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The early morning snow flurries turned into quite a squall just as he crossed over the Key Bridge into Arlington. The fluffy white stuff began piling up on the parked cars and grassy areas rather quickly. He hoped the roads wouldn't get too slick before he made it to Amanda's home.

He missed his wife and couldn't wait to spend time with her. He'd done a favor for Billy that had taken him out of town for a few days. Between holiday travelers and bad weather, he’d encountered nothing but delay after delay at the airport, and after fifteen hours and three different flights, he finally made it home very late last night--early this morning to be precise. Amanda had waited for him at his apartment, but he’d done nothing more than give her a kiss and send her on her way.

Temptation to speed warred with his common sense, but he needed to slow down if he wanted to get there in one piece. He downshifted and slowed the car to a safer speed, humming along with the radio as he drove.

Gently, he patted the Christmas stocking Amanda had left for him. He wanted to open it with her and not all by himself, so he'd tossed it on top of the bag of presents he'd bought for his family.

Snow crunched under the Vette’s wheels as he pulled alongside the curb in front of the white Cape Cod. If the snow kept up, he, Phillip, and Jamie would need to shovel his car out. Better yet, maybe he'd be snowed in and forced to spend the night.

So what if it would be on the couch and not in Amanda's bed. At least, he'd wake up in the same house as his family. Looking up at the sky, he whispered, "Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow."

He grabbed the shopping bags containing his gifts from the car and struggled through the mounting snow to the front door. After ringing the doorbell, he slipped his hand in his pants pocket to keep it warm.

The door opened, and his youngest stepson stood on the threshold.

"Hi, Lee. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Jamie." He shook Jamie's hand and stepped inside.

"Merry Christmas, Lee." Phillip greeted, as he came down the stairs. “You're just in time for Mom's famous Christmas waffles."

"Merry Christmas, chief." Lee shook Phillip's hand, and then gave him the shopping bags. "Take care of these for me, will you? Oh, wait, not this." He plucked the Christmas stocking off the pile and tucked it under his arm.

"Sure thing."

Lee watched as both boys unloaded the bags, examined each box, and placed the presents under the tree in the family room. He hung his coat in the hall closet and headed to the kitchen to find his wife.

He found her standing by the counter, a large mixing bowl tucked under her arm, vigorously whipping the waffle batter.

Her mother was nowhere in sight, so he crossed to her, took the bowl and spatula from her and set them on the counter, along with his Christmas stocking. Then he wrapped her in his arms and kissed her the way he’d wanted to last night.

He sank deeper into the kiss, losing himself in her. Passion flowed, and he pulled her closer. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a little voice told him to stop, before he got too carried away and the evidence of his desire for her made itself known to the entire household.

Needing just a bit more to tide him over, he slid his tongue into her mouth and explored for a moment. He backed away, trying to catch his breath. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, letting him know she was just as caught up in the emotions as he.

Movement caught his eye, and he spotted his mother-in-law fixing the waffles and the boys sitting at the breakfast table, making choking and gagging noises at them.

"Okay, fellas, knock it off," Lee teased. "I can't help that your mother is beautiful, and I missed her very much. I missed all of you."

"Well, just don't kiss me," Phillip teased back.

"Who would want to kiss you, dorkbreath?" Jamie joined in.

Before the name calling could begin in earnest, Dotty walked over to the table, carrying a plate piled high with crisp waffles. "Merry Christmas, Lee." She kissed his cheek. "Would you care for some breakfast? After all, it is the most important meal of the day."

They played this scene every morning, while he waited for Amanda to get ready for work. Normally, he declined the offer, but he was starved. The last thing he'd eaten was some stale bagel in an airport terminal. He wasn't even sure which one. He'd been in so many trying to make it home. "Merry Christmas, Dotty. Those waffles smell so delicious, how could I resist? Thank you."

They all sat around the table, enjoying the sweet breakfast treat. He was peppered with questions about his trip, and he answered as truthfully as he could. When he couldn't, he deftly changed the subject. The waffles were scrumptious, and he ate until he couldn't move, stuffing down his fourth waffle.

