Christmas With Kris Kringle

Epilogue

One year later

I think the sugar pine was the largest Christmas tree I’d ever seen in a residential home. Kris let Celeste pick the tree and she selected this massive, frosted tree that now stood in Kris’s penthouse apartment. Correction, our penthouse apartment. It was days before Christmas and I was busy wrapping gifts to add to the already stuffed tree. In a few days, Kris’s family would be coming to town. Somehow, he’d convinced me to host Christmas.

Being an event planner, I was kind of excited to put together an event for family and friends and not strangers. But I was also a perfectionist, so now that it was crunch time, I was second guessing all of my hosting choices.

The elevator door opened and Kris and Celeste swept in. “It’s snowing again,” Celeste said, stomping her boots on the entry rug.

“I can see that. Was the grocery store packed?”

“Yes, but we managed.” Kris unbuttoned his coat. “I did have a brief tug of war with an older fella over cranberries, but I made it out unscathed.”

“I hope you’re joking.” Jumping up, I helped unpack the bags.

“He’s not.” Celeste grabbed a juice from the fridge. “See you later.”

“Hold on. I thought you were going to help me make cookies.”

“Yes, I will but first I need to warm up my feet.” Celeste headed toward her wing of the apartment. The hole in the wall had been converted. Creating two additional rooms in the main apartment and then a separate area all for Celeste with a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bath and laundry room that she was allowed to decorate as she saw fit. She had her own private entry, or she could come visit us through a shared door connecting both spaces.

When Kris showed me the plans for the renovation, I was floored. I was convinced I would have to lose my sister to give her the independence she was seeking, but Kris made it possible for Celeste to have her own space with grown-up responsibilities while still remaining close in case anything went wrong. I don’t know if this was a permanent solution, but right now Celeste was happy, and that’s all that mattered.

“You have one hour, then I expect you back here with an apron and a can-do attitude.”

She threw a thumbs up before leaving the room. “Why are there three different types of marshmallows?”

“Because Celeste insisted we needed all three.”

“You let her get away with murder.” Tugging at his sweater, I tilted my head upward in anticipation of a kiss. Kris’s hand slid down my back as he leaned in, granting my wish. I even managed to sneak in a few ear nuzzles before he stepped back.

“It’s really hard to say no to a Goodwin woman. You both have those big puppy dog eyes.”

“Sucker.” I tossed the bags of marshmallows in the pantry. “The bedrooms are all ready. I even added little welcome baskets with goodies to each one.”

“Who needs a hotel when we have a five-star resort right here?”

“I know you think it’s silly, but I just want your family to be comfortable.”

“My folks would be cool with an inflatable mattress.”

I gasped. “Never. It’s Christmas and we don’t do anything small over here.”

“Speaking of small. When are we going to tell them?”

My hand dropped to my stomach. “If you had your way we’d be idling in airport pickup and you’d spill the beans. We need to allow them a chance to get settled in.”

“My mother is going to take one look at you and know.”

“Are you saying I’ve gained weight?”

“No.” He squinted his eyes, trying to find a way out of the conversation. “You know Irene, she has a sixth sense for these types of things.”

I jogged over to the mess of bags, boxes, and wrapping paper. “I was thinking we could tell them on Christmas Day with this.” I lifted up a tiny onesie in a neutral sage color that read, “Baby Kringle Coming Soon.”

“When did you do this?”

“I saw them while Christmas shopping online and thought it would be a creative way to surprise your family.”

It was difficult keeping a secret as important as this. Kris spoke with his mom at least once a week and when I was in the room, she’d ask how I was doing, and about work. And she’d always ask me if there was anything new and exciting on the horizon. Kris told me not to stress, claiming his mother asked that question to all her children. But to me it felt like I was forced to lie because I wasn’t sharing about us expecting. Granted I wasn’t even showing yet and most people waited until the second trimester to tell people, but parents were different. Kris wanted to share the news with them in person and so we’d played the waiting game.

Joining me in the living room, Kris rubbed my tummy. “How did I get so lucky … to have the prettiest, sweetest, most thoughtful wife ever?”

