An Alaskan Christmas

by Belle Calhoune

  “Oh, Finn,” Maggie cried out, dabbing at her eyes. “My heart breaks for what your family has endured. I’m so thankful you can put this to rest.”

  “Me too. I don’t know how to put it into words, but my soul feels lighter.”

  “God is good,” Maggie said. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

  “For some reason, I always had God in my life. No matter how bad things were, I knew He always walked with me. It prevented me from giving in to total despair. It kept me putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward.”

  “Oh, Finn. I love you so much. I love your strength and how you lead with love. Despite the pain you’ve been dealing with, you always treat others with so much grace. You’ve been courageous this whole time. And incredibly selfless.”

  Finn ran his palm over her cheek. “Maggie, you make it so very easy to adore you. I can’t imagine a life without you and Oliver in it. And I know God sent you back here so we could fall in love. Just in time for Christmas.”

  “Oh, Finn. This feels like a dream. I never thought God would bless me twice in a lifetime. I truly loved my husband, but our life together wasn’t very happy. For a long time I was angry at him, but I’ve come to realize his problems were so deep-rooted he couldn’t fix them. I feel so blessed to be loved by you and to love you in return.”

  “I thought I would be walking by myself through life. For so long I didn’t think I deserved anything wonderful. I thought my mother’s death fell on my shoulders. I came from a family that didn’t discuss our pain. We never really talked about how my mother died. We were all just stumbling around trying to make sense of it and stuffing down the pain.”

  Maggie nodded. “It was such a tragic loss. But it was an accident. None of us are perfect people, but that’s the beauty of being loved by God. His love is perfect, so we don’t need to be.”

  “Yes. You’re right,” Finn said with a nod. “I think the grief for my mother led me to feel as if I was responsible. We lived in a house where things were left unspoken. My mother was the one who bridged those gaps and without her everything fell apart. A mother is truly the heart of a home. It’s made me realize how important it is not to keep secrets.”

  Maggie grazed her hand across Finn’s cheek. “I’m so sorry you blamed yourself for all of these years.”

  “I truly thought the blame was on my shoulders. And I believed if I told anyone, I’d lose everyone I cared about. So I stayed silent over the years. And it was slowly eating me up inside.”

  “You make a great point about secrets. I’ve known for a long time now that keeping this secret about the circumstances of Sam’s death isn’t right. It’s weighing me down. In order to move forward I need to be honest about the past. And it might cause Oliver pain, but I have to find a way to tell him the truth. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but somewhere down the line I will.” She took a steadying breath. “I think he’s resilient enough to deal with it.”

  “That’s why I reacted the way I did when you told me about Sam. I retreated. How could I risk hurting you and Oliver after finding out how badly you’d been wounded by Sam’s flaws? That was the reason I never wanted a family of my own. I didn’t trust myself not to royally mess everything up.”

  “Finn, you’re not going to mess anything up. I hope you fully realize how strong and loving you are. The love you’ve shown me and Oliver demonstrates the strength of your heart. Never lose sight of it. It’s the very core of who you are.”

  “From the moment you came back to Love, I knew my heart was shifting.” He placed his hand over his heart. “I could feel it. But it scared me. It’s frightening to believe you’re going to hurt the very people you love the most. You and Oliver are my touchstones. Without you, my life would be a dull shade of gray. With the two of you in it, it pops with color. You make the ordinary things feel extraordinary.”

  “Oh, Finn. That’s beautiful. We came to Love for a fresh start and a new life. From the very start you felt like family to us. I kept worrying about Oliver becoming too attached to you, but he knew right from the start we belonged together.”

  “Smart kid,” Finn said with a chuckle. “He was right all along, wasn’t he?”

  “He sure was,” Maggie said, grabbing Finn by the collar and pulling him toward her so she could place a triumphant kiss on his lips.