Once the meal was consumed, the dishes loaded in the dishwasher, and the kitchen put back in order, the entire family adjourned to the living room to open presents. Amanda turned on the stereo, and the soft strains of “I'll Be Home for Christmas” filled the air.

Phillip, in his excitement, practically dove under the tree. The spruce shook, rattling the ornaments for a moment before settling down.

One by one, the gifts were handed out. First, Dotty opened his gift, gently tearing the paper one corner at a time, then slowly removing the center piece of tape, before folding it neatly and finally opening the box. Now he knew where Amanda's torturous habit of opening gifts came from.

Dotty's gasp brought his attention back to the gift opening. She gushed over the cashmere sweater he'd bought for her. He smiled, glad she was happy with his gift.

Amanda slowly opened the next gift. He had to fight the urge to just rip the paper off her box. He hoped the boys didn't share this habit, or they'd be opening gifts until the New Year.

Finally, she had the paper off. A grin split his face as he recognized the pink and sliver box from Rebecca's Fantasies. He tossed his wife a wink; she blushed and lifted a corner of the box to peek inside.

"It's lovely, Mother. Thank you." She closed the box and placed it on the floor.

"You're welcome, dear. But how can you say it's lovely when you haven't taken it out of the box?"

"I love the color, and I'm sure it'll be lovely. I'll look at it later. Okay, Phillip, find one for Lee next."

"Here, Lee. This one's from me." Jamie handed him a heavy, neatly gift-wrapped package.

Unlike the women, he tore the paper off with reckless abandon. Inside, nestled snugly in some tissue paper, lay a book. Reverently, he held it up. "’The Civil War Chronicles.’  It's perfect, Jamie, thank you so much. I'm really going to enjoy reading this.” He thumbed through some of the pages while the boys searched for the next gift to be opened.

Phillip finally decided on the box dressed in jolly Santa paper. After ripping the paper to shreds, he discovered a pair of pajamas and a new bathrobe from his grandmother.

Jamie opened his from Dotty also, and what a surprise . . . new pajamas and bathrobe.

Round and round they went, opening gifts one at a time. Phillip gave him a beautiful leather wallet. “Dude, the one you have now is falling apart," he teased, once Lee opened the gift. Phillip was right. His wallet was on its last leg.

When she opened his gift, Amanda kissed him, tears in her eyes. He knew she'd love the dress he’d bought. She stared at it in the window of the store every time they passed. He just had to buy it for her. He'd take her somewhere special so she could wear it for him. Maybe he'd arrange something for New Year's Eve. He patted his pocket. He had another present for her; he was just waiting for the right time to give it to her.

His turn came around again, and Jamie handed him an elegantly wrapped present. The paper was sliver foil and had multicolored Christmas lights on it. A beautiful green-foil bow graced the top. It was from his Amanda, and he hated to tear the paper, so he slowly plucked off the bow and stuck it on top of her head. He peeled back the tape and folded the paper carefully, just like Amanda and Dotty did.

He held the dark-gray box, with the gold Movado engraved in the top. The lid creaked when he opened it. An exquisite gold watch winked up at him. It was gorgeous. The trademark black-onyx face, numberless dial, with a diamond where the number twelve should be, gleamed up at him. Elegant, slim gold hands swept the face. He sat there, stunned. He had no idea what to say. Thank you just didn't cover it.

"Amanda?"

"Do you like it? When I saw that at the jeweler's, it reminded me of you. I know the one you had broke on that last assignment, and I thought a new one would make a good Christmas gift, since your birthday isn’t until May. Turn it over."

He took the watch out of the box and turned it over. Amanda had it engraved. He read her words aloud, "’I'll love you until the end of time, All My Love, Amanda.’ Sweetheart, this is the best present I've ever received. Thank you so much. I love it, and I love you." He tugged her to him and kissed her.

"All right, enough of this mushy stuff," Jamie interrupted, "there are still more presents to be opened."

