Page 26 of Wishing for Christmas
Taking a few deep breaths of the clean winter air made her thoughts slowly turn to the holidays. She thought about the plans Brent had made for this Christmas—well, for last Christmas. They would bake cookies, decorate a tree, and go to parties. They would sit by the fire with cocoa, listen to music, and exchange gifts. Clara smiled, thinking about it all, and began to feel a twinge of excitement for Christmas again—just as she had before all of this deployment nonsense.
She grasped the chains of the swing that hung on each side of her, pushed off the ground, lifted her feet, and leaned backward. She swung forward and threw back her head, her legs stretched out in front. A relaxed feeling came over her as she suddenly thought about the simplicity of being a young child—pure joy, simply magical.
Magic. That was it!
They still had Christmas. She now knew that Christmas magic was undoubtedly a real—and powerful—thing. If it could make her time travel, it could certainly make her fall in love. Just like it did for her grandparents. If all went well, she would be ready to be engagedfor realafter the holidays were over. As simple as that. Brent would never even need to know about the wish. As far as she was concerned, they would pick up right back where they left things last year, have their romantic Christmas, and move forward with the rest of their lives. It would be likethe deployment never even happened. After all, isn’t that exactly what she had wished for?
Clara put her feet back on the ground and nodded with resolve. She gazed off into the distance, taking a long look at the mountains, and noticed they seemed to curl up in a coil, just as the poet Robert Frost had noted in his famous poem about her home state, “New Hampshire”. She remembered learning the poem, written by New England’s most famous poet, right here in this school for her fifth-grade graduation. Each student had been responsible for memorizing a few lines, which they performed at the graduation ceremony. Clara could still remember hers. She couldn’t possibly sum up her thoughts any better than that. Yes, she had made a decision, and now, she could finally rest. Christmas magic would make her fall in love with Brent.
Renewed with Christmas spirit and hopeful optimism, Clara felt revitalized. She stood and brushed the snow off her jeans. She took one last look around the playground and drank her last sip of gingerbread tea. She had an extra bounce in her step as she started the walk home, this time offering a friendly wave to everyone she passed.
When she’d woke up that morning, she couldn’t bear the thought of facing Brent. Now, she couldn’t wait for him to pick her up, to go pick out a tree together. It was all she’d wanted to do from the start—spend the holidays with him. She stopped and pulled out her phone to send him a quick text message.
Hey, called in sick to work today. Want to go to the tree farm early?
He wrote back immediately.
Definitely! Pick you up in an hour?
Can’t wait!
Her heart seemed to glow with the holiday spirit and relief over finding a simple solution. Everything was going to be okay—thanks to Christmas magic.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BRENT
The Cranberry Pines Christmas Tree Farm was more charming than Brent could have imagined. He stepped out of his truck and clasped his hands behind his back. Fresh evergreens dotted the white blanket, glistening under the morning sun. He breathed in the scent of fresh balsam fir and felt his muscles loosen. The snow was completely untouched throughout the scenic acres of winter’s impressive display.
He’d been thrilled to get Clara’s text, and he couldn’t imagine a better time to be there than a perfect winter morning. It looked like they had the place to themselves, along with the first pick of the day from the wide selection of trees. The only sounds were the soft whistle of a light wind and a tractor off in the distance.
Brent beamed, enjoying the results of all that waiting finally coming to fruition. It was the first item on his checklist to celebrate their Christmas together. He had dreamed about this moment for twelve months. The air was crisp. The sky was clear. The fresh snow shimmered. It would be the perfect date. Aside from the fact that it had been delayed a year, everything was going according to his plan. Better than his plan.
Brent held his breath, more nervous than he’d realized. He jogged over to Clara’s side of the truck to open her door forher. She seemed to remember that he liked doing that instead of hopping out like she had when they’d first started dating. He knew some would say it was an outdated practice. Still, he loved that she seemed to appreciate the chivalry behind the gesture.
He had no idea what to expect from her mood today. Had she adjusted yet? He’d spent the entire drive to her house stewing over how this date would go. He crossed his fingers that she’d be more comfortable around him today. Now that she’d had the night to herself to process the proposal, Brent was hopeful they could get back to normal—whatever normal was for them.
It almost felt as if he was on a first date again—back when he never knew what to expect from a woman. He supposed itwassort of like a first date again. He couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that it seemed like they were starting all over.
He thought back to their actual first date in the lounge of the Darlington Hotel. He’d struggled a bit with the small talk initially, as he often did when he was nervous. Still, there was a gentleness behind Clara’s eyes that had made him grow comfortable with her very quickly. That date turned into one of the easiest conversations of his life.
Remembering this now caused his shoulders to lighten. Brent knew he needed to get over this insecurity about her awkward reaction to the proposal. Besides, Will was right. It would be unreasonable to expect a seamless transition, wouldn’t it? He just needed to be patient while she got used to being around him again.
With his favorite handsaw tucked under one arm, Brent offered his other hand to Clara as she stepped out of the truck. She placed her hand into his, and he instantly regretted the bulky gloves he’d worn. After not getting to touch her for a year, he wasn’t going to waste an opportunity to have the feel of her skin on his. He pulled his hand back to slip off his gloves. Hestuck them in his coat pocket, then held out his hand again. She looked up at him. Her soft palm molded perfectly into his. He gave it a squeeze before intertwining their fingers together. A slow smile spread across her face as her familiar blue eyes held his gaze. Brent felt his heart skip a beat. He brushed her cheek with his thumb. Maybe he had been worrying too much. Thiswasstill Clara, the girl he had become so close to, not some random first date.
They walked into the farm together, holding hands. The entrance was flanked by two fully decorated trees and connected by an archway of lighted greenery. Clara pulled out her phone to take a selfie of the two of them. He smiled for the camera, his arm around her. With her puffy white coat and matching knit hat with a pom-pom on top, Clara looked like a perfect snowflake, pretty and unique. She suddenly leaned in closer and surprised him with a kiss on the cheek for a picture-perfect moment. He laughed. Yes, everything was looking better this morning. None of the brutal awkwardness from the day before seemed to linger between them. She already seemed more comfortable and more enthusiastic today. Simply an adjustment, he reminded himself again.
Brent took some time to appreciate the moment. He was struck with a sudden sense of tranquility, and it seemed to him that she felt it too. He watched her as she took in the snowy solitude with a peaceful smile on her face. It felt as if they were the only two people on Earth, alone in a vast wilderness of beauty—a paradise. If only their relationship could have remained in such an unspoiled state without the complications of a deployment imposed on it so early on.
Clara’s eye landed on his, and she smiled, realizing he’d been watching her. He gently took her chin into his hand and gazed upon her face. He leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.His entire body shivered. He pulled back to gauge her reaction. She smiled up at him.
Brent pulled her in again, and she stepped up onto her toes. Her mouth landed on his, and their bodies pressed against each other. The kiss deepened. A soft wind blew; her hair smelled of cinnamon. He closed his eyes and slowly breathed it in. A year of longing was worth all of it for this one moment.
She pulled back, her hands still cupped around his head. “I’m so excited for Christmas,” she said. “I can already feel the magic in the air.”
He let his head fall backward, his eyes looking to the sky as he tried to catch his breath. “I’ll say.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close as he led her farther into the farm.
As he strolled with Clara through the scenic rows of trees, he forgot any feelings of distance between them. Everything felt right again. It was like last year, back when any time they’d been together felt blissful.
