Winter Hopes (Seasons of Love)

by Jennifer Gracen

  “It's great,” Sam said, smiling.

  “Hi, Aunt Lydia,” the girl said, and went to the dining room with her cutlery.

  “Hi, Sophie,” Lydia said to the girl's retreating back. “That's my niece,” she said over her shoulder to Sam. “She's seven.”

  “Going on seventeen,” Jane’s husband joked wryly. He put out his hand immediately. “Nice to meet you, Sam. Welcome.”

  “You must be Tyler.” Sam grinned, shaking the outstretched hand. “You have a lovely home. Thanks for having us over.”

  “Well, Lydia practically lives here part time,” Tyler teased, “but it's nice to have you join us for breakfast. Hope you can deal with a couple of loud kids.”

  “Easily,” Sam said, surveying the room. “Reminds me of home. My older brother and his wife also have three kids. Two girls and a boy, pretty close in age to yours. I'm over there fairly often.”

  “Good, then you'll feel right at home with the volume and the craziness,” Jane said, flipping a pancake with finesse.

  “Would you guys like something to drink?” Tyler asked cordially.

  “I'll get it, Ty. Thanks though,” Lydia said, moving to the refrigerator.

  Lydia hid her face in the fridge to take a deep breath. So far, so good. Andy seemed to like him, and kids had an innate sense about people. Sam seemed perfectly at ease. The only one there who was uncomfortable was her, and it was time to stop that. She took one more deep breath and pulled the orange juice from the refrigerator.

  As she poured two glasses of juice, she heard Jane say to Sam, “So Sam! I hear you have some fabulous surprise planned for Lydia tonight. That's all well and good, but I won't be there, so you have to let me in on the secret now. I can't wait until Lydia calls me tomorrow.”

  Amused, Sam raised his eyebrows at her, smirked, and glanced over at Lydia.

  “Disobey her at your own peril,” Lydia cracked.

  Sam gave a relaxed laugh, then moved to murmur something close to Jane's ear. Her eyes widened at whatever he said.

  “Wow! I'm impressed. I love that place,” she said with enthusiasm. “Tyler has taken me there two or three times over the years. Mmm, so good.”

  Sam leaned in and added something else. The kitchen had gone silent, and all eyes in the room were on him and Jane.

  “Awww,” Jane cooed happily, smiling. Her eyes went to her sister's mystified face. “Oh, she'll just love that. Well done, Sam.”

  “Thanks.” Sam grinned.

  “Hey.” Tyler pouted with mock hurt feelings. “Share.”

  Jane leaned over to him and whispered in his ear as Sam returned to Lydia's side.

  “Oh, yeah, great choice,” Tyler enthused. He winked at Lydia. “You're all set, don't worry. It's all good.”

  “You guys are killing me,” Lydia said with a laugh. “Bunch of co-conspirators.”

  Jane smiled a teasing smile and turned back to the stovetop.

  Sam thanked Lydia softly as he accepted the glass of orange juice she offered him. Their eyes held for a moment, and he winked at her. Feeling a little tingle, she smiled in response.

  “Any chance there's coffee made?” Lydia asked her hosts, “or do you need me to make a pot?”

  “Silly girl,” Jane chided. “Like I could get through a morning without caffeine. It's made. Help yourself.”

  “VVVRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOMMM!!!” Ethan screamed as he and Andy ran a new circle around the kitchen island, one after the other, holding their tiny cars aloft.

  “Guys. Guys! Go take it in the other room,” Tyler told them in a distinctly parental tone. “Breakfast'll be ready in about five minutes. Give us a break 'til then, alright?”

  The two small boys ran out of the kitchen, their cars in the air as they took off.

  “That was my youngest nephew, Ethan,” Lydia told Sam. “He and Andy are best buds. And that’s my oldest nephew, Cooper.” She pointed to the boy who sat at the table by the bay window. At the mention of his name, Cooper looked up from his book.

  “Hey, Cooper,” Sam said in a friendly tone.

  “Hi.” Cooper rubbed absently at his nose and went back to reading.

  “Don't take it personally,” Lydia said. “He loves to read, and hates to be interrupted.”

