Part 56 (1/2)

New Year's Eve are pretty terrific, too. ”

She wanted to believe him with her whole heart and soul.

All she needed was a little more..

”Yes, I guess they are.”

She was coming around. Nik felt himself back on solid ground. ”I promise to love you on Groundhog Day and leap year day and every other day, as well.” ! His lips feathering along her face, he kissed each lid shut and absorbed her sigh into his heart. His face grew serious.

”I won't let you walk out of my life because of something that ” might'

happen. ”

She knew he meant it. That he was willing to fight for her rather than just let her go dissolved the last of her resistance

”I can't promise you that I won't lose my temper, or be stubborn. Or that there won't be times when I get so totally wrapped up in what I'm doing that I seem to ignore you.

And we'll argue. ” He antic.i.p.ated her reaction. ” Arguing's healthy, Sara,” he soothed. ” It clears the air. For love. ”

He looked into her face and fell in love all over again.

”What I can promise you is that I will always love you, no matter what.” He laughed softly. ”h.e.l.l, I love you now and you're being as stubborn as a mule.”

She was crying again. But this time they were tears of happiness. Her mother had been unreasonable to expect that everything would always be perfect. Sara knew that things couldn't ever be perfect, but she also knew that they would be as perfect as humanly possible. With Nik. !

She smiled at him through her tears. ”I guess I can't ask for more than that.”

” Sure you can. ” He held her closer. ”

”You can ask for I me.”

” I'm asking. ”

Sara threw her arms around his neck as she kissed him. The surge within her was instantaneous. She realized with a sigh that she had finally come home.

The surge grew into a burst of joy. The kind, she suddenly remembered, that she used to experience on Christmas when her family was all around her.

For them, she thought, just before his kiss swept her away, Christmas wouldn't be every day. But just sharing every day with him would be enough.

Epilogue.

Nik walked through the arched doorway that led from his recently remodeled kitchen into the living room. He grinned as he stopped and allowed himself to drink in one of the more pleasing views of his wife.

Sara was standing on the top step of the three-tiered step stool, her posterior directly at Nik's eye level.

Standing on her toes, she was precariously leaning into their ten-foot Christmas tree, adjusting one of the numerous tiny lights that decorated it like a swarm of brightly colored fireflies.

Going with his impulse, Nik slowly slid his hands up along her hips until he grasped her waist. It occurred to him that she felt just the tiniest bit thicker here. But it didn't matter. It just meant that there was more of her to love.