s voice ran through her head.
He said they were meant to be together. That was hard to fathom, especially in a world where people changed their minds quickly and frequently about who they wanted to be with.
But hell, if he really felt that way, then he wouldn’t care if she had reindeer printed all over her butt.
“Good morning! You’re just in time.” Stacey greeted her with a big mug of coffee. “We usually let the kids open all their gifts before we start breakfast.”
“Don’t let any of that change just because I’m here.” Julie found an out-of-the-way spot on the couch where she curled up with her coffee. Snow was gently drifting down outside and the fire was crackling.
“Elijah, let’s start with your big present,” Dylan said as he handed the boy an envelope.
“This doesn’t look like a big present,” Elijah countered. He ripped it open and frowned at the piece of paper. “Narm?”
“That’s a membership to the North American Reciprocal Museum Association,” Dylan explained.
“It’s like a pass that will get you into over a thousand different museums across the country.
There are a bunch of them right here in Massachusetts.
Of course, if we’re going to really make the most of that pass, I think we’ll have to make a few road trips, too. ”
“To museums?” Elijah’s eyes lit up. “A whole bunch of them?”
“Tons,” Stacey assured him.
“All right! Wow! Can we go today?” He was so excited, he jumped right out of his slippers.
“None of them are open today, but we’ll go soon,” Dylan promised.
“And now it’s time for your big present.” Stacey gave Vivian an envelope.
The girl closed her eyes as she clutched it. “Please don’t be a museum pass. Please don’t be a museum pass.”
“Just open it!” Lila said, laughing.
She did, and then she was jumping up and down, too. “A subscription to the Boston Ballet?”
“We get to go to four different shows,” Stacey explained, “starting with The Nutcracker the day after tomorrow.”
Vivian’s scream of delight filled the room.
Julie watched with a bit of wistfulness as the children proudly presented gifts to their parents and to each other, but overall, she was all right.
This stage of her life—the one with young, excitable kids and constant events and chaos—was over.
She just needed a little time to figure out what to do with herself from here on out.
Stacey and Dylan made sure to include Julie in the festivities, giving her a beautiful new sweater, expensive wool socks, and gourmet coffee. “What more could a girl ask for?” she laughed.
A knock sounded on the back door.
Lila got up to answer it, and a moment later, Santa walked in. Julie covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her smile. She knew instantly that it was Will, even with that ridiculous wig and floppy beard.
His Santa suit was family-appropriate this time.
He patted the big stuffed belly under his red coat, then hauled a big sack off his shoulder and dug around inside.
“I think I know some children who’ve been very good this year.
Hmm. Let’s see. This one must be for Elijah. ” Will handed over a model plane kit.
Elijah gasped. “The Spitfire! These were the first planes to have radar. The British used them in World War II.”
Will chuckled. “I had a feeling you might know a little something about that. Now, then. For Vivian.” He produced a sparkling tiara.
“Oh, it’s gorgeous!” She took it delicately and moved it back and forth to watch it glimmer. “It’ll go perfectly with my tutu.”
“Why, yes, it would,” Will agreed with a thoughtful stroke of his faux beard before he dove into the bag again. “Ah, yes. And this must be for Lila.”
She took the small box from him. “A mini photo printer! Sweet! Here. I know exactly what I want my first photo to be.” She whipped out her cell phone and took a selfie with Santa.
“Lila, I want a picture with you, too!” Elijah insisted. “And can we print it out?”
“Me, too!” Vivian joined in.
While Lila snapped photos with the kids, Will came around behind the couch. He bent down so that he spoke in Julie’s ear. “Santa has a very special present for you, too, but he left it on his boat.”
“The one he takes to the North Pole?” she teased quietly.
“If he wants to. I guess you’ll just have to come and find out.”
Intrigued, Julie found a moment to slip upstairs and get dressed. When she came back through, Stacey gave her a curious look. Julie just shrugged and put on her coat. Everyone else was busy enough with their gifts, and she didn’t face any further questions as she went outside.
Will was in the little rowboat Dylan had used before. He’d ditched the Santa outfit, but he still wore the hat. “Climb aboard Santa’s sleigh.”
“I can’t imagine what you could have for me that wouldn’t fit through the door of the house,” she said as they took off.
He grinned. “It’s a surprise.”
She had no idea what to expect. Will had still been around for the last couple of days since the battle, but he hadn’t said a word about their future or the two of them being fated.
She knew he was giving her room to think, but Julie didn’t feel any clearer on the subject.
She already had to figure out how to live as an empty nester, and throwing a hot guy on top of it only complicated things.
Julie climbed aboard first, feeling a little less clumsy than the last couple of times she’d done it. The deck wobbled a bit beneath her and then stabilized.
Will hopped over the side, kept the rowboat tethered with a quick weave of a rope around a cleat, and led the way below deck. “It’s right down here.”
She followed him down the stairs. “Are you just wearing sexy underwear with a big bow?” she teased. Julie had hoped the joke would dispel some of the tension building in her body, but it only made it worse as she realized she’d probably really enjoy that present.
“No, but even if I were, it wouldn’t look nearly as cute as your reindeer pajamas.” Will opened the door to the cabin and stepped aside.
“Will, it’s beautiful down here,” she gasped.
Julie already knew the space was gorgeous with all its custom woodwork, but it’d been transformed.
Fresh green garland had been strung along the tops of the cabinets and around the windows.
A tiny Christmas tree was alight on an end table near the couch.
Though there was no fireplace, he’d hung two stockings on the wall.
One had his name, and one had hers. Julie pressed her hand to her collarbone. “What is this? A private Christmas?”