  “Just like his favorite aunt,” Jane remarked wryly. “My running joke is how did I give birth to my sister's kid? Coop reminds me so much of her, especially when we were younger. He's such a bookworm, just like her. She always had her nose buried in a book. I thought she'd end up a librarian; but hey, I wasn't too far off the mark, was I?”

  “As much as I love libraries,” Lydia said, "I love working with kids even more.”

  “She has a lot of patience,” Tyler said to Sam. “Way more than I would, that's for sure.”

  “Well, I can't slice into people, and you can,” Lydia said as she headed towards the coffee pot. “We all have our strengths, don't we?”

  “Well, when you put it that way…” Tyler grinned. He pushed the cut up pieces of cantaloupe rind into a pile as he asked Sam, “What do you do? Sorry, I wasn't told.”

  “I'm essentially a graphic designer,” Sam replied. “Web design.”

  “Essentially?” Lydia said, her tone mocking. She shot Sam a quick look as she poured some steaming coffee into a colorful mug. She turned to Tyler and told him, “That's one way of putting it. He started out as a graphic designer. He's now the Creative Director, as in head honcho. At a huge media company. I won't mention the name since he's being modest, as usual.”

  Tyler's expression showed that he was impressed. “Nice. Good for you.”

  Sam just grinned casually. Lydia knew he hated tooting his own horn, and likely was more than happy to let her do it for him. “Thanks. Yeah, it's been good.”

  “And you live in Chicago?” Tyler asked. “At least that much I know.”

  “Yes.” Sam picked up his orange juice and sipped as Lydia rejoined him. He slipped his free arm around her waist to inch her closer to him, and she nestled into his side. “I live in Lincoln Park, if you're familiar with Chicago at all.”

  “Sure,” Tyler nodded. “Great part of town. I like Chicago. Haven't been there in a few years,” he added. “Last time I was there was for a medical convention, maybe four or five years ago. You from there originally?”

  “Yeah,” Sam said. “Grew up in Evanston, right outside the city.”

  “I’ve heard of it,” Tyler said.

  “You live in Chicago?” Cooper's voice piped up from the back of the kitchen.

  They all turned to look at him as Sam answered, “Yup, I do.”

  Cooper looked confused. “Then what are you doing here? Just visiting?”

  Jane grinned and said to Sam, somewhat apologetically, “He has to know everything.”

  “That’s cool.” Sam smiled easily at the boy. “I guess you could say that. Your aunt and I have become friends, and I'm visiting her this weekend.”

  Cooper's eyes narrowed as he took in Sam from head to toe; his eyes lingered on the arm Sam had wrapped around Lydia's waist. “Friends? You look like a boyfriend to me. Are you her boyfriend?”

  “Cooper!” Jane exclaimed.

  “What?” Cooper asked, confused by his mother's ire. “It's just a question.”

  “You're being a little nosy,” Tyler told his son. “You don't just come out and ask people private things. Especially ones you've only just met. It’s not your business.”

  “Why is that private? He's here, isn't he?” Cooper said.

  Lydia laughed out loud, but blushed at the same time.

  “Kid's got a point.” Sam smiled. He looked down at Lydia, his dark eyes telegraphing a silent question. She just looked back at him, unsure of what to say.

  Sam's smile widened. He looked back up at Cooper and answered amiably, “Yeah, like a boyfriend. I hope that's okay?”

  Cooper stared at Sam, then shrugged. Apparently having made his judgment, he went back to reading his book and into his own world.


  Lydia and Jane exchanged wide eyed looks of amusement and disbelief.

  “What was that?” Tyler whispered to his wife.

  “Who knows?” Jane said under her breath, trying not to laugh openly. “He's nine. I just know he's crazy about his aunt. Looks like he was being protective, if you ask me.”

  Lydia and Sam looked at each other, and their eyes locked. His arm still around her waist, Sam squeezed her gently, affectionately. The corner of his mouth turned up; he was clearly smitten as he gazed down at her. In return, she gave him an open, delighted smile. God, she was crazy about him.

  “I'm getting hungry,” Tyler said. “Everything almost ready?”

  “Just about,” Jane nodded, turning off dials on the stove.

  Sam kept his arm around Lydia's waist as she took a careful sip of her coffee. “Where's Sophie?” Lydia asked, realizing her niece hadn't returned. “She disappeared.”

