“I want to hold on forever.” His hand flexes, gripping my fingers tighter before releasing them. “But I have to do what's best for you.”
I decide what's best for me,I want to say. Instead, I look out the window. The snow’s mostly stopped falling. A few errant flakes drift through the dark blue square. “What time is it?”
I feel him shrug. “Probably after midnight.”
“So it’s Christmas.”
“Yes.”
I got my wish. It’s time to make a new one. I yawn, fighting off a rush of tiredness. It will be so nice to fall asleep in Joel’s arms. It’ll be a dream come true. But I want a few more moments to savor it. “Thank you for my gift.”
He drops a kiss on my bare shoulder before tucking the blanket over it. “This was the best gift anyone's ever given me. I'll never forget this.”
He makes it sound so final. And now I understand: he doesn’t think he deserves me.Oh, Joel.“You think I’m smart, right?”
“Smartest one I know.”
“Then trust I know what I want.”
“Lainey—”
“It’ll work out.”
His sigh stirs my hair, but he doesn’t argue. “Go to sleep.”
Obedient as ever, I relax against him.
You make your life and your happiness.
Joel thinks we can’t last. He thinks that when the sun comes up and the snow stops falling, he’ll have to let me go.
But there is magic on Christmas. Maybe it’ll be enough to work another miracle.
So I close my eyes, and make another wish.
EPILOGUE
ONE YEAR LATER…
Joel
I swingthe ax above my head and let it fall. The log splits with a satisfying thunk. The temperature’s falling below freezing. My breath is white on the wind but the work warms my muscles until I’m sweating and tempted to strip down to my shirt sleeves. I’m almost done, and it’s a good thing—the clouds overhead tell me a blizzard’s on its way.
I hustle to chop the rest of the wood, setting aside the best pieces to sell online. Turns out woodworkers will pay premium dollar for New Hampshire hardwood. I spent the last year building up my online shop, finding the best wood and planting trees to replace what I've cut down. Between that and the jobs I get fixing cars, it's been a good year. I made enough to add a room to the cabin, and that’s a good thing too, because I’m not the only one living here now, and we need the room.
The snow’s starting to fall when the door swings open and Lainey steps out. The sight of her makes me catch my breath, the same as it always does. The same as it did years ago, when Icame back to town and she greeted me with a shy, soft voice in the grocery store.
Her cheeks curve, pink where the cold nips them, and her smile lights up the gray day.
“There he is,” she coos to the little bundle in her arms. “There’s Daddy.”
“It's too cold to be outside.”
“He wants you,” she says, tipping the bundle to show me my son’s tiny face. He has blue eyes the exact color of mine, but his round cheeks and angelic smile are all Lainey.
“Go inside. I’m almost done.”
She obeys. The door shuts but I can still hear her talking to Joel Junior, singing a lullaby off-key.
