“Andrew,” she breathed, her smile breaking free. “I thought you had left with everyone else.”
He frowned slightly. “Without saying goodbye to you?”
“Well ... you know. Everyone leaves to be with family, and it’s such a busy time of year. I just thought you might not have had time.”
His brows lifted. “I’ll always have time for you.”
“But ... family?” she asked softly.
Andrew held her gaze, hesitation flickering across his features, and she worried at what he was thinking. For a moment it seemed he was on the edge of saying something, but instead he gave a quiet smile and said, “I choose to be with you.”
At his words her heart lurched.
Andrew stepped inside, brushing snow from his coat and running his fingers through his dark hair. A stray strand flopped across his forehead. The warmth of Isla’s apartment misted his glasses, and with a subtle motion of his hand, the fog vanished, his palm glowing a soft blue.
“I actually thought you were Edmund, coming to watch over me.”
“I spoke to him; he had a lead he needed to follow and he knew I was planning to stay.”
“Oh.”
“I thought we could decorate a tree together this morning.”
Isla looked down at the small tree, and for a moment, tears pricked at her eyes. She had never decorated a tree with anyone before. Not wanting Andrew to see how moved she was, she kept her gaze lowered.
A gentle finger lifted her chin, tilting her face toward his. “Hey, Isla darling. What is it?”
A single tear escaped, and he brushed it away carefully.
“It’s just ... this,” she whispered, voice catching. “Decorating the tree. With someone ... not alone.”
Removing his damp coat, he hung it on the coat stand. Andrew then drew her into a tight embrace, burying his head in her hair. His knitted jumper felt warm and she melted into his embrace, feeling safe, wanted, and seen.
Pulling back just enough to look into her eyes, he murmured, “I wish I could have spared you all those lonely years. But I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere—unless you tell me to. I’ve wanted to be with you for a long time.”
Isla laughed softly. “Well, your competitive banter and teasing ways were a little too subtle for me to notice you wanted to be with me.”
He huffed a laugh. “I didn’t want to scare you off, or keep Aetheric secrets from you,” he murmured, his fingers brushing against her cheek. He moved away and lifted the paper bag, then took her hand and tugged her gently toward the table.
“I thought we could make a few paper decorations,” he said, then raised his eyebrows in a mischievous arch. “And maybe add a few personal touches.”
She smiled at him, now excited for the day rather than dreading it. “Let me just change, then I will come out here and join you.” He nodded his agreement and she was soon back sitting with him at the table.
From the bag he brought, he pulled out old sheet music with Christmas carols on it and a ball of string. “This will make a lovely garland to drape around the tree. And yours truly will add a sprinkling of snowflakes for flair.”
Isla giggled at his boyish enthusiasm, warmth spreading through her chest, as he darted over to retrieve the tree. “I thought asking you to summon a full-sized tree might be a bit ambitious,” he said with a grin, “but maybe you could breathe a little life into this one.”
She looked at the small tree, its branches spindly and needles slightly browned at the tips. When Andrew set it carefully in front of the bay window, Isla lifted her palm, letting a soft green glow ripple over the tree. Slowly, almost as if it were breathing, the branches thickened, the needles deepened to a glossy green, and a rich, piney scent filled the room, the tree now standing a little taller, ready to be trimmed.
Andrew spun her gently in his arms, and she laughed at his enthusiasm. “It’s wonderful! Now ... let’s decorate. But first, music.” From his bag he pulled out a record. Walking over to the gramophone, he wound it up, and soon Bing Crosby’s warm, crooning voice drifted across the room, singing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
Sitting with Andrew at the table, Isla’s heart felt lighter than she had ever known. Cutting garlands from the old hymn sheets was simple, but the moment felt special. She caught Andrew’s eye and smiled, and he returned it with a warmth that made her chest flutter.
Once the garlands were hung, Andrew moved behind her, wrapping his arms snugly around her waist. “Ready for me to add a little something to your tree?”
“Our tree.”
“Our tree.” He repeated his voice lower. He kissed her temple.
