A Christmas to Remember

by Jenny Hale

  Adam walked over to Sharon and sat down next to her. “I’m sorry,” she heard him say. “I’ve been awful and I’ll make it better. I promise.”

  She smiled at him. “You just did.” She put her head on his shoulder, and Carrie looked away from them to keep herself from tearing up.

  Carrie turned to all the familiar faces, and she thought how even if nothing went any further with Adam—she’d have to figure out how to deal with that—she was glad that she could leave knowing she had succeeded.

  “Look!” Olivia said, her feet moving so fast Carrie worried she’d take a spill right onto the bricks of the sidewalk. She was pointing and running, David trailing behind her, as they made their way toward the area roped off for Santa. He was sitting on an enormous throne, his beautiful white hair and beard combed perfectly, little curls at the bottom. It was so cold outside that there wasn’t even a line, and Carrie wondered if Santa’s cheeks were blushed on or if the cold had done it naturally. He waved at Olivia with a white, gloved hand and let out a “Ho, ho, ho!”

  “Hi, Santa!” Olivia said, slowing down to move through the velvet ropes to enter the area. She climbed onto his lap as David walked up cautiously. Once both children were settled, there was a snap and a blinding pulse of light as the camera went off, their images showing on the screen of a small monitor at the podium. As Santa made small talk with the children, Adam came up behind Carrie and, to her surprise, put his hands on her shoulders. It was a very personal gesture—his body close enough to her back that she could feel the warmth of him. She turned and looked up at him more out of astonishment than anything else. He looked as though he’d only just realized what he’d done, his gaze falling on his hands still resting on her shoulders. Then there was that little quiet laugh of his and a smile that made her forget all about the cold outside. She looked over at the rest of the family who were all watching the children. All except for Joyce. She was staring straight at Carrie with a smile on her face.

  “And what would you like for Christmas?” Santa asked Olivia.

  “I’d like my daddy to take me ice skating with Snow White.”

  Santa Clause made eye contact with Adam and let out a loud chuckle. “Did you hear that, Dad?” Santa called. “That order’s on you, not me.” Adam laughed and nodded.

  “And how about you, sir?” Santa asked David.

  “I’d like to ice skate with Daddy too, but I’d also like a racecar set.”

  “I’ll see what I can do. Have you two been good this year?”

  “Oh, yes!” Olivia said and everyone laughed.

  As Carrie watched them, she realized that, yet again, Adam had done it all by himself: he’d made another memory for the kids. He was a natural. She couldn’t wait to see what he would do next.

  When the kids had finished chatting with Santa, and Adam had purchased more photo packages than he’d ever give out in his lifetime, he turned to Carrie. “Mom’s going to take the kids for a little while. Would you walk with me to get coffee for everyone?”

  “Of course,” she said, feeling the excitement rush through her like fireworks.

  They walked over to the coffee shop, the heat nearly overwhelming her as Adam opened the door and allowed her to enter. He stood beside her in front of the board with the offerings of various coffees.

  “I want to guess which coffee you’ll get,” she said, feeling suddenly like she probably knew him better than he knew himself.

  He looked down at her curiously, a smile playing at his lips.

  “Hmm.” She walked closer to the board, her eyes scanning the various drinks. “Dark roast…” She moved over to the flavors. “I don’t see you as the sweet-coffee-type.” She looked him up and down.

  He was smiling now, and she tried not to let it distract her.

  “Maybe a little sweetness…”

  She heard him chuckle. It made her stop and look at him, and, when she did, she felt her limbs go numb. He was telling her something in their unspoken language, something she wanted to interpret, but she was worried she’d translated it incorrectly. His face exuded so much affection that she dared not think it was her that was causing it. There was no way that she could make a man like Adam look like that.

  “Hazelnut dark roast with milk,” she said before her nerves clouded her vision completely.

