Christmas morning, Nicholas found himself smiling as he rode down the snow-covered dirt path leading to Noelle’s ranch home. River huffed below him, her strides slightly labored due to the increase in weight because of the rucksack he’s strapped to her saddle, the bag filled with toys and presents for Carol and Noelle—perhaps too many of each. With River safely stowed in the barn, Nicholas took a minute to rummage through the almost overflowing bag of gifts, suddenly nervous if he’d gone overboard or if he was about to make their day. They hadn’t discussed if presents were going to be exchanged, so he’d just gone along and gotten them without any real second thought—it was Christmas after all.
Outside, on his way to the looming font door, Nicholas took a second to stand in the slightly-warmer sun that was shining down on the snow-capped trees around him, bathing them in an orange glow that seemed to warm his soul. The mounds of snow beneath his boots were soft, like a blanket laid out on a green patch of grass, aching for someone to take a nap.
It was like this Christmas morning held a sense of…comfort; different from the other years he’d spent it alone. Perhaps it was the kind woman and little girl waiting inside that brought upon this change, perhaps it was the ambience of the sun and snow that set a warm tone to the world—but something was different, and for the better.
He barely knocked on the door when it swung open, almost taking his breath away as it revealed the most heavenly sight he’d ever laid eyes upon. It had been a while since their almost kiss, and whilst she’d been in his mind relentlessly, it was nothing compared to the absolute joy of being in her company. Noelle wore her red hair down, the ends curling slightly and the pieces around her face swept back in a face-framing style that accentuated her high cheekbones and full mouth. Her eyes were framed with the slightest line of kohl, and her lips tinted with red. However, it was the dress she wore that had his eyes widening. It was forest green with a corset-like cinch at her waist, decorated with gold thread that reflected off the sun’s rays that had warmed his face just a moment ago. The skirt flared slightly, hanging off her hips like a green river of steadily flowing material. She looked…exquisite, magnificent, absolutely beautiful.
“Nicholas?” A slight frown creased the skin between her eyebrows, one of them arched in question.
Nicholas glanced up, meeting her cerulean eyes finally, and trying to get his mind to work. He flashed a quick smile, her own spreading across her face, and lifted the presents he still held in his hand.
“I brought presents,” he announced, stepping inside when she moved from the threshold. The air was stuffy and warm inside, the home now fully decorated for Christmas day with parlor tables set with drinks and platters of cookies. There was a whole spread of food on the dining room table, a green and gold tablecloth underneath the platters, and red bows scattered about to complete the festive decor. Mistletoe was hanging from the door underneath the threshold as he entered the small hallways before the set of stairs, both of them coming to a halt underneath it; coincidentally. They glanced up, almost simultaneously, and both blushed the color of the bright red bow in the hair of a sprinting Carol.
She was running from the top of the stairs, her locks bouncing as she descended the stairs two at a time. She wore a bright red dress with puffy sleeves, completed with knee-high white socks and the cutest black clogs Nicholas had ever seen. Her face was alight with joy, and her eyes snagged on the bag of gifts he’d brought right before she jumped from the last step right into his waiting arms.
Noelle carefully took the bag from him, gazing on as Carol almost squeezed the life out of him. She moved into the second living room, the bag hanging from her fingertips. He rubbed her small back, placing her back on her feet when they finally broke apart.
“Is this the special dress? Has it finally made an appearance?” He asked, feigning anticipation and desperation. He splayed his arms in enthusiasm, adding to the overall scene. Carol giggled, wringing her hands together in shyness, nodding along, until he gasped.
“So I finally get to see the special dress?” He asked. “I feel very special, might I add. It’s absolutely beautiful. You look just like a princess!”
Carol frowned, and over her shoulder, he saw Noelle shake her head. She made a cutting motion on her throat, making a pair of wings with her hands that flapped wildly. Nicholas glanced back at Carol, recovering quickly,
“I mean—you look just like an angel!” But the frown only deepened. He glanced at Noelle again, who was waving her arms crazily. She made wings again, but added a hop.
“No!” He said, looking at an irritated Carol again. “I meant a fairy.”