The last four gifts sat under the tree. One for each of the adults and his gift to both boys. Dotty picked up the last box and opened it. A blue sweater, which matched her coat, from her grandsons. Amanda's final gift was from the boys. A beautiful emerald-green sweater with pearl buttons down the front. He loved her in vibrant colors, and the buttons would give him easy access.

Dotty handed him his last gift. A long slim box. Probably a tie, or maybe a scarf. A cruel joke on the master scarf giver. Oh, well, better to get it over with. He tore the paper off the box and flipped the lid so it rested under the bottom.

Instead of a scarf or tie, an envelope was nestled in the tissue paper. Inside, he found two tickets to the symphony at the Kennedy Center on New Year’s Eve. "Oh my gosh, Dotty, I can't believe it. Amanda, look, concert tickets. Do you know how long I've been trying to get tickets? I can't believe you got me tickets. Oh, Dotty, you shouldn't have spent so much. But, to be honest, I'm glad you did. Thank you!"

"You're welcome, dear. Amanda told me you wanted to go but couldn’t get tickets. I could, so why not? Have fun."

He stood and walked over to where his mother-in-law sat in the wingback chair. Pulling her to her feet, he gave her a big bear hug and a peck on the cheek. "This has been the best Christmas ever. Thank you, everyone."

"Hey, Christmas isn't over. There is still one more present to be opened," Phillip informed them.

"I'm sorry." Lee sat back down on the couch. "Go ahead."

Eagerly, Phillip pulled the large, slightly-lumpy box from under the tree and set it between himself and his brother. They exchanged a look and shredded the wrapping paper. Then the shouting began.

"Awesome, Lee!"

"Wait until I tell Bobby and Tommy. They’re going to flip. I have to call and tell them we got Nintendo Sixty-four."

Jamie jumped up off the floor. Before he made it across the room, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Amanda said. "You guys clean up this mess."

“Aww, Mom, can we do it later?” Phillip pleaded.

“We want to play Nintendo,” Jamie agreed.

“Now, fellas. You know the rules. You made the mess, you clean it. Then you can play.” She left the room to answer the phone.

“Your mom’s right. Come on, I’ll give you guys a hand.” He slid to the floor, and they scooped the paper scraps into the trash bag.

They’d just finished connecting all the wires from the video game to the television when Amanda came back into the family room, tucking her scarf around her neck and buttoning her coat.

“Fellas, that was your father. He’s not coming to pick you up. There’s a foot of snow already on the ground, and it’s still coming down hard. He’ll come and see you during the week. I’m sorry.”

“You didn’t let us talk to him,” Jamie said.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, he had to go. I’m sure he’ll call back when he can.”

‘Yeah, right. That man only ever thinks of himself. Would it have killed him to wish his kids Merry Christmas?’ Although Lee thought their father was an idiot, he'd never voice his opinion in front of Joe’s kids. Amanda knew how he felt about her ex-husband. “Going somewhere, Amanda?”

“Well, Mother is in the kitchen, putting the goose in the oven, and I thought I’d get a jump on shoveling the snow. You guys stay and enjoy your game.” She headed out the front door.

He knew that look in her eyes. The one that said he had better get his butt out there with her or he'd be in big trouble. “I guess I’ll go and give your mom a hand.” He retrieved his jacket from the hall closet and joined his wife outside.

He stood on the step and just watched her.  With her cheeks and nose reddened by the cold and snowflakes dotting her hair, framing her face in winter’s lace, she looked like an angel.

He’d just stepped off the small porch when the door opened again and his stepsons came out.

“We thought we’d help, too,” Jamie said.

“It’ll take less time with the four of us working,” Phillip concurred.

Evidently the boys knew that look, too. They divided the work; he’d help Amanda shovel the front walk, and the boys would get started on the driveway.

He had about half the walk finished when the first missile struck him right in the center of his back. Since the boys were standing in front of him, it couldn’t have been them.

Surely, Amanda wouldn’t throw a snowball at him, would she? He glanced at her to find her back to him. She had her head down and was shoveling her half of the walk. It couldn’t have been her. Maybe some neighborhood kids had aimed at one of the boys and missed.

