by Jerry Cole
The girls told us that Mom and Dad were going to dinner with friends and asked us to come over. We agreed, deciding to get pizza on the way. Peter hadn’t seen the house yet. When we pulled up to the single-story vintage home, he announced that he loved it. “Rosa would totally move in here.”
We carried the pizza and wings inside, setting it on the granite counters as Taryn grabbed plates for everyone. She also had plenty of beer, and we settled in the charming living room on the couches that took up most of the space. “This is a great place,” Peter told her as she smiled.
“Thanks. It’s small, but I haven’t worked up the courage to knock walls down. There are two bedrooms and two bathrooms down that hall. It’s manageable.” Taryn smiled before biting into the pizza. “I’ll give you the tour after we eat.”
She did that, and while the bedrooms were on the small side, they worked. It screamed Taryn in the decor with books and vintage posters everywhere, along with many family pictures. I paused at the sight of a new one on the mantel, seeing Rosa and Taryn smiling at each other as they laughed about something.
My sister looked happy.
We regrouped in the living room for beer, finding a movie as we talked about the rest of the activities. Christmas Eve was friends over for dinner to just be together, while Christmas was all about family. Anyone was welcome that didn’t have a place to be, and Mom cooked enough food for several people. We planned to ice skate over the weekend with another trip to the bakery.
“Oh! We always go caroling on Christmas Eve. Be ready!” Taryn said, grinning at me. “It’s cold.”
We headed back to the house after chatting for about an hour. Everyone had the next day off, and we were going to keep it low key until dinner and caroling. I looked forward to sleeping in with Peter in my arms. Soon, he’d be doing that in our own home here.
We looked at pictures of the house that we took, planning the rooms. I had a little furniture as did Peter and we could combine that. We also wanted to buy stuff that was new to us. We wanted to make it our home.
Mom made a couple of roast chickens for dinner as well as roasted vegetables. She threw small potatoes into the pans, setting aside some bread. It was an easy meal, but tomorrow night was going to be ham, turkey, and a small prime rib with all the fixings. It made my stomach hurt thinking about it. Their friends popped in, eating and chatting until we all bundled up to go caroling.
It felt like a Norman Rockwell setting as we headed to the neighbor’s house. Everyone decorated for the holiday and it seemed as though they were waiting for us. We were applauded, handed food and gifts, and even invited in for some coffee. It felt special as Peter held my hand, walking back to his home in the cold. I’d seen the emotion in his eyes and on his face. This was getting to him but in the best way possible.
Gifts were exchanged between the friends and my parents by the tree once we were inside and warm. They even gave us some small things to Peter’s surprise, making him stare at me. He cried that night in bed, telling me that he felt so loved.
Christmas included breakfast for us and opening gifts. I bought Peter some bigger things, including a new laptop case, smartwatch, and a large gift card to buy things for the new house. We watched as Taryn handed Rosa things, focusing on a small box as Rosa tore it open. “Why are you giving me a key?” Rosa asked as Taryn’s eyes shimmered with tears.
“It’s a key to my house. I want you to move in with me, Rosa. I want to start a life together.” Rosa dropped the box with shaking hands as she stared at her girlfriend. “I love you.”
“Oh, God. You want me to move here?” Rosa asked, throwing herself into Taryn’s arms.
“I do,” Taryn assured her, holding her tight. “I want you in my life all the time. I want you to help me at the store.” She kissed her hair softly as Rosa closed her eyes. “If you say yes, we just need to convince these two guys to join all of us.”
“Of course, I say yes,” Rosa choked out, tears sliding down her cheeks. “I’ve been wanting you to ask. I was too scared to.”
“What?” Taryn asked with a soft chuckle.
“Peter?” Rosa asked, and I met her gaze. They’d been best friends for a long time, and this was a critical moment. I felt his eyes on me, and I smiled as I gave him a small nod.
“We signed a lease for a house beginning next month. We’ll all be here.” Amber burst into tears as Mel stood to hug all of us. Rosa and Taryn followed, and we showed them pictures of the cottage, telling them our plans for it.
We finished with the gifts and got started with dinner prep in the kitchen. Taryn bumped me with her hip, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “When were you planning your announcement?”
“I wanted you to have your moment. I knew that it would be hard for Rosa to leave Peter and vice versa. It seemed like a good time to tell everyone. I hope you didn’t feel like it took away from your moment.”
