Page 31 of Just A Dash of Holiday Magic
Epilogue
GABE
The tradition of building a midnight snowman began when Nikki and I were sixteen, and she got in a fight with her parents and asked me to come over. I knew that the best thing for her was a distraction, so I grabbed what I needed and snuck over, and knocked on her bedroom window. It didn't take much for me to convince her to sneak out and build a snowman with me.
And I'm happy to say that the tradition continues to this day after almost ten years of marriage. But, only now, it's Nikki and I sneaking into our kids' rooms to wake them up and build a midnight snowman.
“Stella, honey?” I whisper to our seven-year-old.
Her eyes flutter open quickly. It's almost as if she was expecting us to surprise her tonight.
“Do you want to help mommy and me build a snowman?" I ask.
She giggles and nods her head. I lift her into my arms and meet Nikki and Russ in the hallway. He looks like he hasn’t quite woken up yet, but he will.
“What are we thinking? Boy or girl snowman?” Nikki asks Russ and Stella as we help them slip on their boots and coats.
"Boy!" Russ yells, at the same time, Stella says, "Girl."
“I think we could do both this year,” I say.
“Alright, we better get to work if we want them all ready for Santa’s visit tomorrow.”
“Do you think he will mind if we borrow some of the carrots we got for the reindeer to use for their noses?” Russ asks.
"I think leaving the carrots outside will be easy for the reindeer to find and eat, so I don't think he will mind at all."
"Good!" Stella jumps up, ready to go.
I loop my arm over Nikki’s shoulder as we both watch our children race each other out the back door and get to work in the snow.
“Do you think they will do this with their kids one day?” Nikki asks.
“I hope so, but there is one thing I know for sure,” I say.
“What’s that?”
"I know you, and I will be doing this until we are too old, and our scooters won’t get around in the snow.”
Nikki laughs. "Well, until that day, we better get out there."
I lean down and kiss her. “After you.”