He turned back to his half. As he picked up the next shovelful of snow, another snowball hit him square in the back of his head. The snow slithered down his neck and inside his collar, sending chills down his spine. 

He brushed at the snow clinging to his hair and scouted the area for those kids. When he found them, he’d really let them have it. His eyes landed on his wife. A smirk graced her lips, and he could see the blush crawling up her neck.

So, the little vixen wanted to play. He’d show her. Quickly, he finished his portion of the walk and went to give Amanda a hand. He filled his scoop with as much snow as he could and promptly tossed it in the grass. The fact that his wife stood between him and the grass was a happy coincidence.

She was covered in snow from the tip of her head down to her knees. A full belly laugh escaped him. He couldn’t help it. The shocked look on her face was priceless.

“Ohhh, I’ll get you for that, Stetson.” She dropped her shovel, then scooped up some snow and fired another snowball at him, scoring a direct hit right in the middle of his chest.

“So, you want to play?” He tossed his shovel aside, and the snowball war was on. He chased her around the lawn, laughing and lobbing snowball after snowball at her, while dodging Amanda’s efforts to pelt him.

He rounded the tree and trapped her between the trunk and his body. She squealed when he smashed a snowball on top of her head. She pulled him into a heated kiss, distracting him while she dumped snow down his back.

Phillip and Jamie, not to be left out of the fun, began chucking snowballs at them as fast as they could make them, laughing hysterically when each snow globe hit its mark.

Doing what they did best, Lee and Amanda teamed up against the “enemy” and fired back at the boys.

Clearing the snow from the driveway was forgotten. The bombs sailed across the yard, hitting the target and missing the mark. Laughter rang in the air, and the quartet was cold, wet, and having the time of their lives. He couldn’t remember ever having so much fun. He laughed so much his sides ached. An errant missile nearly hit Dotty when she poked her head out the door to see how the shoveling was progressing.

When Amanda began sneezing,  they called a truce and decided to go back inside to warm up. There was no way he could stay in these clothes. He was soaked to the skin. With help from Phillip, he managed to dig a path to the back of his car. He grabbed his travel bag from inside and slogged back to the house.

Amanda swiftly ordered him upstairs to take a hot shower. She followed behind him and made a big deal of showing him the master bath off her bedroom, grabbing fresh towels from the linen closet as they passed.

Of course, he would be a lot warmer if she joined him in the shower, but since they weren’t alone, that wasn’t going to happen. He emptied his pockets on the sink counter and tossed his wet clothes out the bathroom door. Peeking out the door, he watched as she gathered his wet clothes and left. 

The small velvet box sat on the vanity. He picked it up and flipped open the lid, admiring the way the diamonds twinkled in the bathroom light. He didn’t know why. Maybe it was the ceramic tiles, but diamonds really sparkled in the bathroom. 

He finished his shower and quickly dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, stuffing the box back into his pocket before going back downstairs.

The boys were glued to the television, playing their new video game. He watched for a while as Jamie moved a funny little man dressed in green overalls through a maze of snapping turtles and flying boomerangs. The turtle bit the man, ending Jamie’s turn, and Lee moved off to find the rest of his family.

His wife and mother-in-law were busy in the kitchen, doing last minute preparations for the delicious-smelling Christmas dinner. A silent look passed between the women.

“I think I’ll go and set the dining room table.” Dotty placed her spoon in the sink and turned off the flame under the pot she was stirring. She gathered some flatware from a drawer and left them alone.

“Was it something I said?”

“No, I wanted some time alone with you.” Amanda dumped the vegetables she’d chopped into a saucepan and stirred. “Come on, grab your Christmas stocking and let’s sit at the table.”

He joined her and began to pull items out of his stocking. First, there was a bottle of his favorite cologne. Then, argyle socks, just like the ones she’d given him the very first Christmas they were together. Next, a new toothbrush. He needed a new one. His looked like it lost a fight with a lawnmower.  A three-pack of cinnamon Tic-Tacs followed.