  “She's finishing up setting the table,” Jane said. She reached for a large blue and white platter that lay on the counter. “It's her new chore if she wants allowance.”

  “Ah.” Lydia watched Jane stack pancakes onto a large oval serving dish and said, “Isn't there anything I can do to help? This just feels unnatural, standing here.”

  “Well, you brought a guest,” Jane said. “So your main job today is to keep your guest entertained.”

  “I see.” Lydia grinned. Sam winked down at her as she took another sip of her coffee.

  “Breakfast is ready!” Jane called out, raising her voice so the younger boys could hear her. “Cooper, put the book down, time to eat.” She went to lift the platter, heavy with pancakes, but Sam picked it up before she could and made his way around the kitchen island.

  “Dining room?” he asked.

  “That way.” Jane smiled, pointing to the door Sophie had exited through earlier.

  “Great.” With a grin, Sam disappeared through the door.

  “Cooper Aronson!” Jane said loudly. “Book down! Time to eat! Go!”

  With a grumble, the boy marked his place in the page and shuffled off to the dining room.

  “Oh my God, that man is gorgeous,” Jane gushed to Lydia once he’d gone. “And friendly? Polite? Gracious? Helpful?” Jane mockingly put her hand to heart, feigning shock. “Holy crap. I don't think your husband ever picked up a plate in all the years I knew him.”

  Lydia snorted, but was extremely pleased.

  “He seems genuinely nice, Lyddie,” Tyler said simply. He picked up the bowl filled with cantaloupe and added, “And he's obviously crazy about you, which means he's smart too. Good for you.” He smiled at her before he too went out to the dining room.

  Lydia looked after him happily. She turned to her sister and asked in a whisper, “So you like him? Honestly?”

  “I just told you I did.” Jane smiled. “Total thumbs up. He's sweet. Like Ty said, he's obviously crazy about you. The way he looks at you makes me want to sigh. And you're right, that's a killer smile he's got. I like his eyes too. They're warm.” Her gaze shifted as she caught a glimmer nestled in Lydia's hair. She moved in closer to examine the earrings and fingered one delicately. “Oh honey, they're beautiful.”

  “They are, aren’t they?” Lydia beamed.

  “He has great taste, your boyfriend who’s not a boyfriend,” Jane remarked. She pulled back and looked Lydia in the eyes as she added, “Oh, and he picks out nice jewelry too.”

  Lydia rolled her eyes, but gave her sister a tremendous hug.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  THE BACKSEAT OF the taxi was dark and warm. Lydia looked over at Sam as he gazed out his window. She studied his profile discreetly, admiring him, before she said for the fourth time that evening, “I still can't believe you're not telling me where we're going.”

  Sam chuckled and said with an amused smile, “Stop hounding me, lady. I'm not gonna crack. And I'm trying to look at all the decorations.”

  Lydia grinned and nestled into his side. His arm went around her shoulders, he kissed her lips quickly, and she joined him in looking out the window. As their cab wound through the streets of midtown Manhattan, they took in the magical transformation that the city had undergone since their last visit. Night had fallen, making all the colorful holiday decorations that lit the storefronts seem even more vivid—bright, sparkling, and joyful.

  “I love how the city does Christmas,” she murmured, snuggling closer. She loved the feel of Sam’s heavy jacket against her cheek, the smell of his skin combined with the leather, the comforting warmth of him. She rested her head on his shoulder and felt his arm tighten around her as she added, “There's nothing like Christmas in New York City, I tell ya. It's all so fantastic. Just beautiful.”

  Sam brushed his lips against her forehead. “It is pretty fantastic. I've never been here during the holidays. It's really something.”

  “When I was younger, I used to almost always celebrate my birthday by doing something fun in the city, because it’s magical here,” she told him. “With family when I was a kid, then with friends when I was in my teens and twenties. One of the few advantages of having my birthday so close to the holidays is it seems like everything is all pretty and festive, extra dazzling, just for me. And people in general seem to be in a better mood, which is nice.”

  Sam gave a kindly grin at the thought of that. “The 'few' advantages? What are the drawbacks?”

  “Well, there were the combo gifts,” she snickered. “You know, 'oh, your birthday falls during Hanukkah, so here's a combination gift'. What if my birthday was in July? That would never happen. I'd get two separate gifts, right?”