“It made it better. I am so happy, Owen. I’ve missed you.” I hugged her, watching as Peter and Rosa talked intimately while peeling potatoes.
“I’ve missed you too.” I looked around the room, seeing the people that I loved the most here.
When we sat down to dinner, there were ten guests in total. We told everyone about the meadow and how it would be the place that we got married, but we needed to decide when. Mom was thrilled and offered to help plan if we needed her. “I’m sure I’ll need you, Mom. I don’t know how to do any of this. I didn’t want it before now.”
We talked about all of us moving in January. I had to give up my apartment when we arrived back, but we could move whenever we wanted to. I’d pay someone to clean it once it was empty, and that would be that. We could even move slowly if we chose to, particularly Peter and I. Rosa didn’t have a lot of big things to move where we did.
The rest of the days passed quickly with activities and a lot of food and friends. Since we had the keys, Peter and I shopped for the house. We just ordered a few key pieces that weren’t couches or chairs, having them delivered the day before the final holiday of the year.
We celebrated New Year’s Eve quietly at Taryn’s house with the girls. It was low key and perfect. Rosa still cried at the memory of getting the key. She planned to resign from her job when she was back, give them the standard two weeks, and move. For her, it was packing a bag and taking a few boxes, which I was more than willing to help with.
We drove home the day after New Year’s, realizing that it was one of the last times we’d be making this drive. I only needed to talk to the team and the rink, knowing that guys would step into my spots. I agreed to work with Taryn and do hockey on the side. Peter had nothing that he needed to change.
Epilogue
Christmas Eve
One year later
Owen
I opened the door to my parent’s home, smiling as Taryn and Rosa walked up the steps to the front door. Taryn was helping Rosa since she was six months pregnant and growing by the day.
The girls didn’t want to wait to start their lives. They got married three months ago while Rosa was pregnant, disturbing the traditional sequence a little bit. They asked Peter if he would contribute to the process, which he was thrilled to do. It was all scientific anyway, and I helped him with his part of it. They were so excited to meet their daughter, even if Rosa grumbled about it sometimes.
“Hey, ladies.” I hugged them both, seeing a contentment to my sister that had never been there before. Sure, she was always positive, but these days she was peacefully happy. She had everything she didn’t know she wanted in life. It was great for my family to see.
We made our way to the living room, where the girls placed their things in the corner. Mom came from the kitchen to greet them with hugs, sighing happily over the baby bump. No matter the circumstances, Mom rolled with it, and she was thrilled about this grandbaby. She was steadily putting together a room for Deidre to use over here since we’d undoubtedly be here all of time.
I worked at the bookstore part-time, which
was not all Taryn. She threw her heart and soul into it, and it was a beautiful space. Rosa helped her as well as doing some freelance work in her original field. Peter had taken to writing at the coffee shop next door so that he could pop in for visits.
I never knew that my life could be like this.
Our wedding was at the end of summer when the trees were beginning to change. The meadow was wild and beautiful, and we changed nothing but using a small gazebo to make us the focal point. It was gorgeous out there as we made our vows in a short ceremony to a small group of family and friends before going to the big lake house for a reception. I was just as in love with this man as I’d ever been, if not more. He was my everything and fit effortlessly into every part of my life, including cheering me on at the rink when I played with my new team.
I missed the other guys. I won’t lie. They were solid but living here in our cottage close to family was the best choice I’d ever made. The new team was great, and the kids I taught in the summer were as enthusiastic as they could be. I embraced my new title of the best hockey player in town and the fact that I almost went to the pros. What happened was nothing more than an accident that happened at the worst time possible. It wasn’t my fault, and I had no reason to feel any guilt.
We loved the cottage and spent many evenings out back, focusing on the lake when the busy day was over. The house really felt like ours after decorating, changing things, and starting over. We planned to stay here for a while until we felt like we wanted to buy something. There were even feelings about purchasing this from the owners.
Life was great. Life was as near perfect as it could be. I saw Peter hug Rosa with sheer joy on his face, wondering if one of the girls might carry our baby when the time came. I knew it would be soon, but they needed to meet their angel first and settle into that.
Peter walked over to me, pulling me into his arms. “I love you.” I felt the cool silver of his ring on my neck, knowing it matched mine. His life matched mine.
“I love you. I’m so happy that we’re here for this Christmas, really here.” I smiled into his neck.
“Me, too. This is so perfect, babe.”