I brushed his words away with my hand. “I don’t see any rings on this finger.”

“Hmm, you’re right, maybe we need to fix that.” He stuffed his hand in the pocket of his Dockers and started rummaging around, and my heart ceased to function. Kris pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me. “Here’s the receipt from the store.”

I swatted at him. “You play too much.”

Kris claimed my flailing arms. “I have to keep you on your toes. I know you’ve been snooping around looking for shiny objects.”

“Me? Never,” I said innocently. He was right, I had gone through some of his hiding spots, and I’d found an oval cut three-carat diamond ring. Which I could only assume was intended for me. So now any time Kris bent down or said something overly sappy, I was on edge. I think he knew I’d spoiled the surprise and now he was just torturing me for good measure.

“Me? Never.” He mocked my tone, giving me a peck. “I’ve been thinking if we have a boy, I’m cool with any name but Kristoff.”

My lip poked out. “I love your name.”

“I will not allow my child to be tormented like I was. Any other name is fine.”

“So Mortimer Kringle … you’re okay with that?”

“We’ll call him Morty for short.” Kris flashed a brilliant smile.

“We are going to circle back to this.”

Kris

Christmas morning was surreal. It was strange not being in Ottawa. And even stranger hosting this year’s holiday in my home like a bona fide adult. Belen had gone to great lengths to ensure Christmas was a success, including purchasing every conceivable ingredient she thought my mother would need for the traditional Kringle Christmas. She’d even contacted Uncle Rus who couldn’t attend and got him to ship his renowned gumbo so the tradition could continue.

“I think Mom and Dad have one more gift,” I said, grabbing the last gift bag under the tree. Handing it to my mom, I glanced at Belen, who was doing her best to suppress a smile.

“I think we need to have a gift limit. This is just an embarrassment of riches,” my mother said.

“I absolutely hate that idea,” Matt objected while perusing the specs on the high-end gaming system Belen and I gifted him.

“No more gifts after this, I promise.”

My mother fussed over the gift bag, taking out the tissue wrapped item, she folded the bag neatly. “I love the gift bags. I’m taking them all home, by the way.”

“Hurry up Irene, the coffee cake is calling me,” my dad said.

My mother ripped into the tissue paper and pulled the onesie from it.

“Oh my God,” Rayna squeaked.

“What does this mean?” My mother searched Belen and my faces for confirmation.

“Next Christmas will include a new Kringle,” Belen said.

“This better not be a joke.” My mom jumped to her feet, rushing over to Belen. “You’re pregnant?”

Belen nodded her head with tears in her eyes.

My dad clapped. “Well I’ll be. I was starting to give up hope on you kids. Do you know all our friends have grandkids except for us?”

“I think the word you’re looking for is congratulations,” Celeste said.

“Why is she sitting on the floor? She needs to be on the couch with her feet up.” My mother helped Belen stand, leading her to cushy seating. “How far along are you?”

“A little over two months.”

My mother did some quick math in her head. “A summer baby.” She fluffed the pillows behind Belen before adding a few more. Then as if struck by the weight of it all, my mom turned to me. “My first baby is going to have a baby.” I pulled her in, giving her a hug.

“Now remember Gerrit is a family name and it’s a fine moniker for a boy.”

“Daddy, don’t nobody want to name their kid Gerrit. Now Rayna is far more in demand.”

“If you think Kristoff is naming his son Rayna, you’re mistaken,” Matt said.

“How do you know it’s a boy? It could be a girl,” Belen asked.

“I’m just getting boy vibes. Plus Dad, Kris, and I are outnumbered. We need a male to balance things out.”

“Wait are we still going to do the snowball fight?” Rayna asked.

“Of course,” I said.

“I’ll take it easy on you Belen since you are in a delicate way.”

“Thanks.”

“I know I said that was it for the gifts, but I lied. There’s one more for Belen.”

Belen looked at me with a confused expression on her face. She was never good at receiving presents, she always claimed it was too much or she didn’t deserve it, which were both false.

My father whispered loudly to my mother, “It better not be another doll house.”