Finally, she smiled, and added, “You should thank your lucky stars that Noelle was here to help you,” much to their surprise and amusement. Noelle snorted, Nicholas huffing a laugh of his own when she scampered off.
He joined Noelle in the living room, taking the bag she handed to him, and started to place the carefully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. They didn’t look the best, and he’d had to add pieces of ripped material here and there where he hadn’t covered the gifts the first time, but it was the thought that counted. Noelle gazed at him as he did, her hands clasped together. She was uncharacteristically quiet, which prompted him to bump her with his hips.
“Why the silence?” He asked, suspecting it was about their almost-kiss, but what if she wasn’t as consumed by it as he was?
She shrugged, “You just surprised me.”
Nicholas straightened, placing the bag against the side of the sofa behind Noelle. Her scent hit him like a freight-train, almost making him finish what he’d started the other night. He frowned, following her out of the living room and into the kitchen. It smelled deliciously of roasted chicken, with a side of aromas that had Nicholas’ mouthwatering just from the smell. He always gobbled up Noelle’s delicious food, but judging by the mouth-watering food around him, he could tell tonight would be even more exceptional.
“In a good or a bad way?” He asked absentmindedly, eye traveling over the spread on the table. Noelle just shook her head, filling the kettle with water before she placed it on its designated hook above the fireplace. She shrugged,
“Good.”
“Then I don’t see the problem, honey.” He drawled, still investigating every piece of food and crumb.
“I never said it was a problem,” she retorted, making Nicholas’ head snap up. Her eyebrow was arched, mouth set in a deviant smile. He smiled, thrilled by the little bit of claws she kept hidden until needed.
They laughed simultaneously, Nicholas leveling a finger at her, about to say something when her face suddenly fell. Her gaze was focused on his finger, sheet-white, prompting him to look as well. There was nothing out of the ordinary, and when he glanced back, she had turned away. Busying herself with the kettle and teacups, Nicholas frowned at Noelle’s back.
Carol came bounding in from the living room, probably after having shaken every gift under the tree to try and determine what was hidden behind its wrapping paper. She was flushed, grasping the edges of her dress as she begged,
“Can we please open the presents now? You said we have to wait for Nicholas but he’s here now!” She complained, her eyes pleading with Noelle, who glanced up at her from the mugs she was pouring full of water, tiny flecks of tea leaves floating to the surface. Noelle smiled, nodding,
“Of course, why don’t you start sorting them for us?”
It was as if the shock from before had suddenly drained from her, replaced by the Noelle he was used to; always smiling. Nicholas was taken aback, wondering what it was that he had done for her to react that way, only to return to normal the next moment. But he left it at that, not wanting to ruin Christmas by bringing up whatever it was that had spooked her. It was not the time.
He followed Noelle to the living room, taking the cup of tea from her as they both took seats on the sofa. He didn’t know if it was by chance or if she too felt this innate attraction, a pull that dragged him wherever she was, urgent to get closer. He sipped the tea, his eyes focusing on Carol as she read the names written on the various packages.
“Noelle,” she read, walking over to her,” from Nicholas.”
The woman graciously accepted the gift, her eyes betraying the slightest shock before she composed herself and smiled. “You shouldn’t have.”
Then, the little girl handed him one, artfully and skillfully wrapped in a paper-like bag with a large red bow tied to keep the edges closed. It was soft and squishy to the touch, and on the label were their signed names. He nodded, thanking both of them.
Next, it was Carol—although most of the gifts were for her—and she squealed in delight when the pile kept growing and growing. He’d bought her toys and books, and sweets that would probably make her teeth rot if they weren’t careful. The girl kept handing out gifts until it was finally time to open them, both himself and Noelle watching as she showed them each of her new toys, from building blocks to dolls and a wooden horse she could ride on. They watched her giggle in delight, the scars on her face so incredibly dull compared to the brightness of her joy and her soul. They asked her questions and listened to her babble about each and every toy, and what she would do with it, until it was their turn to open gifts.
Nicholas inclined his head at Noelle, prompting her to go first. He was happy for his decision when her eyes lit up like a forest fire, excitement making the blue depths of them sparkle like diamonds. She tore into the wrapping paper, getting stuck on the strings he’d fastened around it to keep it all together.
