Frostbite

Nodding, I don’t hesitate as I answer. “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Cradling my face, he kisses me softly. “You’ve made me happier than I deserve, Rae.”

“You deserve every happiness life can offer. I hope I’ll always be a part of that.”

“Always,” he says before another kiss. “I have a gift for you.”

“I told you I don’t want the painting back.” I sigh. “We’ve talked about this, Calder. The painting is yours now.”

“It’s our painting,” he corrects me.

“Our painting,” I repeat.

“This is something else.”

Calder has already given me so much. He listened when I complained about Eleni never answering my calls until she did. He sat next to me as I told her how devastating it was when she stole my painting. She sold it without my permission, and her only excuse was that she was drowning in debt at the time and needed a quick fix. She wired me the money since that call and sent a note wishing me well as if our past could be erased with scented stationery and a heart drawn in red ink in place of her signature.

Calder has also helped me understand the value of my work. The appraisals of my paintings were higher than either of us imagined they would be. Within a week, I had signed a contract to feature them at one gallery. The following week, another in Tribeca wanted to place four on display for sale.

“It’s under the tree.” He points at a box covered in gold wrapping paper. It’s partially hidden beneath a tree branch.

I bend down to pick it up. It’s heavier than I thought it would be so I push it at Calder. “Hold it while I open it.”

“That would be my pleasure.”

I stop and admire the way the light is framing his face. As gorgeous as he is on the outside, it’s what’s beneath the surface that makes me love him.

I pull the top of the box off and toss it on the floor.

Calder smiles. “I hope you like what’s inside.”

“It’s coming from you, so it’s perfect.”

I look into the box. Pushing the gold tissue paper aside, I tilt my head to get a better look.

“I made it for you,” Calder whispers. “For us and for the family we’ll have one day.”

I scoop both hands into the box and pull out a sculpture. It’s breathtaking. I hold it in front of me, marveling at the beauty of it.

“It’s an angel for the top of our tree.” Calder takes it from me. “Do you see it, Rae? That’s her face and her wings. Her halo is on top.”

I stare at it, taking in each curve of the metal and every edge that’s bent just enough so the light bounces off of it, giving it dimension.

Calder drags a chair from the corner, stands on it, and positions our angel at the top of our tree. When he jumps down, he nods his head, satisfied.

Curling his strong arms around me, he holds me next to him. “This is just the beginning of our life together. I’m going to ask you to marry me the day before Valentine’s Day.”

I smile. “Why the day before?”

“I’m different like that,” he quips.

“I’ll say yes.”

He kisses me tenderly. “Every year we’ll add something new to our tree. And when we have kids, we’ll keep adding until one day we explain to them that during a snowstorm, fate brought us to each other, and it kept us together until the end of time.”

“Every Christmas will be better than the last, Calder.”

“It will.” He looks into my eyes. “I promise you that, my love.”