“Christmas, Forever And Ever”

His nose pressed against the window panes like a little boy as he watched every snowflake he could fall to the ground

Ric turned his attention to her at the sound of her laughter as it seeped through the smile on her face

She sat on the floor with her little girl in his Harvard Law t-shirt. A t-shirt she swore out of loyalty to her own Alma matter she would never be caught dead in

It made him smile

She looked up at him in time to catch him

Her smile back at him was just as the snowflakes that covered the ground outside

A different smile for everything…

It was the most beautiful thing about her

But it seemed so few knew that about her

“What?”

“I like that shirt on you”

Alexis gave him a sly grin

“I got it from some guy…” She looked as if she were puzzled “I can’t remember his name…”

“Oh yeah?” Ric said amused as he sat down beside she and Kristina

“Baby!” Kristina said handing Ric her doll

“This is your new baby? What’s her name?”

“E-mill-e” Kristina blurted an unidentifiable name to Ric

Ric looked at Kristina wide eyed as if he understood and then to Alexis

“I think she’s named her Emily… That’s the one Emily and Nicolas gave her so I think she associates her baby as Emily”

“Oh ok… Is this Emily?”

Kristina pointed at her doll

“We made it through our first Christmas” Alexis said as she watched the two of them

“And I only look forward to the next one, and the next one, and the next one with you”

Alexis grinned

“You’re absolutely charming”

“You make it easy to be”

She leaned in and kissed him tugging at his bottom lip as she pulled away

Ric looked at Kristina’s heavy eyes

“Looks like someone is sleepy and, just in time” Ric said his smile covering his face

“Let’s put her to bed”

Alexis stood up and Ric followed taking Kristina in to his arms

“Ready to go night, night?”

Kristina shook her head no but rubbed her eyes profusely with one hand as she held on to her baby in the other

By the time Alexis pulled the blanket around Kristina and they both kissed her goodnight she was sound asleep

“She was sleepy” Ric whispered

“Too much excitement for one day”

They made there way down the hallway and into their bedroom

“She asked me this afternoon where’s Santa…” Ric said his face telling how charmed he was of Kristina’s question

“I think she thought he would come back”

“Well we did hype him a lot. It is kind of disappointing that he only comes once a year”

“You sound more disappointed than her” Alexis teased

Ric climbed in to bed

“Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?”  Ric asked watching for her answer as she got in to bed beside him

“Are you kidding? I got everything I wanted and thank you for the necklace you shouldn’t have…I love it! But you shouldn’t have…” Alexis said as her fingers reached for the diamond pendant around her neck

“Yes I should have. I saw it and I thought how beautiful it would look on you. I was right”

Alexis smiled in return of his compliment and then she snuggled herself in his arms

“You know... I didn’t know exactly what to get you. I mean you and I well we, our marriage started off …”

“A little odd? A little sudden?”

Ric grinned

“I wasn’t sure what was appropriate for our first Christmas together”

“Well you’re getting nothing but ties from me from here on out”

“Hey! I just happen to be a tie man!” He said playing along “No really though, I wasn’t sure…”

“Everything was perfect” she assured him

Ric didn’t continue the conversation only basked in the feel of Alexis trailing her fingers up and down his bare chest

Suddenly Ric placed something on his chest stopping the trail she made with her touch

He could feel her breathing

Her heart pressed against his chest

She said nothing

And he waited

She picked the ring up and held it to where she could see it

Ric felt a tear hit his chest

The reaction he had hoped for

“I had gone to pick up your ring from the jewelers when I saw your necklace on display… I couldn’t resist”

Alexis sat up in bed and a grin covered Ric’s face as he saw hers

“Sorry it took me so long… I didn’t know I was so picky about wedding rings. I had to find the right one…” he continued

“It’s beautiful” was all she could say

Ric sat up in bed beside her and took her hand

“The jeweler asked me to describe you. And honestly you don’t know how many times I said ‘she would kill me for saying this’ or ‘if she only knew’ by the time I was finished… well lets just say you were adored by quite a few employees in the store. The jeweler left me and after a few minutes came back with this ring he said ‘this ring is for her.’ All I did was shake my head and agree. He was right this ring is for you”

Ric slipped the ring on Alexis’ finger

A perfect fit

“I don’t know what to say” she said still stunned

Ric let out a pleased laugh

“Just say yes”

Alexis let out a shy grin

“I think I’ve already said that”

“I know, but say yes to me knowing that the ring on your finger is because I love you, because I’m in love with you... Alexis this time say yes not because of custody battles or to prove some point but because you feel the same way. Because you want to be my wife…”

“Forever” She said finishing his sentence

Ric shook his head yes

“This ring, I guess makes it pretty official” She said biting her lip

“It’s taken me long enough, huh?”

Alexis’ palms went to his face

“Kind of too late to turn back now… I mean this ring; it means you’re stuck with me”

“I don’t think that would be so bad…”

“I have a lot of baggage I haven’t mentioned yet for fear you would run screaming out the door” Alexis said crinkling her nose

“I think I can handle the baggage… as long as you come along with it”

“You really are a great man Mr. Lansing”

“Thank you Mrs.… um Davis – Lansing”

“I like the sound of that”

“Yeah me too”

Alexis leaned in kissing him and then pulled away memorizing the effect her kiss had on him

“Yes” she said again biting at her lip

“Yes… forever? He questioned

“Forever and ever” she said kissing him again and again