“We got this,” he promised. He worried that they didn’t or that they were making a giant fucking mistake that would cost him not only his best friend but the love of his life.
“Ready to face the firing squad?” she teased. “I’m sure they will have about a million questions to ask us.” Winter made a face again and he cupped her jaw, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip.
“Let them ask, Baby,” he whispered. “The answer will be the same—always. I’m in love with you and always have been. It’s as simple as that.” Winter smiled against his thumb and she pulled his hand to her mouth to gently kiss his palm.
“Ditto,” she said. There was a loud tapping on his driver’s side window and they both turned to find her mother waving like a lunatic and smiling in at them.
“I’ve been waiting all day for you both to get here,” she shouted through the closed window. Winter shook her head at her mother and sighed. “That’s my mother’s way of saying she’s been counting down the seconds until our arrival so she can start her interrogation,” she said.
“Well, I think it’s sweet that she seems so excited,” Chris admitted.
“Sure, to see you but if it was just me showing up here for the holidays, she’d be in the house playing with my nieces and nephews. Heck, if I showed up two days late, she wouldn’t even notice. But when I tell her I’m bringing you home, she meets us in the driveway, in her bathrobe no less, like a crazy person.” Chris looked out the window again and sure enough, Mrs. Snow was wearing Christmas pajamas, fluffy snowman slippers, and her pink bathrobe.
He opened his car door and she immediately pulled him in for a bear hug and he had to admit, it was nice to be welcomed home like that. When he spent Christmas at his parent’s home, they were barely around to hang out with—always having some holiday party to attend or some work function to go to. He usually didn’t stay at his parents the whole week, taking a quick ski trip up north before returning home to pick up Winter or even heading south to sit on a beach for a few days. This year, when he lied and told his parents that he wasn’t going to be able to make it home, they jumped at the chance to take a last-minute trip. His mother probably hadn’t even put up a Christmas tree and the thought of being at their house for another Christmas made him sad—that’s partially why he canceled at the last minute. The other part of his reason was slowly pulling herself from his passenger seat to face the rest of her family who had gathered in the driveway to greet them. It was almost as if they were checking to see if Winter had really brought someone home with her this year and when they realized that it wasn’t a story she made up—they all couldn’t wait to jump in and welcome her home. She joined the club—and her sisters looked just about as pleased about it as her parents were.
Chris had grown up with them, vacationed with them, and even spent birthdays and holidays with them, and Winter’s sisters were acting like he was a new toy she had brought home to play with. He didn’t miss the way Vicky and Cassey were whispering to each other as they watched him and Winter get her bags from the trunk. Her father reached in to grab her suitcase and she stopped him.
“Leave that one in the car, Dad,” she ordered. “Just bring in the presents for now—you know, to put under the tree.”
“Why not bring in your suitcases and that way you won’t have to make another trip out?” he asked. Winter looked at Chris as if pleading for help.
“Um—well, that’s because I just told Winter that I’ve booked us a room downtown for the week. It’s in the same hotel as the party and I just thought it would be a nice surprise,” Chris said.
“So, you won’t be staying with us this week?” her mother asked.
“No, Mom,” Winter said. “That way some of the kids can take the pull out. Besides, I don’t think that both Chris and I would fit on that old thing anyway.”
“Oh—so you’re really—” her mother didn’t finish what she was about to say but judging from the bright pink blush that tinted her cheeks, she was about to ask if they were sleeping together. Yeah—that would be a question he’d let Winter field.
“Yes, Mom,” Winter said. “But, we figured you wouldn’t want us both sharing a bed with all the kids around.” She coyly nodded to the grass where her three nieces and four nephews were all wrestling. Chris cringed at the thought of having to sleep surrounded by the very noisy bunch. He wanted kids but maybe they could start with one and see how it goes.
“I get it,” her mother said, seeming to perk back up. “You two love birds want to be able to escape all this chaos and I don’t blame you. Who knows maybe there will be another little one around by next Christmas?” Mrs. Snow’s not so subtle hint made Winter blush and he thought it was just about the cutest thing ever.
“We’ll see mother. We just started this—well, what are we calling it?” Winter turned to Chris and he shut the trunk.
“Relationship?” he questioned.
“Relationship,” Winter said and nodded. “So, we haven’t discussed kids and all that.”
“But, you’ve known each other since the day you were born,” her mother protested. “You do want kids, right Chris?” she questioned. “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you had a Christmas baby, just like you two were, and we could come up with a fun name?”
“Dad,” Winter groaned, “a little help here?”
“All right, Carol,” he said. “That’s enough badgering the kids for one afternoon. How about we feed everyone and then these two can get to town and check into their hotel.”
“But, I just thought that a fun Christmas name would really be a nice touch,” she insisted. “You know like Chris was named for Christmas. Oh, your mom was so happy to name you that. How are your parents?” she asked. Honestly, it was hard to keep up with the woman.
“They are fine, Mrs. Snow. They’re taking a little vacation over the holiday so I won’t be able to see them but they send their love,” he said.
She nodded, “That’s nice,” she said. “And, then there’s the creative way I played with our last name and came up with Winter,” she said going on about creative Christmas names.
“Yeah, and I wasn’t teased at all in school about my name being Winter Snow.” Chris laughed as Winter rolled her eyes, following both of her parents into the house. He remembered having to threaten quite a few kids at school for harassing Winter about her name. She always hated her name and even said that when she was old enough she was going to change it to Debbie or Donna or something boring. She even made him call her Debbie for most of their eighth-grade year but then went back to Winter when Luke told her she had a cool name and that changing it would be a mistake.
“Well, I think we did pretty good naming you,” her father chimed in. “You turned out pretty good, kid.” Winter kissed her dad’s cheek and made her way into the family room where the massive tree stood that Mrs. Snow insisted they needed every holiday. The tree took up most of the room but Chris had to admit, it sure was pretty. Winter put their gifts under the tree as her nieces and nephews watched questioning which ones were theirs and when they tried to shake them Winter told them that Santa was watching and if he caught them shaking the gifts, he wouldn’t show up. He loved watching her with the kids and was rethinking not wanting a whole busload of kids with her. She’d be a fantastic mother.