Someday The Waves ✔ *Wattys15 Winner*

Epilogue

Lucky I'm in love with my best friend,

Lucky to be coming home someday.

. . .

December Twenty Fourth

The whispers woke me before my alarm did. Soft yet urgent, I held the pillow over my head and willed my eyes to shut again until they grew louder.

"Scarlett."

I felt a tug at my feet, and the covers come off.

"Scarlett, wake up!" It was Poppy, her voice low and hushed but serious.

When I took away the pillow, the sunlight blinding my eyes, I saw her kneeling down by my bedside, cheeks rosy and pupils wide.

"What?" I mumbled, dryness crushing my throat.

Getting to her knees, she gestured towards the door, waving her hand about.

"You need to get up."

"Not today." Even with sleep still set in my bones I felt last nights disappointment wash over me. The ache in my chest reminded me of it all the more as I tossed back over so I didn't have to deal with anything or anyone.

"Yes, you do. It's a bloody Christmas Miracle!" There was something off about Poppy, as her eyes willed me to rise to my feet, even fetching my dressing gown for me.

I shook my head. "No such thing."

"Come see for yourself."

Something in her voice told me this wasn't some joke or that I wasn't still dreaming. And so I took the gown and wrapped it tight around my waist, and followed Poppy out into the hallway, shielding my eyes from the bright light and dodging the hanging decorations and shiny tinsel that hung over the doorframes and around the small pine tree, sat in the corner of the lounge.

"You know I'm too old to believe in Santa Claus Poppy." I groaned as she pointed towards the front door. "You know it's too early for any festivities."

Pushing me forwards, she twisted the handle and forced me out into the morning light. "Stop being a bar humbug and get out there.

As I saw the black metal frame, and it's wheels down on the edge of the lawn, I told myself to never doubt her ever again. Because Poppy had been right, just like she had said.

Before me like a miracle, his back against the rising sun, looking angelic and wonderful, light hair messy underneath a dark beanie hat, stood Noah.

"Merry Christmas Scar."

No words could form, as I ran across the lawn barefooted, to reach out and hug him. To feel his body against mine, to know it wasn't all just a dream.

"Missed you." he smiled, as our lips met and remembered. Feeling like they did that very first time. All the while butterflies of joy danced in my stomach as I pressed it closer to him and held on.

"This can't be real." I frowned, letting go to pinch the back of my elbow.

Laughing, Noah pulled my hand away from it and said. "What are you doing that for?"

"Checking if this is real life."

"It is."

How I'd missed that smile of his.

"How... how is this possible? That you're here?" I tried to say, as so many emotions caught in my throat. Hands still trembling, knees weak at the surprise and shock of seeing him before my eyes.

"Long story. Even longer journey." Noah grinned, still brushing his cheek against my neck.

"But how..." I asked again looking down at the bicycle next to him. "You didn't come all the way on that did you?"

"Might as well have, but no, not quite. You know that all the flights got completely screwed and so mine was the last flight but they cancelled it and I was stuck there, trying to find a way to make it back." he started to explain, as my eyes held onto his. "Well I waited, argued with some of the check in staff, had way too much coffee to keep from falling asleep, and then I got chatting to this guy whose flight back home was also cancelled. He didn't have enough money to hire out a car, turns out he was trying to get back to Santa Maria. So we got one of the last rental cars available and we split the cost of it and gas. Then I called Gabe from a payphone as my battery completely went bust and he picked me up once we got back there."

"Wow."

"Like I said, long journey but I'm here." Noah sighed, still smiling and still caressing my neck, in only the way he could.

"I thought you'd never make it back." I said in between kissing his mouth. "Although I should have known you'd figure something out."

"Better still I even managed to get your present on the way, when we made a pit stop." he laughed, reaching into his jacket. "For you."

Holding out a pair of small festive felt covered reindeer antlers, he placed the band over my ears and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Where's yours?" I teased.

Playfully spinning me round by his hand, my feet sliding on the wet grass he sheepishly chuckled. "They ran out."

"Oh did they?"

"Not of this though. Luckily" Noah replied as he pulled something else from inside his jacket pocket. Raising the small sprig of mistletoe, the ends tied in a bright red velvet ribbon up above our heads, he inched closer and told me to close my eyes.

And then he kissed me, as soft as a feather and as light as the winter breeze. Our lips pursuing each other's, and everything and nothing mattered, all at the same time.

Knowing how lucky we were to be back together. Just to be held and to feel the warmth that had been so absent for so long.

Breathless, I whispered. "So what happens now?"

Locking his fingertips into mine, he sweetly laughed. "Anything you want. We can go take a walk on the beach or go back to bed. Maybe go and join in the chaos at The Allen's as the kids tear apart their presents. We could pull open some crackers, wear tiny silly paper hats and fall asleep by the fire."

"Sounds wonderful."

"Or, we could go for a ride. You know for old times sake." he finished, winking over at the still garishly pink, sparkly bike locked up by the garage that had started all of this.

"For old times sake of course. Although really I should change first, can't really explore wearing this old thing." I joked.

"Of course you can, we've got to seize the moment Scar."

"Before it all get's washed away right?"

"Someday, just not today. This one's ours. Everything else can wait."

Still wrapped up in each other, still feeling like I was floating on a glorious wave, I held his beautiful face in my hands and told him how lucky I was to have him here, and how much I'd truly missed him.

Planting light feather kisses once more along my eyelids, he whispered.

"Ditto."

. . .

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