  * * *

  “Where are you taking me?” Maggie asked as she peered out the window of Finn’s truck. Snow was gently falling past her window. She grinned as she spotted moose-crossing signs. It was now run-of-the-mill to see these signs, and on the rare occasion, she’d actually seen a moose or two crossing the road. She had settled in to her life in this heartwarming town and she loved experiencing everything the town of Love had to offer. Not a day went by that she didn’t take the time to thank God and Uncle Tobias for blessing her so abundantly.

  “I wanted us to have some alone time,” Finn said, turning his gaze away from the road to wink at her.

  “Keep your eyes on the road, hotshot,” Maggie said with a laugh, moving closer to Finn so she could snuggle against him.

  “We’re almost there. Right down this road.” Finn expertly navigated his truck down the road heavily packed with snow. A sign announcing the Nottingham Woods came into view. He drove down the lane and pulled his car into the lot. They both got out and began walking toward the forested area, hand in hand.

  “I thought it would be nice to bring you to a place where my parents used to take Declan and me when were kids. Did you know they met each other around the same age as we did? They were kids themselves.”

  “No, Finn. I don’t think you ever told me that before.” She smiled. “That’s really sweet. They were a real love story.”

  “Just like we are,” Finn said, lowering his head and placing a sweet kiss on Maggie’s cold lips. Her nose was tingling with cold due to the frigid weather.

  Her lips began chattering. She wrapped her arms around herself. “Finn, it’s super cold outside. Can we head back to town soon? I’m dreaming of sipping a peppermint hot chocolate at the Moose Café before opening up the shop.”

  “Hold on for a few minutes, beautiful. I’ve got something to say.” He reached out for her mittened hands and entwined them with his own. “Maggie, I know this might seem fast, but in some ways I think we’ve known each other for a lifetime. We were best friends when we were ten years old and we still are. I think we both know the importance of seizing the day. Tomorrow isn’t promised.” He sucked in a huge breath. “I love you, Maggie.” Finn quickly lowered himself to one knee in the snow. He looked up at her with love emanating from his eyes. Maggie felt out of breath. Time seemed to stand still as she watched Finn reach into his jacket pocket and pull out a wooden box.

  Finn popped the lid open to reveal a sparkling solitaire diamond surrounded on either side by smaller emeralds. They were the same color as her eyes. Maggie let out a squeal then covered her mouth with her mittened hands. She locked gazes with Finn and let out a sob as she saw the love shining forth in his eyes. “Will you marry me, Maggie? I honestly never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth. I was convinced I’d live out my days alone. Until you. Until Oliver. You made me want to face the past and become a better man. You inspired me to believe I was worthy of happiness.”

  “Oh, Finn, of course I’ll marry you. I adore you. I always have. And you deserve a happy ending more than anyone I know. I’m so blessed you chose me to be a part of it.”

  Maggie pulled Finn to his feet and helped him brush the snow off his pants.

  Maggie continued. “When we were kids you always pushed me out of my comfort zone. And ever since I came back to Love, you’ve been encouraging me to be more courageous in my life. Your bravery has inspired me. You laid your soul bare about your past and your feelings of guilt. In doing so, you set me free, Finn. You made me realize how I neede
d to deal with my own issues. And I’ll always be thankful for it. My heart is filled to overflowing. I never dared to dream about finding my happy ending. Honestly, I never imagined finding a spouse here in Love. I didn’t want one. I was focused on Oliver and wanting his happiness to come first.”

  He reached for her chin and tilted it up so he could look into her eyes. “You’re a wonderful mother, Maggie. You deserve to be happy, and I am so blessed to be the man who gets to spend the rest of his days at your side.”

  Maggie grinned. “When I left Massachusetts to come to Love, I promised myself two things. I would make a wonderful life here in Alaska for Oliver. And I would be brave. I think I’ve managed to achieve both of my goals.”

  “Yes, you have, my love. I’m very proud of you. We’re going to have a wonderful life,” he promised. He dipped his head down and placed his lips over Maggie’s in a tender and triumphant kiss. The kiss celebrated their love and the bright future awaiting them.

