But my dream wasn't during sleep. It was real.
Karl tenderly held a small pink bundle—a red-cheeked baby girl all cozy in her dad's arms. She blearily opened her eyes. They were dark and intelligent—and the same color as Karl's. As she lifted her damp blond head to look at me, I saw the black eyes rimmed with a sparkle of silver.
I was swamped with emotion. When Karl smiled and handed her to me, silent tears streamed down my cheeks. She was finally here.
"My sweet baby," I murmured, gazing at my daughter. She was absolutely perfect, from the top of her blond hair to the tips of her tiny little toes.
"She has a name, Angelo," Karl teased, grinning at me. His face was alight with joy, just like mine, I was sure.
I chuckled softly. "Of course. I'd never forget." I lifted our daughter and cuddled her as she lay warm against my upper chest. "Our dear, Noelle."
Karl's black-and-silver eyes gleamed with love, like a string of tinsel on a deep winter night. He kissed my cheek before kissing Noelle's head.
"I'm so proud of you, Angelo," he murmured. "And you too, Noelle. Being born is rough, isn't it?"
Noelle gurgled. Then she decided itwasrough, and announced this by crying.
"Oh, good. She's got a strong pair of lungs on her, unlike her soft spoken daddy," Karl teased.
"Hey, I'm loud when I wanna be," I mumbled playfully.
"That you are." Karl scooped Noelle from me and rocked her in his arms. "There, there... I've got you, sweetie."
Karl's gentle rocking soothed Noelle. Her wails quieted down into a soft grumble. It made me happy to see what a great father Karl was, even in the first five minutes of Noelle's life. I was right to trust my gut about him. Not only was he the perfect partner, but he was a perfect dad too.
I closed my eyes and sent up a silent prayer to fate, who'd weaved together Karl and I to be mates. I truly felt blessed.
Ten
Karl
A Few Months Later...
As I finished putting a decorative bow on the last present, a high-pitched squeal filled the room.
"Oh. My. God," Minnie's voice cried on speakerphone. "How is she just thecutestthing in the world?"
Angelo chuckled. He held the phone with one hand and displayed the video call screen to Noelle in her high chair. She didn't understand it.
"Look, Noelle, it's Minnie," Angelo said. "Remember her?"
Noelle blinked and swatted the phone like it was a toy. Angelo and Minnie laughed.
"It's okay if she doesn't remember," Minnie said, waving it off. "She only met me once a couple months ago. And she was way too little. Right, Noelle?"
I smiled as I overheard their conversation. After Noelle's birth, Angelo showed her off to everybody. Well, that wasn't quite true—it was more like everybody who knew Angelo swarmed him to see his adorable new baby. And really, who could blame them? Not to sound biased, but she was definitely in the top ten cutest infants of all time.
"You're welcome to come visit her anytime," Angelo reminded Minnie.
"I want to. And seeing that decked-out holiday house of Karl's again is a bonus, too."
After Minnie visited—during the day, of course, so she didn't see my true form—she realized I was just as big a fan of Christmas as Angelo. In Minnie's terms, we were a match made in heaven. Fate clearly agreed.
"Well, I won't keep you guys longer. You must be gearing up for Noelle's first Christmas." Minnie squealed. "So exciting! Catch you later."
After Angelo said bye and hung up, Noelle grabbed the phone and shoved it in her mouth, gnawing on the hard plastic case.
"Must feel good on her gums," I said with a grin.