  “I usually just get pot coffee. Black. But your suggestion sounds delicious. I think I’ll have that. What do you want to drink?” he asked still looking at her like he had been. She was so jittery, adding caffeine to her body probably wasn’t a good idea. “Want me to guess yours?” he asked. She nodded, glad that she didn’t have to speak.

  “Definitely a sweet-coffee drinker,” he said with a grin. As he studied the board, she allowed herself to take in the sight of him. His thick brown coat was bunched up around the ends of his arms where he had his hands in the pockets of his jeans as he leaned toward the board to get a better look. His face was focused but light and happy while he searched the flavors of coffee. “Caramel is in there, I’m sure,” he said, looking over at her. She grinned. He was right! “And…” She hung on his every word, hoping he knew her well enough to pick what she liked. She’d feel terrible if he said something like cinnamon, which she’d never get. “Wait,” he said. “I see a drink that is exactly what I think you’d have. Caramel and Mocha. With light whipped cream.”

  Perfect.

  “You got it, right on the dot,” she said, her heart going crazy. She was thrilled that he knew her well enough to know what she liked. How much more about her would he be able to guess? Could he guess how she was feeling right now? Could he guess how happy she was to be with him? Did he play their kiss over and over in his head?

  As they stood in line, she looked around the coffee shop. There wasn’t anything special about it. She’d been in hundreds just like it. But, for the first time, she didn’t have her nose in a self-help book, and she wasn’t alone. She noticed the Christmas coasters, the paper snowmen that hung from the ceiling above the register, the lights nestled in the greenery along the windows. As she stood beside Adam Fletcher, whose face she knew so well now, she thought to herself how, without even meaning to, he was creating memories for her as well. This would be a Christmas that she’d remember for the rest of her life.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Be careful not to spend too much time planning for the future and keep an open mind while in the present. The present can either change your life’s direction or solidify it.

  Olivia took Carrie’s hand to lead her down the hallway. “Where’s David?” Carrie whispered, wondering why Olivia hadn’t gotten him first and then come to get her. After all, it was Christmas morning, and certainly she’d want her brother to be ready to go downstairs with them.

  “He’s getting Daddy,” she said just as Adam and David surfaced at the other end of the hallway. Olivia had been so excited, she’d pulled Carrie into the hallway without letting her get ready for the day. She’d barely brushed her teeth. Carrie hadn’t fixed her hair yet, and she still had on her moon and stars flannel pajamas. Adam grinned at her, and she knew that it didn’t matter. Adam himself had on a T-shirt and plaid pajama bottoms, his feet bare. He looked so handsome—just like that—his hair pointing in different directions, David holding his hand. Of course that night at Ashford, when they’d been all dressed up, he’d looked fantastic in his tuxedo, but she liked him better just like this.

  The four of them walked together downstairs to the Christmas tree. She’d stayed up with all the men as they’d worked tirelessly to build and install the tube slide jungle gym that Adam and Carrie had bought. There was something so perfect about holding Olivia’s hand, David and Adam beside her, that she couldn’t image being anywhere else on Christmas. She’d only been with the Fletcher family a short time, but they’d impacted her life in a big way. As they walked together, she realized how they’d taught her as much as she’d taught them. They’d taught her how to live life in a way, and she knew they could
teach her so much more, if she just had the time. But mostly, they were open now to learn from each other. Carrie didn’t know what she was going to do come New Year’s. She’d been hoping for a chance to make conversation with Adam last night, but he’d been so busy building the play set that she’d never had a chance to talk to him.

  They entered the living room, and David and Olivia ran full speed past the half-eaten cookies they’d left for Santa, toward the stockings they’d painted with Carrie. They’d not had a chance to fill them at the candy store, so Santa had done it, and wow, had he delivered! Small toys, candy, peppermints—they filled the stockings like Christmas confetti, the fabric bulging under the weight of it all. Carrie looked over at Adam when she saw what was in them, and he smiled. When had he thought to buy candy? She helped the children get the stockings down off the mantle, and then she sat on the sofa next to Adam.