  “What do you think Oliver will say?” Finn asked. “Do you think he’ll be all right with sharing his mother with me?”

  Maggie threw her head back and laughed. “Are you kidding? He’ll be shouting the news from the rooftops.” At the thought of it, Maggie felt tears pool in her eyes. “He loves you just as much as I do. That little boy came to Alaska with a mission. To find a father. I wasn’t sure I could give him what he was looking for because even though I tried to be sensitive to his needs, I never really wanted or intended to open up my heart again.”

  “I’m so glad you changed your mind about that,” Finn said in a teasing voice.

  “How could I resist the devastatingly charming Finn O’Rourke?” Maggie asked.

  Finn reached out and grabbed Maggie by the waist and twirled her around. “I can’t wait to tell Oliver his mission has been accomplished,” he called out. “I’m going to be the best husband and father in all of Alaska. You’ve got my word on that.”

  Maggie reached up and tugged Finn by the collar so she could place a kiss on his lips. “You’ve already got it in the bag, O’Rourke. What a merry Christmas this will be.”

  “It sure will.” Finn nuzzled his nose against Maggie’s and looked deeply into her eyes. “Merry Christmas, my love.”

  Epilogue

  Christmas Day

  A feeling of utter peace swept over Maggie. She didn’t feel even a hint of anxiety. Her emotions were as calm as a lake in summer. Today promised to be one of the most wonderful days of her life. She was going to become Mrs. Finn O’Rourke. It was the most precious Christmas gift of all. Maggie was prepared to pledge eternity to her childhood best friend and soul mate.

  The best things in life came to fruition when you trusted in God’s plan and gave your heart wholeheartedly to another human being. With love, faith and trust, anything was possible.

  Thank You, Lord, for seeing me through the storms of life. And for pointing me toward the rainbows. Finn is my happily-ever-after, the one I’d stopped hoping for. And he’s going to be the best father in the world to Oliver. Thank You for blessing all three of us.

  As she sat at her vanity table, Maggie surveyed herself in the mirror. She had always dreamed of getting married in a beautiful ivory gown. It was stunning! She felt elegant and graceful. Since her first marriage had taken place at city hall, this was a real dream come true. A happily-ever-after moment.

  A knocking sound at the door drew her attention away from her thoughts.

  “Come in,” she called out.

  The door slowly opened. Her son stood there with a huge grin on his face dressed to the nines in his miniature black tux with the red bow tie.

  “Oliver! You look so incredibly handsome.” Pride burst inside her chest at the sight of him. Although she had promised herself no crying today, the sight of Oliver threatened her composure. Tears were misting in her eyes.

  “Thanks, Mom. And you look like a movie star, only prettier.” Oliver had one of his hands behind his back. “I have something for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “I made it myself.” Oliver pulled his arm from behind his back and held up a drawing. Maggie let out a gasp. It was a picture of a man, a woman and a little boy.

  Oliver pointed to the picture and said, “This is me. And you and Finn. A family.”

  “Oh, Oliver. It’s beautiful.” She sniffed away tears. “My loving, creative son.”

  Maggie held open her arms. Oliver ran into them and hugged her.

  “I want you to know, Oliver, how much I love you. Marrying Finn won’t ever change the way I feel about you. We’re going to be a family. I don’t want you to ever forget your father. But I also want you to know that Finn wants to be your forever dad. He loves you so very much.” Tears pooled in Maggie’s eyes.

  “I love him too, Mom. Thank you for bringing us here and for finding Finn. I won’t forget Daddy, but I don’t think he would mind me loving Finn and having a new dad since he’s in Heaven now.”

  Maggie brushed tears away from her cheeks. “No, baby. He wouldn’t mind one little bit. Matter-of-fact, I think he’d be really happy about it.” For so long now, Maggie had been mad at Sam. Now, she had come to terms with her former husband’s imperfections and his tragic death. In order to embrace her future with Finn, Maggie knew it was important to close the door on her past. Forgiveness was part of the journey.