  Sam chuckled, but asked, “People have really done that to you?”

  “Of course. Usually my parents. And Matt did it almost every year,” she laughed. “Cheap, lazy jerk.”

  The amused grin slid off Sam’s face as he realized something, and asked tentatively, “Um… possibly dangerous question. When's the first night of Hanukkah this year?”

  Lydia shrugged. “A few nights ago. First night was Monday.”

  “What?” Sam sat up straighter so he could look at her directly. “Are you kidding? Please be kidding.”

  “No, I'm not,” Lydia said.

  “Why didn't you tell me?” he cried.

  Her brows furrowed. “I… didn't think I had to. It's not a big deal, Sam.”

  “Sure it is! That's your holiday.” Sam was growing more distressed by the second. “I feel terrible,” he groaned. “Jesus, I'm so stupid. Why didn't I think to check? I would've gotten you something, I would've gotten Andy something—”

  “Stop,” she said. “You did get me something, remember?” She shook her head slightly to make the dangling earrings dance.

  “That was your birthday present, not a holiday present.”

  “And I love them. I don’t need anything. And you sure didn't have to get Andy anything.”

  “Don't be ridiculous,” Sam said, obviously bothered. “Of course I would've gotten you both Hanukkah presents. Jesus, I feel like such a jackass.” His shoulders slumped as he scrubbed his hands over his face.

  “Stop it!” she insisted. She was touched by his anguished guilt, but it was so unnecessary. Trying to make light of his sudden dark mood, she teased, “You've never dated a Jewish girl before, have you, bubela?”

  “No,” he admitted. Fighting it and failing, his mouth curved up in his signature crooked smile. “I mean, I've slept with a few, but not actually dated any seriously. And that… sounds… awful, right? Ugh.”

  They laughed together, the tension broken. She reached up to caress his face and purred, “Sam, yesterday was the best birthday I've had in a long time. Thanks to you.” She kissed him a few times, and felt his tightness dissipate. “By the way, are we… at a new understanding now? What you said to Cooper… I meant to ask you about that.”

  His gaze deepened as he looked down at her. In a voice like velvet, he said softly, “What, that I'm your boyfriend now? Aren't I?”

&
nbsp; She smiled affectionately and murmured, “I don't like that term, it sounds so silly. I'm thirty-seven now, and that sounds like a teen word.”

  “Agreed. And so what? Am I your boyfriend?” His dark eyes pierced her. She saw the question there. He meant it.

  “Yes, Sam.” She touched his cheek, ran her thumb over his lips. “At this point, I'd like to think you are.”

  “Good. Because I sure think I am.” He kissed her and added quietly, with deep sentiment, “So that's that, then. We're exclusive. You're mine. And I'm yours.” His smile was intimate, sultry, delectable. “But I’ve been yours from that first weekend. I think you know that.”

  She stared at him, all the things she wanted to say whirling through her mind like a windstorm. There were too many things, too heartfelt, too revealing… she was overcome. At a loss, she grasped his face and kissed him with all the feeling she could express. He seemed to understand. He held her close and kissed her back with equal intensity.

  A few minutes later, the cab stopped at a busy midtown corner, pulling up slowly to the curb. Sam glanced out the window, checking to see where they were, and thanked the driver as he paid him. “Shall we?” he said to Lydia, an excited twinkle in his eyes. He got out of the cab quickly, made his way around to open her door, and helped her out. A cold wind blew harshly just as they stepped away from the cab, lifting her long hair off her shoulders and holding the copper strands aloft in the frigid air.

  “Winter's definitely here,” she shivered, pulling her camel-colored wool coat tighter around her. “Damn, it's cold!”

  “Ah, this is nothing,” Sam said lightly. “Come to Chicago in January. Now that's cold.”

  At that moment, she saw the sign painted on the window of the restaurant and realized where they were. Disbelief and amazement whooshed through her as she looked at Sam and said, “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.” His smile could have lit the night sky. Before she could say anything more, he put his arm around her and quickly ushered her inside.

  A blast of warm air hit them as they entered a charming, elegant restaurant. Lydia knew it was in the uppermost echelon of Manhattan restaurants, highly fashionable, and likely to be very expensive.