Epilogue
Christmas Day, One Year Later
Dear Anita,
Merry Christmas! Hard to believe another full year has passed and it’s already the holidays again. We’re all missing you and Jemma and wish you were here with us, although I’ll forever be jealous of you backpacking through Australia for an extended honeymoon.
Thanks for sending those incredible shark-diving pictures. I’d have had a fit in that cage, and I’m glad Marco and I didn’t see any great whites while snorkeling in Santorini last summer.
We can’t wait to meet you in Interlaken on your way back next month. I booked our tickets for the Jungfraujoch excursion—our treat, don’t argue—and I’m so excited. Meanwhile, Marco said he’s already dreaming of eating a plate of R?sti mountainside. It’s going to be such a great trip.
Speaking of great things, yesterday’s Meyer Christmas Eve bash was epic. Mom and Marco served what everyone insisted was her best buffet yet with the most delicious bacon-wrapped scallops and the best white chocolate, pomegranate, and pistachio bark I’ve ever tasted.
Of course, Dad kept everyone entertained and their glasses filled. He had to make another batch of holiday punch because we ran out after an hour. We all wore our ugly Christmas sweaters, and Marco made everyone laugh with his adorable flashing Tree-Rex. Everybody loved him. (They loved Marco, too—ha, ha.)
Seriously, it’s uncanny how he fits right in at the Meyers’. You should’ve seen him making Basler Brunsli with Dad—they were both in their element. They talked for ages about their time in Switzerland and Marco working at the Victoria-Jungfrau hotel. I think Dad loves him almost as much as I do.
Oliver popped over with his parents, but he didn’t stay long. I overheard Mom say he’s still finding it difficult to move on from our relationship and doesn’t like seeing me with Marco. I hope it’s not true, but if so, I guess he’ll deal with it in his own time.
Speaking of moving, thanks again for helping Marco and me get set up in our new apartment last month. It was really kind of you to do that right before you and Jemma left for your trip. We’ve settled in nicely, Marco adores the huge kitchen (he’s used the double oven almost daily), and I love the fact that we’re only five houses down from you two.
I hope our Bengal kitten likes it, too. We can’t wait to pick him up next month. I suggested we call him Ned (after Ned Stark), which Marco thinks is adorable. Dazey loved meeting him when we took her with us for a visit last week. Turns out she’s got quite the maternal instinct.
In other news, I had my appraisal on Monday. Daniella’s delighted with my progress and wants to expand my responsibilities. We’re hiring more staff next month, and I can’t believe how much EcoTalent’s grown already.
I love running and building the finance and admin teams, and while I know the offer Jennifer made me was a good one and turning it down was hard because there was comfort in having worked with her before, it was absolutely the right choice.
There’s been talk of me officially becoming VP of Operations and a shareholder next year. When I told Marco, he was so excited for me, and I’m proud of him, too. Dessert Dudes just finished its best season yet. The new chef Jemma recommended is perfect for the business, and sales have exploded. Mind you, if she and Marco come up with any more desserts they want my opinion on, I swear I really will be half made of chocolate.
We’re still buzzing from our weekend in New York, and it was such a fun early Christmas gift. Having Syd, Louise, their kids, and Marco’s parents surprise him there was such a fantastic idea—thank you for that suggestion, too. I can’t believe I managed to keep it a secret from him for over two months. You should’ve seen his face when they showed up in Times Square. I’m not sure who was smiling more—them, him, or me.
As I’m sitting here in Mom and Dad’s cozy living room with the fire burning and the tree lights on, emailing you, I can’t believe how much has changed this past year. I know I’ve said it loads of times, but thank you for giving me a kick in the backside with the Advent calendar challenge. You were right—I really needed it. It’ll be my turn to return the favor and surprise you next year, providing you don’t jet off somewhere again, so get ready…
Anyway, I hope you and Jemma have (or had, given the time difference) a very Merry Christmas down under. I’ll send you some pictures a little later today.
Miss & love you!
Callie xoxox
Once I hit Send, I got up and stretched. Dazey, who’d traveled to Pineville with Marco and me in her neon-pink carrier without a smidgen of fuss, raised her head and purred. I took a few minutes to tickle her ears and stroke her head before moving over to the Christmas tree.
After quietly picking up a couple of the gifts I’d bought for Marco—including a personalized and signed Jamie Oliver cookbook—I headed to the bedroom, where the most wonderfully kind, compassionate, and supportive man I’d ever met lay on his side, fast asleep. I lingered in the doorway for a moment, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.
It still took my breath away when I thought about our chance encounter at the tree market a little over a year ago. Because of my sister’s creative way of having me count down to Christmas, the past twelve months had been the best of my life. The second photo-filled ball that hung on Marco’s and my Charlie Brown tree—two of our first holiday traditions—was stuffed with pictures from our far-flung trips and local excursions, undeniable proof of how much things had changed.
Unwilling to wait any longer for Christmas Day to start and for us to continue building our life together, I smiled and slid into bed beside Marco—the love of my life. As I softly kissed him on the cheek, I whispered, “Time to wake up, Eggnog Man.”