Chapter 27

27

Tahlia groaned as she slipped under the comforter. She hadn’t been off her feet all day and it was so, so good to lay back on soft pillows and burrow under thick blankets.

“It took two hours to lay out all those presents,” Matt, already in bed, remarked, “and it’s going to take them all of two minutes to rip them apart.”

“Mhm.” Tahlia snuggled close to him - he adjusted, draping his arm around her shoulders - and placed a light kiss to his cheek. “And it’s all worth it to see their happy faces.”

Matt picked up her left hand and kissed the white-gold band that now adorned her ring finger. “Hopefully you’ll have a happy face tomorrow, too.”

“You didn’t go overboard, did you?” Tahlia gave him a stern look. “You promised…”

“I didn’t, I didn’t,” he assured her. When she lifted a brow, he shrugged. “Not by much.”

“I hope it’s not a trip somewhere,” Tahlia said. “We just got back. I had a lovely honeymoon and I want to savor it for awhile.”

Matt’s smile was soft and loving. “It was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Loads.” Tahlia agreed and kissed his nose. She settled down at his side and rested her head against his shoulder. It was snowing outside, and except for the ticking of the cuckoo clock they’d brought with them, all was silent, and Tahlia’s mind drifted to how much had happened in the last couple of years.

She and Matt had taken thing slow at first. It was important for both of them that the twins adjusted well to the new dynamic. Tahlia moved back into her own place and assumed her new job at Bowen Engineering. Thankfully, the company was headquartered in Marsden, which meant travel wasn’t an issue.

She loved it. She loved that she was making a difference in her work. She loved that Matt was understanding and supportive. She loved that most days, despite having her own place, she returned to the Nelson house at the end of the day and got to see the people she loved most. Matt had reduced his work load, too, delegating more responsibility to the rest of the board so he could be at home more often. The change had done wonders for his and the kids’ relationship. Matt never missed anything and they adored him all the more for it.

Despite the concerns, Tahlia’s transition into the family as Matt’s girlfriend was seamless. The twins were ecstatic that Tahlia was with their daddy, even more so (which Tahlia thought couldn’t be possible) when she and Matt came to them with the news they were getting married a year later.

After another year of planning - which included Tahlia officially moving into the Marsden house - they held the wedding in early November. Of course Maddy and Kaiden participated. Maddy was Tahlia’s maid of honor, and Kaiden was Matt’s best man. It was small, with only close friends (Violet was Tahlia’s maid of honor, of course) and family because neither Matt nor Tahlia wanted a big party.

What they did want was a honeymoon. Specifically, the lake country.

The joy on Matt’s face when they drove past rolling green hills and saw the first lake was totally worth it.

They brought a couple of cuckoo clocks home for their friends.

When the holiday season rolled around, Tahlia and Matt had considered staying in Marsden for their first Christmas as a married couple, but in the end tradition won out. Just as they had the year before, and the one before that, the Nelson family traveled to the mountain.

Two years ago, she cried herself to sleep.

One year ago, she stayed up all night talking about the future with her fiancé.

Now, Tahlia listened to the near-silent snowfall in the arms of her husband .

She smiled and curled into his chest, which was sadly hidden by a black t-shirt. Quite the contrast to her red and green striped flannel pajamas.

“Is it Christmas yet?” she asked softly. Matt shifted the arm he had around her shoulders just enough to check his wristwatch.

“Two minutes.” He resumed his position, much to Tahlia’s relief. “Do you think they’ll like the new snowboards?”

“They’ll love them,” Tahlia assured him, patting him on the chest. “They’re perfect.”

She yawned and Matt tightened his arm around her, holding her snugly. For a little while, Tahlia dozed. Instead of sugar plums, images of the future and how wonderful it was going to be danced in her head.

“Sweetheart.” Matt jostled her gently and Tahlia stirred, but she didn’t open her eyes. “It’s midnight.”

Even though she was half-asleep, Tahlia managed to tilt her head back and give Matt a tired smile.

“Merry Christmas, Matt.”

He grinned back. “Merry Christmas, Tahlia.”