Mistletoe and Memories (Evergreen Hollow Christmas #4)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Nora listened for any noise coming from upstairs as she curled up in front of the fireplace, waiting for Aiden to come back down. He’d offered to put Madison to bed, telling her that she clearly needed to get off of her feet and rest, and she was hoping against hope that it would work.

She didn’t hear any commotion so far, which she thought was a good sign. Still, she couldn’t help straining for any sound of Madison crying or starting to kick up a fuss. It was getting to the point where she thought she heard it sometimes even when there was nothing.

She didn’t think she heard anything so far. Letting out a sigh, she turned her attention back to the photos spread out in front of her on the coffee table. Aiden had said she should rest, but the only thing she could think about was continuing to finish up the plans for the anniversary celebration. It was so important—to her, her sisters, and would be to their parents, and she wanted to make sure it was perfect. Now that they were to the point where it was all starting to come together, she couldn’t stop working on it.

Event planning really was the perfect career for her, she reflected, as she sorted through the photos, thinking about more inspiration that she could pull from them for the celebration. And she was lucky that she’d had a career that she felt so fulfilled in.

Not everyone got the chance to do something they truly loved.

She smiled, nudging a finger through the photos as she sorted them. There were pictures from all of the years Rhonda and Donovan had been together—so many different memories and events.

There was the photo of them in the old Rockridge Grill, when it was still decorated with the malt shop vibe. There were a few others of them from that time, so much younger, on various dates. Carving a pumpkin. Laughing in front of a Christmas tree. A photo of Donovan on one knee, holding out a ring to Rhonda. The two of them right afterward, smiling so widely it looked as if their faces might crack.

There were more too. Pictures of them on their wedding day, of them with her and her sisters as babies, growing up. Anniversaries, all here in Evergreen Hollow. The only vacation photos she saw were from their honeymoon, in Malibu. It made her chest ache a little, thinking of them missing out on their trip this year.

If there was anyone who shouldn’t have to miss a well-deserved vacation, it was them.

Looking through the photos, it was easy to see how central the inn was to their lives too. So many of the photos were taken there, including pictures of them there together during every expansion and renovation over the years. It really was everything to them, from the very start.

The sound of Aiden’s voice speaking quietly behind her broke Nora out of her train of thought. “Putting Madison down was a success,” he said, coming up behind the couch with clear satisfaction in his voice. “I was thinking I could grab some caramel corn and eggnog from the kitchen, and then we could watch White Christmas and snuggle while there’s peace on Earth?” He grinned as she turned around to look at him. “How does that sound?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Nora agreed with a smile as she started to gather up the photos and tuck them back into their envelope. “Like a perfect, relaxing holiday evening.”

“Great. I’ll be right back.” He leaned forward, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head, before retreating to the kitchen.

Nora had just finished cleaning up the pictures when he came back with two mugs of eggnog and a bowl of caramel corn for them, settling down onto the couch next to her.

“I was looking through all of Mom and Dad’s old photos,” she told him as she set the envelope on the side table. “It really got me thinking. They’ve loved each other for so many years. That love has endured so much. So many changes, so many difficulties, them growing up and running a business together and having children. Now they’re having another struggle with Dad’s health issues. But they’re just as in love as ever, that bond is just as strong as ever.” Nora bit her lip, reaching for her mug of eggnog. “What do you think makes the love of a couple that indestructible?” She looked over at her husband. “What makes it last like that?”

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe she and Aiden had that. It was more that she wanted to make sure that she knew what it took. Because there had to be something, something more than just the emotion of love that kept it going. Otherwise, it would work for everyone. But her parents had been the exception when so many marriages weren’t.

Aiden smiled at her, leaning back against the couch with his mug of eggnog, one foot propped up on his knee.

“Well,” he said slowly, “I think the trials of everyday life build people’s endurance. Money troubles, things going wrong with a house, exhaustion after having a baby…” He chuckled, looking at Nora, who gave him a small smile in return. “They stick with it, and keep trying, and look at each other as the solution instead of something else to fight. They look outwards toward the problem together, instead of seeing it as something inside the marriage. And they tackle all of it as a team. And then, after years go by, a love like your parents’ is the result. It’s what comes of going through all the hard times as well as the good ones, together.”

Nora did smile at that, letting out a soft sigh. “Do you think it’s all these long days of not being able to ger our little angel to sleep, that’s going to make us stick together for better or for worse?”

Aiden chuckled, taking a long sip of his eggnog as he put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him on his side of the couch. “I think so,” he said solemnly. “That, and all the fortitude I’m building by tuning out your snoring every night.”

Nora’s mouth dropped open, and she gasped. “I do not snore!” she exclaimed, and Aiden laughed, leaning in to kiss her. “I’m sorry to break it to you,” he said, bumping his nose against hers as he pulled away. “But you definitely do.”

She laughed, along with him as they sat there together, and for the first time in a long time, she wasn’t thinking about how tired she was, or how soon Madison might wake up, or even the movie they’d planned to watch together. She could tell that he wasn’t either.

Instead, they talked about the plans for the anniversary celebration, and about the repairs he was doing on a neighbor’s house, and how excited another of their neighbors was for the addition he’d be adding on in the spring. They talked about what she might do with her fledgling event planning business once Madison was in enough of a routine for her to start focusing on it again, and about the Christmas shopping they both still needed to do.

They did all of it curled up together on the couch, sipping eggnog in the warm glow of the fire, and Nora’s heart swelled with love for her husband. The past few months had been rough—rougher than she could have expected, and there was no denying that. But more than ever, she was absolutely sure of one thing.

She was thankful, more than ever, that she got to go through every high and low with him.