“Do you want icing?” Aly asked. She grabbed a butter knife and slathered white frosting on the Christmas sugar cookie in the shape of a star. Then, she coated it in green glitter sprinkles.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he said with a laugh. He took one bite and then groaned. “Oh God, are these the ones that your mom used to make?”
I nodded. “Yep. They’re my great-grandma’s recipe. Still my favorite. Buttercream frosting and all.”
“Amazing,” he said, finishing the cookie in two more bites and reaching for a second.
I completed the rest of the batch of cookies while Aly spent time decorating them all, which mostly consisted of excess sprinkles everywhere. Isaac got down on his hands and knees and cleaned the floor and cabinets even though I’d insisted he didn’t have to do it. But he’d just kissed me and gotten to work.
After another hour, the kitchen was spotless, and we’d all washed up and changed into clothes to go outside. Luckily, I didn’t have rehearsal until later this afternoon, so I got to show Aly and Isaac around NYC and bring them some New York Christmas magic.
We started with a horse-drawn carriage ride around Central Park. Then, we wove through the Christmas markets to grab a bite for lunch. I insisted on taking us to Serendipity 3 for a Frrrozen Hot Chocolate for dessert. The thing was so enormous that all three of us ate it together. Aly had the same love for chocolate as her dad.
“What are we doing next?” Aly asked, holding both of our hands and skipping between us. Every so often, she’d run, and we’d lift her in the air.
Isaac arched an eyebrow. “How much time do you have left?”
“Not too much, but I have one more thing in mind. Luckily, we have the rest of the week, so I can show you more things, too.”
“I want every day to be like today,” Aly said with such a cute, innocent smile.
My heart panged with recognition. That this little girl was falling in love with me, too. And I wanted her to. I wanted to be a part of this family. To form this new bond.
As soon as Isaac had told me that he was going to move to New York to be with me, I’d known that this was real. That my feelings about coming back to the city were more than just melancholy about a missed opportunity. And I wanted it as much as he did. I couldn’t pretend like I was happy in New York, even doing what I loved. And I knew that, long-term, I couldn’t dance forever. Another year with my knee in the condition it was in…and I had no idea what might happen.
At least, now, I had a plan. And I got to have the best of both worlds.
“This way,” I said, tugging them down the next block.
Aly’s gasp when we reached the enormous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Plaza was worth everything.
“This is the biggest tree I’ve ever seen,” Aly whispered, wide-eyed. Then, she whirled on Isaac. “Can I have one this big for my room next year?”
Isaac burst into laughter. “I don’t think that’s going to fit in your room, Aly Cat.”
She sighed with a little pout. “But it’s beautiful.”
“It is,” I agreed. “It’s the biggest tree in the city.”
“Let’s get a picture,” Isaac said, pulling out his phone.
He snapped a few of Aly alone with the tree, and then I took the phone from him to grab some of them together. Then, a woman tapped me on the shoulder.
“Would you like me to take one of your whole family together?” an older woman asked.
I blanked for just a second as I realized she thought Aly was mine. But then I decided that it didn’t matter. Aly was mine. Or at least, she would be. That was the direction we were headed. And I adored her, just like I adored her father.
“Yes, please. That would be wonderful.”
I passed the phone to the woman and then went to stand with Isaac and Aly. Isaac put his arm around me, and Aly stood between us, beaming.
“You have a beautiful family,” the woman said as she passed the phone back.
I looked down at the picture. Family. She was right. We were beautiful. More than that, it wasn’t just a dream anymore. This could be reality.
“I love it,” Isaac said. “We’ll have to print it out.”
I nodded. “I’d like that.”
He pressed a kiss to my lips just as my phone started ringing.
“You get that. I’ll show Aly the ice skating rink.”
“I’ll meet you over there,” I assured him as I dug my own phone out. He was already being dragged toward the rink by Aly when I saw that Kathy was calling. “Kathy, hi!”
“Peyton, I’m so glad you answered.”
“Me too. It’s so good to hear from you. How is Lily?”