  A short while later she arrived at the church with Hazel, Ruby and Oliver at her side. She watched as her friends walked side by side toward the altar. When the wedding march began to play, Oliver looped his arm through hers, ready to walk her down the aisle toward the love of her life.

  “Ready?” Oliver asked, his eyes twinkling as he looked over at her.

  Maggie nodded, too overwhelmed with emotion to speak. They began to walk down the aisle strewed with forget-me-nots. She teared up as they walked past a multitude of smiling, supportive faces. There was no doubt in her mind about being a part of this community. The townsfolk of Love had accepted her and Oliver with open arms.

  Jasper winked at her as she walked by. Aidan gave Oliver a thumbs-up as they marched by his pew. Dwight beamed at her from his aisle seat.

  When they reached the altar, Finn was standing there looking swoon worthy in a black tuxedo and crisp white shirt. A red bow tie and cummerbund gave him a bit of holiday flair. Declan stood at his side. Finn reached out and took Maggie’s hand, then raised it to his lips.

  “You look breathtaking,” he said in a low voice.

  “Right back atcha,” Maggie said, fighting back tears.

  Oliver turned away from them to head toward the front pew.

  “Wait, Oliver. I have something for you,” Finn said. He reached into his tuxedo pocket and pulled out a scroll tied with a navy blue ribbon.

  “For me?” Oliver asked, his face full of surprise.

  “Yes,” Finn said with a nod. “It’s a proclamation from the town of Love that we’re one big family. Mayor Jasper signed it, so it’s official. I want you to be my son in every way possible. If it’s okay with you, your mother and I want you to be Oliver O’Rourke. I want to officially adopt you.”

  “Really?” Oliver asked with a sob. He swiped at his eyes as tears overflowed his lids. “That means we’ll all have the same last name.”

  Finn took him in his arms and reassured him. “Forever and always, Oliver. Just say the word and we’ll get the paperwork started.”

  “How about today?” Oliver asked, causing a chorus of laughter to erupt in the church.

  Finn reached out and tousled his hair, a huge grin etched on his face. “It’s Christmas, Oliver. I’m pretty sure the office is closed today, but tomorrow, bright and early, I’ll get the ball rolling.”

  Oliver smiled and clutched the scroll to his chest, then made his way to the front pew where he sat down next to Ruby
, Liam and Aidan.

  Pastor Jack faced the congregation and said, “Welcome to this celebration of a mighty love. Finn and Maggie met as children right here in Love.” Pastor Jack let out a chuckle. “As they say, God works in mysterious ways. Delight thyself also in the Lord; And He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. God has been good to this couple. He has given them the most fervent desires of their hearts.” He nodded toward Finn. “I think Finn has a few words for his bride.”

  Finn reached out and joined hands with Maggie. “Before you came back I was doing okay. I was getting by. It didn’t take me long to figure out you held the key to my future happiness. You brought out something in me I’d buried a long time ago. I was holding on to a heavy burden that weighed me down. Because of you, I was able to face the past and put it in perspective. I was able to break through my pain and embrace true, enduring love. Maggie, being loved by you humbles me. I will love you and Oliver until the end of my days.”

  Maggie reached out and wiped away the tears streaming down Finn’s face.

  She looked deeply into his eyes as she spoke. “I came to Love to start fresh and to build a solid foundation for Oliver. I never imagined I would find a love of a lifetime. Finn—you and Oliver are my world. I promise never to forsake you. I’ll be by your side, no matter what challenges we might face.”

  As the ceremony continued, Pastor Jack pronounced Finn and Maggie as husband and wife. Finn dipped his head down and placed a tender kiss on his beloved’s lips. Joy filled the small church as the guests began to clap thunderously.

  Finn and Maggie, with Oliver right by their side, walked down the aisle and out of the church into the brilliant December afternoon. Oliver reached into his pocket and began to throw red rose petals at his parents. Laughter filled the air.