He swore he could see the eagerness in her fingertips when she undid the knot he’d made, the paper ripping two seconds later and revealing a hair pin he’d seen in a shop just a few days ago. It was forked with two pins, made of gold, and decorated with a beautiful ruby right on the top of it. He’d thought the ruby would complement the red of her hair, the gold a flash in those curls like the golden halo the fire had made on her hair that night they’d almost kissed.
Noelle gasped, lifting a hand to her mouth, her lips forming an ’o’. Her eyes were wide and caught on the pin in her other hand, her thumb rubbing over the ruby as if she couldn’t believe it were real, and held in her very own hand. Nicholas started smiling, Carol coming over to see what she held in her hand that had caused such a reaction. The girl’s mouth fell open, revealing a row of corncob teeth—some adult teeth, and some missing from the baby teeth she pulled out so easily.
“It’s so pretty!” Carol exclaimed, but didn’t reach for it. He wondered why, noticing the girl kept her hands on Noelle’s forearm, gazing at it just as Noelle did. Perhaps the girl could see the awe in Noelle’s face and didn’t want to take it away.
“Do you want me to put it in?” Nicholas asked, motioning to her unbound hair that was still falling over her shoulders in waves, framing her face beautifully, and making her look like his very own Christmas dream. He almost cursed himself for suggesting she tie it up, loving the way it looked now, but needing more to feel its silky tendrils glide through his fingers.
Noelle’s eyes snapped to his again, finally knocking her from her daze, and she nodded, handing him the pin. It felt like a weight in his hand, his other hand flexing in anticipation as she stood, throwing the red locks over her shoulders, their strands bathed in gold by the fireplace behind her. She turned her back to him, her proximity making the scent of her cling to him as he neared, pin in hand.
Nicholas gathered her hair into both hands, clutching the golden pin in his left two fingers. Her hair was soft, and smelled faintly of lemon and jasmine, the soft scent so at odds with the fiery shade of her hair and the spark in her soul. She was much shorter than him, the top of her head reaching just below his collarbone, even with the heeled boots she wore. The soft skin of her cheek flashed quickly as she adjusted her neck so that he could capture the short tendrils of stray hairs at the nape of her neck.
His fingers brushed slightly over the delicate arch of her neck as he gathered the hair, twisted it, and transferred the roll of hair into his right hand, fastening the pin into the crevice between the twist and her head, successfully panning the hair in place. It was over in a second, but it had felt like an eternity for him.
And judging by the way her chest rose and fell rapidly, he supposed she felt the same. The simple touch of his hands to her skin had left them both with hammering heartbeats, hers beating through her skin and into his fingertips as he held her neck gently, securing the pin even further so that it would not fall out.
“Okay.” Nicholas said softly, his words hardly more than a whisper, and placed his hands on her shoulders. Noelle turned to face him, tilting her head back to look him in the eyes. The face-framing pieces had escaped confinement from the pin, still encompassing her face in their wondrous waves. She stared intently into his eyes, the fire behind them nothing compared to the heat now rushing between them. He lifted a hand, reaching for the soft skin of that cheek that always seemed to haunt him with the desire to touch it.
“It looks so pretty!” Carol exclaimed, clamoring from the floor to get a closer look. Nicholas and Noelle startled, stepping away from each other as the girl raced towards her mother. There was a knock at the door, Noelle stepping away for a moment to answer it.
Nicholas gathered the torn paper around them, taking the brief reprieve to open his own gift. It was a red crocheted hat, done with two hanging tassels. He smiled softly, placing it on his head despite its uselessness in the warm house, if only to show Noelle he appreciated and loved it.
Pastor Sam, his wife, and his hordes of children filled the entryway a moment later, ushered out of the cold by a smiling Noelle. She took their coats, hanging them on the hook beside the door. Nicholas rose from where he knelt to gather the torn shreds of paper, offering his free hand in greeting to Pastor Sam, before pulling his wife in for a hug. On his way to the kitchen, Nicholas spied Noelle staring at the hat on his head, giving her a quick wink that made a faint blush appear on her cheeks. Nicholas smiled, wanting to kiss every inch of that blush on her face, but opted for taking out the garbage for her instead. He was so far gone, and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to find his way back again.