“I didn’t get you anything,” she worried aloud as David crawled onto his daddy’s lap and sat between them. Olivia scooted closer, her crown still on her head but tilted sideways.
“Yes, you did,” he said, looking down at his children. “Yes, you did.”
It was clear that the rest of the family understood the moment that Adam was having with his children because there was a hush in the air, the only sound was the quiet radio in the background playing “Let it Snow.” Carrie hadn’t even noticed it was playing until that moment. She remembered thinking how all their struggles were like those snowflakes, and piled up, they were too much to move. She may still feel that way at times, but what she didn’t realize until right now was that just like those snowflakes, it takes all the bumps along the road to really show off the beauty of the end product.
Watching Adam as he talked quietly with his children, their hands on his arm, their faces so close to his, she saw that beauty. Whenever she’d been able to help children overcome their issues, she’d always felt pride, but today, she felt different emotions. She felt a slight relief, but she also worried. This was more than something to correct; this had been heavy on her heart, and seeing him with his children, watching the way they reacted to him, she hoped she’d had enough time to make it stick. She was hopeful that she had.
“Why don’t we see what Santa has brought you two,” Joyce said. “I’ll make us some more coffee and some cinnamon rolls for anyone who didn’t get enough to eat.”
“What did Santa bring?” Olivia said, bouncing over to Joyce and grabbing her hands.
“Let me get my camera, and we’ll show you.”
“Where is it?” Olivia asked. She used Joyce’s hands as if Joyce were leading her in a dance, pulling her out and in. Olivia let one hand go and did a spin.
The kids were ecstatic when they saw the jungle gym in the playroom. Carrie was especially pleased when Olivia grabbed Sharon and took her over to the playhouse area, explaining all the things she could do with her dolls. She knew what it meant to Sharon to have the children seek her out. She worried for Adam’s sister because she, herself, understood what she was missing. David nervously climbed the ladder to the slide but laughed as he slid down it. The play set was bright, oversized, and it didn’t fit in the slightest with the décor, but it was a perfect addition to the playroom.
She was struck again by how so much had changed since she’d arrived. The playroom certainly looked different. Now, it was a place for exploration, for fun, for laughter. Adam was leaning on the side of the slide, talking to David, smiling at his son as he slid down the slide. Olivia and Sharon were giggling about something—she didn’t know, but it didn’t matter, they were happy. But the playroom was only the start. Adam had made time for his family, and they were all together on Christmas.
She’d hoped for all of that, but something else had changed as well. Something she hadn’t planned on at all. She’d seen a change in herself. She wasn’t unsure of herself personally anymore. She felt confident making her own decisions without looking for the answers in one of her books. She wasn’t intimidated by success. She knew what she wanted in life, she knew that she was strong enough to get it, and she felt like she could stand on her own two feet. Suddenly, right there in that moment, she realized that she had a lot of her own living to do, and the sky was the limit. Seeing this family figure out their roles with each other made her want to figure herself out. She needed time to decide what she really wanted to do with her life.
It was late. The children had been put to bed and the whole family was asleep. Adam was in the kitchen, looking out the window. The skies had cleared, and a giant moon in the sky cast a white light on the snow outside. It made the cream color of his sweater look almost yellow against its bright white. She noticed that the peppermint candle she’d bought when she’d first arrived was burning on the island, and she didn’t remember anyone lighting it. Had Adam done it? When she got closer, he turned around.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
“Do you like that candle?” she asked.
He smiled. “I know you like it.” When he said that, their unspoken language was all over his face, and she felt the prickle of excitement on her skin. He walked around the table to meet her. “I was wondering,” he looked down at her, “what you had planned for after New Year’s.”
“I haven’t ironed out my plans yet,” she said.
He cleared his throat. “How about a drink?” he said abruptly. “We should have a beer.” She nodded, but he’d already started getting the bottles out of the fridge.