  The tree was the only light in the room apart from the gray of morning coming through the windows. When she’d first gotten there, Adam hadn’t even planned on that tree, he’d barely been with them when they’d bought it, and he hadn’t even taken part in decorating it. But now, it stood as if it were looking over them as Olivia ran over to her daddy to show him a pack of crayons she’d gotten in her stocking. Olivia ran back to David to inspect his stocking. As she watched them, Carrie realized that she, too, needed change in her life. She finally realized that she wanted a life even more than she wanted to work. She wanted this for herself.

  “Thank you,” Adam said quietly, looking at the children, but she knew he’d meant it for her. He turned and looked right at her. They were so close that normally she’d have worried about their proximity, but this morning, it all seemed so right.

  “Thank you for what?” she asked.

  “Thank you for showing me what I was missing.”

  There was a creak on the stairs, and then the sound of footsteps. Joyce came into the room in her bathrobe and slippers. “Good morning,” she greeted Adam and Carrie. Olivia ran to show her the items in her stocking. “Oh, that’s lovely, Olivia.” After offering Olivia and David attention and seeing all the things they had in their stockings, she said, “I’m going to make a pot of coffee. The others are on their way down.”

  Only a few minutes after, as the coffee was percolating in the kitchen, the aroma of it seeping into the living room, the others came downstairs. Sharon sat down on the floor with the kids as everyone else made themselves comfortable on the love seat and chairs around the room. Walter was the last to come in, pushing his way across the floor with his walker. He sat down next to Carrie.

  “This is an ungodly hour. You know that, right?” he said with a smirk. He looked at the kids and shook his head. “I don’t really mind, though. You think the magic of Christmas morning is over once your own kids grow up, but then you get to have it again with your grandkids, and, if you’re lucky, your great-grandkids. I guess that makes me one of the lucky ones.”

  What Walter had said stayed with Carrie. She realized as she watched David and Olivia, Walter, and even Sharon, that everything she’d experienced up until this point in her life was just preparation for the life that was to come. She knew what she wanted, and how easily it could come if she found the right person. She had no idea if Adam would be the one for her. All she knew was that loving him was as easy as breathing, and she couldn’t stand to be away from him. Sitting next to him now, she wanted to curl up against his chest and relieve her eyes of the sleep-deprived ache that was there from staying up so late. Perhaps another Christmas, she thought.

  “Coffee’s ready,” Joyce said from the kitchen. “And I’ve whipped up some scrambled eggs and toast for everybody. We’re gonna need a good base in our bellies for unwrapping all those presents under the tree. Come on in and eat!”

  When they all stood up to go into the kitchen, Carrie almost gasped out loud. She didn’t, which was a good thing because she didn’t want the kids to think it was anything out of the ordinary, but when Adam stood up, the kids went tearing after him, Olivia almost jumping on his back. “After breakfast, can I show you what I got, Daddy?” David asked. “I haven’t had a chance to show you yet.” Carrie had never experienced that kind of happiness before. It came in a rush, flooding her, but right on its heels was an intense feeling of sadness and fear that she may not get a chance to have this for herself. She couldn’t wait to get started living. But she’d miss them. Soon, she’d have to pack her things back into her car and head home.

  “Of course you can,” he said, smiling down at David. The affection she’d seen in his eyes was present, but what surprised her more than that was the look of complete adoration that David had, gazing up at his daddy. She thought how this was probably what David had wanted all along. Adam turned around and tickled Olivia, making her squeal. Carrie laughed out loud, covering her mouth in surprise.

  The kids could barely sit to eat once everyone had taken their coffee, toast, and eggs to the table. Carrie wanted to savor the moment, take in all the wonderful faces around her. Everyone looked so happy. Even Sharon was smiling as David sat next to Adam, telling him about what he hoped was under the tree. Carrie wrapped her hands around her mug, wishing the kids wouldn’t be so hasty. If only she’d known when she was a child how numbered those days were. She could remember that one day a year—that magical day—when nothing was wrong, and she could have everything she’d ever wanted. Back then, everything she’d ever wanted was a doll or a card game. But now she wanted things that were too big for even Santa to bring her: a family, someone to love, a person she could live out the rest of her years with. Don’t rush it, she wanted to say to the twins, but she knew they could never understand.

