Chapter 24
The snow fell in soft, swirling flakes as the voices of the crowd rose in excited hums. The Christmas tree stood tall in the clearing, its dark branches dusted with snow, waiting for the countdown that would bring it to life.
I lingered at the edge of the clearing, watching as families pressed closer to the huge tree, their laughter and chatter filling the crisp night air. The lights strung along the edge of the tree twinkled faintly, unlit for now but full of promise.
I should have felt caught up in the moment, but my chest was tight with nerves. Graham was somewhere in this crowd. He was leaving in the morning.
I needed to find him. I needed to tell him.
Before I could move, warm hands settled lightly on my waist from behind.
I froze, the warmth cutting through the cold. Turning, I found myself face-to-face with Graham.
He was still in his Santa suit, though the beard and hat were gone. Snowflakes clung to the red velvet of his jacket and dusted the dark waves of his hair. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, and his smile was soft, like he had been searching for me all night.
“You’re still in costume,” I said, my voice coming out quieter than I intended.
“Figured I’d see it through to the end,” he replied, stepping closer. His hands stayed on my waist, grounding me.
I let out a shaky laugh, the tension in my chest loosening just enough to let me breathe. “You startled me.”
“Sorry,” he said, though his grin didn’t fade. “I was looking for you.”
“I had to find you, too,” I said, my heart fluttering at the way his eyes softened. "I have to tell you something."
“Well, you found me,” he murmured. “What do you need to tell me?”
The words caught in my throat, but I forced them out. “I applied to art school. The Toronto School of Art. I sent the application this morning.”
For a moment, the world around us seemed to fade.
Then his face lit up, his grin breaking wide and unrestrained. “You did it?”
I nodded, tears stinging my eyes as I tried to match his smile.
“That’s amazing,” he said, his voice filled with pride. His hands tightened slightly before he pulled me into a hug, wrapping me in warmth. “Isla, I’m so proud of you.”
I let out a shaky laugh, my cheek pressing against the soft velvet of his coat. “I don't think I would have done it without you nagging me." I joked.
He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, shaking his head. “Well, I'm glad I did. You always had it in you. I just reminded you.”
The lump in my throat grew, but before I could speak, he gave me a small, almost sheepish smile. “Can I tell you something now?”
I blinked at him, surprised. “Of course.”
He hesitated for a moment, then ran a hand through his hair, snowflakes scattering. “I got offered a hockey scholarship. The Toronto Varsity Blues.”
My breath caught, the words hitting me all at once. “Toronto?”
He nodded, his grin widening as the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Yeah. If I take it, I’ll be there in the fall.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare at him, the realization settling over me like a warm wave. Toronto. The same city.
“Wow,” I finally said, my voice a little shaky. “That’s... incredible.”
His eyes searched mine, his smile softening. “So... maybe we should go out sometime?”
I blinked, my stomach flipping. “Like, on a date?”
His grin turned playful. “Yeah, you know. A thing where we hang out and I try to impress you, and you pretend you’re not impressed even though you are.”
I laughed, the sound bubbling out of me before I could stop it. “Confident much?”
“Maybe,” he said, shrugging, his eyes sparkling in the glow of the lights. “But I’d like to give it a shot.”
The crowd’s cheers grew louder as the voices around us started to count down.
“Ten! Nine!”
Graham’s hands slid from my waist to take mine, his touch steady as he pulled me closer.
“Eight! Seven!”
His dark eyes held mine, and the noise around us seemed to dim. The snow swirled between us, catching in the faint light from the tree.
“Six! Five!”
His fingers brushed my chin, tilting my face up slightly.
“You’ve got snow in your hair,” he said, his voice low and teasing.
“Four! Three!”
I laughed again, shaking my head. “Thanks, Santa.”
“Two! One!”
Before I could say anything else, he leaned in and kissed me.
The world tilted as his lips met mine, warm and steady and full of everything we hadn’t said. The tree burst into light, glowing with strings of red, green, blue, and gold.
The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices echoing over the clearing as the first fireworks shot into the sky.
When we pulled apart, his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm against my cheeks as we both laughed softly.
“Merry Christmas, Isla,” he said, his voice low and filled with something that made my chest feel light.
“Merry Christmas, Graham,” I whispered back, unable to stop smiling.
The fireworks exploded across the harbor, their shimmering bursts reflecting on the dark water below. But all I could see was him, and all I could feel was the quiet magic of this Christmas, full of hope and beginnings.
