Nick, stationed overseas with the military, appeared on Tiffany's screen late at night. His face was bathed in the glow of a laptop, and his eyes held a thousand unspoken words. Tiffany, an esthetician working from home, adjusted her camera angle to capture the best lighting. She had a secret—a growing life inside her, a tiny heartbeat that connected her to Nick across continents.
One snowy evening, as the world outside blurred into white, Tiffany set up her laptop on the kitchen table. The webcam framed her face, and she wore a red sweater—the color of love and Christmas. Nick's image flickered to life, and she saw the fatigue etched into his features.
"Hey," Nick said, his voice crackling through the speakers. "How's our little one doing?"
Tiffany placed her hand on her belly. "Kicking. I think they're excited for Christmas."
Nick smiled, and for a moment, the distance vanished. "I wish I could be there."
"Me too," Tiffany whispered. "But we'll make it special. Promise."
They talked about snowflakes, missed kisses, and the scent of pine. Nick described the desert heat, the camaraderie among soldiers, and the longing for home. Tiffany listened, her heart aching. She had hung mistletoe above the laptop, a silly gesture, but it made her feel closer to Nick.
"Remember our first kiss?" Nick asked, his eyes distant.
Tiffany laughed. "How could I forget? Eleven cameras captured it."
It had happened during a video call, their faces pixelated but their emotions raw. Nick had leaned in, and Tiffany's heart had raced. The screen froze for a second, capturing that stolen moment—a kiss across continents.
"Let's do it again," Nick said. "Under the mistletoe."
Tiffany blinked. "But—"
He held up a sprig of mistletoe, a real one this time. "I brought it with me. Virtual kisses aren't enough."
Tiffany's heart swelled. She stood, adjusting her camera to show the doorway. Nick did the same. Their screens aligned, and suddenly, they were together—two souls separated by miles but connected by love.
"Ready?" Nick asked.
Tiffany nodded. "Countdown?"
"Three," Nick said. "Two. One."
And then, through screens and static, they kissed. It was awkward, funny, and utterly perfect. Tiffany felt Nick's warmth, tasted the promise of home, and knew that love transcended pixels.
As the mistletoe hung above them, Nick whispered, "Next Christmas, we'll be together."
Tiffany believed him. Because in the digital age, where 11 cameras watched their every move, Nick and Tiffany had found a love that defied distance—a love that bloomed under the glow of screens and the magic of mistletoe.
