It was a woman with wavy hair cascading around her shoulders, an infant cradled in her arms. Elaina gasped, her fingers tracing the figure’s face, so like her own. The detail was astonishing—from the gentle curve of the cheek to the familiar set of the jaw. A wave of wonder washed over her; Steven had captured not just her likeness but something of her essence, too.
“How—” Her voice caught, and she cleared her throat. “How did you manage to make this?”
“Every spare moment I had,” he confessed, standing closer now. “I wanted to give you something that spoke of us, of hope.”
Elaina looked up at him, her eyes wide with amazement. The ornament was the most beautiful gift she’d ever received. She could not believe that he—the quiet man who had come into her life as a stranger—had taken such care to create something so personal, so touching.
“Steven, it’s...” Words failed her as she struggled to express the depth of her appreciation. She simply held the ornament out between them, letting the silent eloquence of the carving convey what she could not.
Tears brimmed in Elaina’s eyes as she clutched the delicate wooden figure to her chest.
“Steven, this...” Her voice trembled like the flicker of candlelight against a dark winter’s morn. “It’s perfect. I love it so much.”
“I thought I could make a new ornament for you every year, and we could fill the Christmas tree with them. Since you never had a tree, I know you didn’t have any to begin with.”
The room seemed to hold its breath, the warmth from the stove embracing them as the scent of pine from the Christmas tree lingered in the air. Steven stepped forward, his presence solid and reassuring. He reached out, his rough fingers gently wiping away a tear that traced a path down her rosy cheek.
“Elaina,” he said, his voice deep and resonant, “I needed to make something as perfect as you are.” His hand rested lightly on her shoulder, the weight of his touch anchoring her amidst the swell of emotions. “I love you.”
She clasped the wooden ornament to her breast, its edges pressing into the fabric of her dress as if it sought to become part of her. Her lips parted, a breath of air escaping as she searched for words that might mirror the depth of her feelings.
“Steven,” she whispered. “I love you.”
A silence fell between them, heavy with the gravity of their confessions. Elaina watched as Steven’s Adam’s apple bobbed—a mute testament to his own tumultuous emotions—and she saw the subtle shift of muscle beneath the fabric of his shirt as he moved closer to her.
“Elaina,” he said again. “We’ve already been through a lot together, you and I.”
“Yes,” she agreed, her voice steadier now. “And now I know that even if I lost the ranch, I’d get through it as long as you were beside me.”
“Elaina,” Steven began again. “I reckon we’re in this for the long haul.”
“I know I am. I never dreamed when I wrote that letter to your sister that I’d end up with a man who was not only a partner in business, but the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I’m so thankful you were the one who responded to me and not someone else.”
“I cannot imagine a future without you in it. I know we skipped the courtship part of our relationship, but I hope you’ll feel like I’m courting you every day for the rest of our lives.” Steven leaned down and kissed Elaina softly. “You are exactly what I needed in my life.”
