Father Christmas

epilogue

Astrid

Five years later...

“Howmuchlonger,Mommy?”

I spot the sign for Maple Ridge Resort up ahead. “Just a few more minutes, baby.”

“I’m hungry,” Jamie says.

Finn glances over his shoulder at our son, strapped in his car seat. “We’re almost there, bud.”

“Can you check the thread again?” I ask. “Make sure no one’s already checked in.” Considering our flight to JFK was delayed by an hour, I’m surprised nobody beat us here.

“Looks like we’re the first,” Finn says, tapping at his phone. “Nana says she’s getting you a cupcake, bud.”

“Yaaay cupcake,” Jamie yells. To help make things less confusing for the little ones, my mom and Aunt Terry agreed that their grandkids would call them Nana, and Gran would stay Gran for everyone.

“Indoor voices, please.” I turn down the long driveway, maneuvering us through the trees, up the hill, and into the Maple Ridge Resort parking lot.

“Daddy, look at the tree!” Jamie says.

Finn chuckles. “I see it. I think it might be bigger than the one they had last year.”

I park in the space in front of the tree in question. It’s almost as tall as the roof, and so big around that you can’t even see the front-office window.

“Is ours that big?” Jamie asks.

“Not quite,” Finn says. “But that’s okay. We want ours to fit through the door.” This year, we grabbed a real tree on the way to the resort, so we can have it set up for our first night in the cabin.

I pull up our confirmation email on my phone, stealing glances at Finn in the rearview while he unhooks our beautiful boy from his car seat. I love to watch my husband with our son, especially when he doesn’t think I’m paying attention.

Finn and I have been married for almost five years now, and while I’ll confess that becoming a mom has proved way more complicated than I expected, becoming Finn’s wife has been a dream. We still call each other Daddy and baby girl at home, and we just closed on a house in Los Angeles. Finn’s opening his own recording studio, and I’m starting a new job with the Visiting Nurses Association. I’ve been a nurse for a little over two years now, and I adore my job, even when it makes me want to pull my hair out.

The three of us head into the main office where Noelle is all smiles behind the front desk with a toddler of her own.

“Hey, Astrid,” she says. “Hey, Finn. Merry Christmas, Jamie.”

“What do we say, bud?” Finn smooths our son’s hair down the back of his head. “I guess we’re feeling shy today.”

“Merry Christmas to you, too.” I leap at the opportunity to gently squeeze a chubby baby hand. “How’s this little man?”

“Gassy. His brother’s doing better. He’s out chopping wood with Grandpa.”

Jamie watches the toddler from behind his daddy’s legs.

“That’s some tree you’ve got out front,” Finn says.

“Yeah, it’s a statement piece. Sawyer and Colton really outdid themselves with that one. I was convinced it was going to fall off the truck.”

After celebrating five Christmases here at Maple Ridge, Finn and I are now certain that the three of them are together—or, rather, that the father and son are both with Noelle. We aren’t sure how it works behind the scenes, but it’s not for us to extrapolate. Sometimes the things that shouldn’t feel right are the only things that do.

“I’ve got your keys here,” Noelle says. Even with a toddler on her hip, she moves like a well-oiled machine. “Wi-fi and all that stuff is the same. Looks like you have a dinner reservation tonight. Let me know if you want to adjust the time. Otherwise, you’re good to go.”

“Thank you so much,” I say.

“Not a problem. It’s so good to have you guys back.”