Happily Ever Christmas

~Forty-Two~

The next morning, the majority of my family were all headed back to their respective homes.

Now only the core group remained. Nana and Papa, of course, Susan, her husband, Brian, and their three kids; Dorian, Maddy, and Ryland - of course, they lived here, too - and my cousin, Lila, and even my parents were still here.

After the chaos of breakfast was over, everyone gathered in the living room to lounge around by the fire and the tree.

Steve and I were holding hands as I stood up and gained the attention of my remaining family members.

It was rare that my parents lingered, but I was grateful that they were here to be a part of this, too.

"So, everyone, heh." I looked around and swallowed nervously. "I-I have an announcement to make, and-and I know it'll sound crazy at first-"

"Oh my God, you guys are getting married already?!" My grandmother blurted out in obvious chagrin and horror.

I pursed my lips in a tight smile. "No. Not yet. But we are moving to go live with San-I mean, with Steve."

My two kids leapt off the couch where they'd been playing with their slightly older cousins. "Really? Mommy, we are, for real?!"

"Yay, we're going to live in the North Pole! Weeeooohhhooooo!" Bradley shrieked, leaping about everywhere in his wild excitement.

I chuckled nervously as my older relatives began to frown collectively in concern.

"Sweetie..." Nana said bracingly to Bradley, catching him when he went spinning by like a top. "I-I hate to be the one to break this to ya, but the North Pole isn't a real place that we humans can go."

"No! We've been there!" Bradley insisted, struggling furiously to get free.

She looked over his gingerly head at me with arched eyebrows.

"It's true, Grandma." I said, and I saw how her face instantly froze.

"It's called Winter's Glen!" Olivia came to my dubious rescue.

This only deepened my grandmother's alarm, however. "Emberly, can I speak to you, for a moment, in private?" She asked me.

I took a deep breath. "No, Grandma. I'm sorry, but I swear, this is real. We can prove it, we can take you there."

My grandma glanced from me to Steve as if asking for some line thrown; a semblance of sanity. "Mr. Coleman, surely-!"

"Mrs. Faust, I understand your natural skepticism." He glanced around the room, meeting eyes. "I understand that you're all skeptical. But please, for the sake of Emberly and myself, and most importantly, for the sake of the kids, please, just...humor us?"

"Steve..." my sister began the next volley of protests. "I know you haven't been with Emberly long, so you don't know, when my sister was a little girl-"

"Susan!" I said, aghast that she would cut so low so quick.

"Mrs. Bennett." Steve said, perfectly calm. He remembered her formal name, which startled her into silence. "Just, please, let us show you."

"Mr. Coleman, surely the game is up? You two are joking, aren't you?" Lila tried.

I looked up into Steve's eyes. "Take us there."

*~*~*~*

When next I opened my eyes I knew at once that I was back in Winter's Glen.

I slowly sat up from the red velvet settee that I had been reclined upon as if I had simply dozed off momentarily.

Children's bubbly laughter - my children's laughter - drew my gaze across the warmly red room to see Olivia and Bradley sitting upon the floor with Steve, helping him set up a magnificent train track that I saw ran the entire perimeter of the room.

The three of them seemed like they were having a good time so I didn't say anything right away, just watching them with a little smile.

It was obvious how safe they felt around Steve. I suppose you didn't get the job of being Santa Claus by being bad with kids.

Still, I don't think my kids could possibly adore him anymore than they already did.

I wasn't the only one who Steve helped feel less alone.

"Hey, Mom! Come join us! We're just about to send The-Little-Engine-That-Could on her maiden voyage!" Olivia exclaimed, noticing that I was awake.

"Yay, she's finally awake! Took you long enough, sleepy head!" Bradley cried.

Steve smiled and ruffled Bradley's ginger hair. "Adults take longer to adjust to the change." He explained, and beckoned me over to them.

With a smile, I got up to join them, sitting down cross-legged upon the beautiful cherrywood floor with them. "Where are-?"

"The rest of your family will be arriving here shortly, they're still en route." He gestured at the giant fireplace and I eyed it dubiously.

"Oh. Will they-?"

"They'll be fine. I had to send them a different route than the way us four went, so they'll be a bit disoriented at first, maybe even scared and angry, so let's all do our best to welcome them gently, yes?"

"Yes, sir!" Squeaked a chorus of voices and my kids laughed at me when I jumped.

I turned around to see that a group of elves had just entered the room.

"We brought refreshments!" Mazie said to me with a wink, setting down a heaping platter of Christmas cookies. "Welcome back, Faust family!"

Minky handed me a glass of sparkling Chardonnay and I thanked them all. I still wasn't used to their odd features and their pale green skin, but I was surprised by how happy I was to see them again.

They really were real, this hadn't all just been some long, surreal dream, we were back, in Winter's Glen!

"Welcome back, Emberly." Mazie told me with a big grin. Her golden eyes twinkled at me. "We feared you might have left us for good! 'Twas awful quiet around here when your kiddies left!"

I returned her smile and then the elves all vacated the room as swiftly and silently as they had entered.

"Alright, grab a cookie and let's get this train out of the station!" Steve suggested. "Grab me one, too!" He added. "Oatmeal raisin, please."

We shared a small smile as my kids ran off to grab cookies.

When he linked his fingers with mine to lift my hand and tenderly kiss the back of it, my heart turned to goo and we both knew he had me.

Somehow, somewhere along the way, I had fallen in love with Santa Claus.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Heehee! How do you think poor Emberly's family is gonna take the news?!

Merry Christmas Eve, everybody!

HRH