  “Is anyone ready to open some presents?” Joyce asked. Both children began bouncing up and down, their hands in the air. “I don’t think they can wait much longer, Adam. Do you?” she kidded.

  Adam looked down at David who was sitting beside him. There was that little, amused exhale and then a smile, and Carrie could hardly manage the feelings she had for this man. She’d never been able to understand how people meet each other and fall in love because it had never happened to her before. She’d tried to find answers in her books, plan her way to happiness, but the answers would never be there because she couldn’t plan who she was going to fall in love with. This feeling couldn’t be created. It just happened. Like lightning. And—boom—it had definitely struck.

  “Leave your plates, and I’ll get them later,” Joyce said, standing up. Carrie set her empty coffee mug down onto the table and followed the Fletcher family into the living room.

  To her surprise, Adam sat down on the floor next to the tree. In the soft light of morning, the lights on the tree were as bright as stars. He reached under it and pulled out a present, his eyes squinting to read the tag. “For David, with love, Grandma and Grandpa.” David’s eyes got big, the excitement showing on his face, as he took the present from Adam.

  The ribbon that had been taped around the present fell loose, and David dropped it down beside him. Joyce scooped it up and put it into a trash bag she’d brought with her into the living room. With a rip, David pulled the paper off and turned the gift over in his hand to inspect it. He took in a loud breath when he saw what he was holding.

  “It’s a model race car that you can paint yourself,” Bruce said, his adoration for his grandson clear. “What do you think?”

  “Can I paint it now?” David asked.

  Everyone laughed, and David looked around, his little eyebrows pulling together in concern. “How about after we finish unwrapping everything?” Bruce said. “I promise I’ll help you.”

  Adam reached under the tree and pulled out another present. “This one is for… me,” he said quietly with a slightly surprised look on his face. “It’s from ‘Everyone,’ it says.” He looked up from the tag on the gift, making eye contact with those around him. Gently, he pulled off the wrapping, handing it to Joyce as she reached out for it. It was a book. He turned it o
ver in his hands and let out a “Ha!” and then a chuckle that could make Carrie’s tummy do somersaults. He turned it around for everyone to see. “100 Useful (and Not Useful) Things to do with Beer.”

  “Just in case it all goes to pot,” Walter said with a wink.

  David looked slightly relieved when everyone laughed at Walter’s comment, and Carrie wondered if he was still thinking about how they’d all giggled at him. He was such a serious little boy, more serious even than his daddy, and Carrie wanted to abandon presents just to paint that car with him. She watched his face as each person unwrapped their gifts, his interest undeniable. He was patient, quiet, focused. Then she looked at Olivia who was on her knees next to the tree, waiting for her own gift. She kept leaning over toward Adam and whispering, “Is that one mine?” He couldn’t hide his smile whenever she asked as he shook his head. Then, finally, one for her.

  Carrie recognized it immediately. It was the crown she’d bought with Adam and helped him wrap. Olivia took the gift into her hands and ripped wildly until she was holding the crown in her hands, Joyce grabbing the shredded paper around her. “Oh!” she said with a gasp. “This is so pretty!” She put it on her head and stood up. It was huge, the jeweled faux metal swallowing her forehead, but she didn’t care. She held out her nightgown as if it were a dress and danced in circles. “Do I look like a princess?” she asked Walter.

  “You are a princess,” he said, smiling with doting eyes.

  “I have one more gift for David and Olivia together,” Adam said, pulling a huge box from the back of the tree. It had been hidden by all the other presents. He slid the substantial box from behind the tree and set it down in front of the twins. “Go ahead. Open it,” he said with a smile.