Merry Christmas Everyone, I hope you enjoyed the holiday reading advent. Wishing you all the merriest of Christmases and a very happy 2025! - Dawn
I lingered at the edge of the clearing, watching as families pressed closer to the huge tree, their laughter and chatter filling the crisp night air. The lights strung along the edge of the tree twinkled faintly, unlit for now but full of promise.
I should have felt caught up in the moment, but my chest was tight with nerves. Graham was somewhere in this crowd. He was leaving in the morning.
I needed to find him. I needed to tell him.
Before I could move, warm hands settled lightly on my waist from behind.
I froze, the warmth cutting through the cold. Turning, I found myself face-to-face with Graham.
He was still in his Santa suit, though the beard and hat were gone. Snowflakes clung to the red velvet of his jacket and dusted the dark waves of his hair. His cheeks were flushed from the cold, and his smile was soft, like he had been searching for me all night.
“You’re still in costume,” I said, my voice coming out quieter than I intended.
“Figured I’d see it through to the end,” he replied, stepping closer. His hands stayed on my waist, grounding me.
I let out a shaky laugh, the tension in my chest loosening just enough to let me breathe. “You startled me.”
“Sorry,” he said, though his grin didn’t fade. “I was looking for you.”
“I had to find you, too,” I said, my heart fluttering at the way his eyes softened. "I have to tell you something."
“Well, you found me,” he murmured. “What do you need to tell me?”
The words caught in my throat, but I forced them out. “I applied to art school. The Toronto School of Art. I sent the application this morning.”
For a moment, the world around us seemed to fade.
Then his face lit up, his grin breaking wide and unrestrained. “You did it?”
I nodded, tears stinging my eyes as I tried to match his smile.
“That’s amazing,” he said, his voice filled with pride. His hands tightened slightly before he pulled me into a hug, wrapping me in warmth. “Isla, I’m so proud of you.”
I let out a shaky laugh, my cheek pressing against the soft velvet of his coat. “I don't think I would have done it without you nagging me." I joked.
He pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, shaking his head. “Well, I'm glad I did. You always had it in you. I just reminded you.”
The lump in my throat grew, but before I could speak, he gave me a small, almost sheepish smile. “Can I tell you something now?”
I blinked at him, surprised. “Of course.”
He hesitated for a moment, then ran a hand through his hair, snowflakes scattering. “I got offered a hockey scholarship. The Toronto Varsity Blues.”
My breath caught, the words hitting me all at once. “Toronto?”
He nodded, his grin widening as the corners of his eyes crinkled. “Yeah. If I take it, I’ll be there in the fall.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare at him, the realization settling over me like a warm wave. Toronto. The same city.
“Wow,” I finally said, my voice a little shaky. “That’s... incredible.”
His eyes searched mine, his smile softening. “So... maybe we should go out sometime?”
I blinked, my stomach flipping. “Like, on a date?”
His grin turned playful. “Yeah, you know. A thing where we hang out and I try to impress you, and you pretend you’re not impressed even though you are.”
I laughed, the sound bubbling out of me before I could stop it. “Confident much?”
“Maybe,” he said, shrugging, his eyes sparkling in the glow of the lights. “But I’d like to give it a shot.”
The crowd’s cheers grew louder as the voices around us started to count down.
“Ten! Nine!”
Graham’s hands slid from my waist to take mine, his touch steady as he pulled me closer.
“Eight! Seven!”
His dark eyes held mine, and the noise around us seemed to dim. The snow swirled between us, catching in the faint light from the tree.
“Six! Five!”
His fingers brushed my chin, tilting my face up slightly.
“You’ve got snow in your hair,” he said, his voice low and teasing.
“Four! Three!”
I laughed again, shaking my head. “Thanks, Santa.”
“Two! One!”
Before I could say anything else, he leaned in and kissed me.
The world tilted as his lips met mine, warm and steady and full of everything we hadn’t said. The tree burst into light, glowing with strings of red, green, blue, and gold.
The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices echoing over the clearing as the first fireworks shot into the sky.
When we pulled apart, his forehead rested against mine, his breath warm against my cheeks as we both laughed softly.
“Merry Christmas, Isla,” he said, his voice low and filled with something that made my chest feel light.
“Merry Christmas, Graham,” I whispered back, unable to stop smiling.
The fireworks exploded across the harbor, their shimmering bursts reflecting on the dark water below. But all I could see was him, and all I could feel was the quiet magic of this Christmas, full of hope and beginnings.
Merry Christmas Everyone, I hope you enjoyed the holiday reading advent. Wishing you all the merriest of Christmases and a very happy 2025! - Dawn
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