Life can change in a millisecond. Loving Belen was the easiest decision I’d ever made because anyone who met her was instantly drawn to her. Clearing my throat, I said, “Belen–”

“Yes,” she exclaimed. I hadn’t even dropped to one knee.

“Hold on.” I demanded as a single tear cascading down her face. I knew she could anticipate what I was about to ask her. But I wanted her to hear all the reasons why I was asking her.

“I could never have imagined how my life would change in the course of a year. I took a Santa Claus job out of curiosity. I’d be the first to admit working at the mall was probably the oddest thing I did during my micro retirement. But when I bumped into you at the tree, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. You love me in a way I didn’t know was possible. In a way I didn’t even know I needed. You and our home are my safe place. When I walk across the threshold, nothing else matters but us …” I turned to her sister. “And Celeste.” She rewarded me with a huge smile.

“Now we are taking our family to the next level. And there is no one I want to raise a little human with but you. So in front of Celeste, my annoying siblings, my mom and dad, and peanut in there, Belen Goodwin …” I loved the way her face brightened as if she was itching to respond. The fact that this woman couldn’t wait to be my wife made me love her even more. “Will you marry me and spend this Christmas and every Christmas thereafter making me the luckiest bastard in the world?”

She nodded vigorously before confirming her intent in words. “Yes, of course.”

“Where’s the ring? You have to give her a ring, those are the rules,” Celeste said, always looking out for her sister.

“Thanks, I almost forgot.” I winked at Celeste. Fishing into my pocket, I pulled out a small red box, unlatching it to reveal the exact ring Belen swooned over months ago when we went looking for rings for fun one rainy afternoon. I slipped the ring on her finger and Belen lifted her hand in the air to show off her new adornment.

“Congratulations,” Rayna said.

“Listen Belen, I know there was a lot of pressure to say yes, but just blink twice and I can get you out of here,” Matt joked.

“Does Matt come with this proposal?” Belen asked.

“I’m afraid so. He’s family now.” I shrugged.

“Don’t do me like that Belen, you know you love me.”

“I do. You’re my sixth favorite Kringle behind Uncle Rus.”

“Ouch.” Matt placed his hand over his chest, pretending to be wounded.

My father stood and clapped his hands. “Okay it’s time to get dressed for the annual snowball fight. You know the rules, pick your teams wisely.” The living room cleared out as everyone went to their respective rooms to change into warmer clothes. But Belen remained on the couch, examining her ring.

“Did I do good?” I asked, taking a seat next to her.

“You did great.”

“I meant every word. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Well, if you keep playing your cards right, you’ll never have to find out.”

“Hopefully this Christmas ranks high on your Christmas past list.”

“This may be the best Christmas ever.”

“Don’t speak too soon. We still have a snowball fight and you have a weak arm.”

Belen playfully shoved me. “No, I do not.”

I cringed in disagreement.

“I love that our baby is going to be supported and doted on by your family.”

“Our family. And we are going to teach this kid all the Goodwin and Kringle holiday traditions.”

“I wish my folks were here to share my happiness. But I know they would be so proud of me, Celeste, and you.”

“Me?”

“Yep, my parents would’ve loved you.” Belen slipped her hand in mine. “Merry Christmas Mr. Kringle.”

“Merry Christmas, soon to be Mrs. Kringle.”

Belen’s nose scrunched up. “I love the sound of that. Alright let’s get dressed because I have a snowball ass whipping to dole out.”

“Trying to redeem yourself from last year?”

“Last year I was ill prepared, but this year my pride is on the line.”

We both stood and I wrapped my arm over her shoulder. “Alright let’s go jingle some bells. Let it snow ball down on everyone. And after we’re done all my siblings will want for Christmas is a silent night.”

“Already with the horrible dad jokes?” She laughed.

“Fair warning, I aspire to be the dad who tells corny jokes, collects random kids’ noses, and builds fortresses out of cardboard boxes.”

“Mhm, I love it, sign me up.”

Bending, I kissed Belen’s soft lips. Her love was the only gift I’d ever need. Today and every day to come, I planned to make sure she felt loved, cared for, and that all her Christmases were merry and bright.