After that, he pulled out a green silk rose. Confused, he read the tag. It was a pair of silk boxers folded into a rose.  Amanda blushed and placed her hand on his arm, stopping him before he could pull the last two items out of his stocking.

“I thought we’d be alone in your apartment when you opened this,” she whispered. “Save the rest for another time, please.”

Now he was curious. What could she have given him that she didn’t want anyone to see? “I’m not sure I can wait until then. Maybe I’ll just take a little peek.”

He spread the opening of the stocking wide and pulled the next gift to the top. It was the same color as his rose, and he could feel lace. “Hmmm . . . a matching nightie, perhaps?” He wiggled his eyebrows, and her blush deepened.

As he slid the nightie back into the foot of the stocking, his fingers brushed a small cardboard box. He didn’t even have to see it to know it was a box of condoms. His wife had really planned a sexy Christmas Eve celebration, and he missed it. Damn airline delays!

“Thank you, sweetheart. I promise we’ll put my presents to good use, first chance we get.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

He gathered her close and kissed her.  He loved to simply kiss her. Her lips were warm under his. When he traced them with his tongue, she sighed and opened for him. He slipped inside and caressed her tongue with his own.

Her fingers twined in his hair and gently massaged his scalp. As her tongue slid along his, he groaned and tugged her onto his lap.

The timer rang, and Dotty came back into the kitchen, putting an end to the intimate moment. “If you two are finished, dinner’s ready.”

Amanda and Dotty carried the side dishes into the dinning room, while he carried the goose. The table looked incredible. A snow-white cloth, with alternating red and green napkins, adorned the table. Festive dishes, with a tree and presents painted in the center, were set at each place. Sparkling crystal goblets matched the dishes. Gleaming gold candlesticks held red tapers, and a beautiful pine and floral arrangement graced the center of the table.

Once everyone was seated, Jamie said grace and Dotty gave Lee the honor of carving the bird. Dinner conversation consisted of stories of past Christmases.

He loved it. This was what being a family was all about--sitting around the table and just being together, not living in two different cities. It was time for his final present for Amanda. He wiped his mouth with his napkin and stood.

“Did you need something, Lee?” Dotty asked.

“Ahh . . . no. . . Well, yeah.” He knelt on the floor in front of Amanda. “Thank you for giving me the best Christmas ever. Spending today with you just strengthened my deepest feelings. I won't survive another day without you. Amanda, you know I love you, and I love your family.” He dug the velvet box out of his pocket, opened it, and turned it around to face her. “Will you marry me?”

He heard Dotty’s “Oh my gosh,” and the boys “Narly,” but he still waited to hear Amanda’s answer  to his proposal. She kept him waiting, killing him, before she cradled his face in her hands and looked him in the eye. He couldn’t read her expression, and he wasn’t sure if she was mad at him or not.

“Of course I’ll marry you. We’re the luckiest two people on the face of the earth.” She leaned into him and kissed him to seal the bargain.

His hand shook as he pulled the ring out of the box and placed it where it belonged, on the third finger of her left hand. “I hope you like the ring. It was my mother’s.”

“Oh, Lee, it’s just beautiful. I love it, and I love you.”

Tears fell down her cheeks. He gently brushed them away. “I love you, too.” He kissed her again.

“Okay, let’s see the ring,” Dotty demanded.

Proudly, he held Amanda’s hand as she showed her mother and sons the ring.

Everyone settled down and finished dinner. Once the table was cleared and all the dishes put away, Dotty and Amanda sat down at the kitchen table and began to make wedding plans.

Of course, he wanted to get married right away and put an end to the stupid mystery marriage. When he suggested a date less than two weeks away, Dotty nearly bit his head off. Knowing when he was in way over his head, he decided to leave the details to the women and wandered into the den to see what the boys were up to.

A few hours later, he and Amanda were finally alone. He built a fire in the fireplace and turned off all the lights. The only illumination was the flickering flame of the fire and the twinkling lights on the tree. He pulled her down next to him on the couch and snuggled her close to his side. They sat and watched the snowfall outside, dreaming about a February wedding.

End.