Page 51 of Postmarked December

Heather nodded with mock seriousness.

A few minutes later, bringing a plate of cookies, a bowl of popcorn, and two hot chocolates with whipped cream and peppermint sprinkles into the living room, Marion and Heather, along with Scarlett, joined Anthony on the sofa. As the snow gently fell against a dark sky, dusting the Adirondack chairs outside, they settled in for a night of football. To Anthony’s joy, and Marion’s relief, the Broncos beat the Chiefs by one touchdown.

After the game, as they sat among the empty plates and cups, Marion looked over at the tree. “What do you think that present is under there?” She pointed to the final white gift with the red bow.

“Whatever it is, I’m thinking it’s the last thing I’ll get from Toby.”

Anthony clicked off the TV. “Christmas is almost over. When are you planning to open it?”

Heather hesitated.

Marion repositioned Scarlett in her lap. “What’s wrong?”

Heather stared at the gift, taking a few long, slow breaths to steady herself. “There was a time in all this when I was so ready to move on that I wanted the gifts to stop. But it wasn’t until I made this trip that I really got to process the full breadth of what Toby has accomplished for me. While my future still isn’t planned out with a nice, neat bow like that gift, I know I can handle it better after hearing from him. In a way, having him with me this Christmas makes me feel like he’s always there.” Her voice broke on the final word, tears welling in her eyes. She cleared her throat. “Sorry.”

Marion handed Scarlett to Anthony. “Don’t be sorry. We’re here for you.”

“I should open the final gift,” Heather said, still trying to convince herself to do it.

Marion put her arm around her and gave her a squeeze. “Only if you want to.”

“Like Anthony said, Christmas is almost over. There’s no better time to do it than now, when I’m with you two and we’ve had such a wonderful, memorable day.” Heather gently pulled out of Marion’s embrace, reached down, and took Toby’s final gift from under the tree. “All good things come to an end, and it’s best that I face this final moment while I have you here to support me.”

Marion placed a hand on her back. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Heather set the present in her lap, gently untied the ribbon, and loosened the tape, the paper falling around the box. She slipped her fingers under the edge and lifted the lid. Beneath a mass of tissue paper, she pulled out a photo album. Peeking out from the back of the album was another red-and-white envelope.

Still not fully prepared to read his final message to her, she opened the album cover, and immediately tears overflowed. She ran her fingers over the first photo—her favorite, taken two years ago, at the holiday gala for Stargate Publishing. He looked so handsome and full of life in his tuxedo, and she hung on his arm in that red dress that had driven him crazy, smiling innocently.

Her lip wobbled. “I was looking for this photo a while ago.” She cleared her throat again, unable to keep her jagged breaths manageable. Toby’d had it all under control, just like he’d told her.

Anthony got up and returned with a box of tissues from the bathroom.

“Thank you,” she said, through the blur of tears. “I can look at this later. I don’t want to bring you both down.” She sniffled, snatching a tissue from the box.

“No, no,” Marion said, ever the supportive friend.

“I’ll set up Scarlett’s bed area and take her litter box upstairs,” Anthony said, his look letting them know he was giving them a chance to be together without an extra set of eyes.

Marion handed him the kitten. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

When it was just the two women, Marion leaned in. “Tell me about the photos.”

With a deep breath, Heather tapped the second photo on the page. “This one was taken on our first date. He took me bowling, and I got my fingers stuck in the ball,” she said with a half whimper and half laugh. “We tried everything—soap and water, hand lotion, you name it. He ran down the street to the gas station to see if they had any other ideas and came back with a bottle of tanning lotion. It worked, but I smelled like coconuts for the rest of the night.” She shook her head. “We could only go up from there.”

Marion grinned. “I’ve never heard that story.”

“I’ve never told it to anyone.” It felt good to share. She turned the page, revealing another wonderful memory. She was blowing out her birthday candles while Toby looked on adoringly. “We were supposed to go skiing, but at the airport the flight was canceled due to a snowstorm, so right there, he rebooked and got us a long weekend in Cancun. We jumped on the plane, both our suitcases full of sweaters and ski overalls. We bought swimsuits and lived in them. I only bought one dress to go to dinner. It was magical.”

“It sounds like it.”

They flipped through the rest of the photos, Heather’s emotions flaring the entire time. When they got to the end, she could hardly see, and her nose was stuffy from crying. But it was a good cry. Instead of feeling his absence, she had celebrated the man he was and the couple they were together. She closed the book and put it back into the box.

Marion picked up the envelope that had slipped out while they were flipping pages and handed it to Heather. She put it under the tree, next to the box.

“Aren’t you going to open it?”