Page 55 of Falling for Santa

He watched the impact of his words register on her face, the way her eyes softened and her lips parted slightly. The trust she was placing in him—in their future together—made his heart swell.

"Can we go on the airplane again?" Ruby interrupted, oblivious to the moment passing between them. "I like being up in the clouds!"

Scott chuckled. "Actually, I was thinking we could drive. Make an adventure out of it. See some sights along the way."

"Really?" Ruby's eyes widened. "Like a real adventure? With stops and everything?"

"You say that now," Megan said, raising an eyebrow at Scott. "But have you ever spent hours in a car with this one?"

Ruby put her hands on her hips in a perfect imitation of her mother. "I'm a good car rider!"

"The best," Scott agreed solemnly, though his eyes twinkled. "And besides, this way we can take our time. No rush, no pressure. Just us, making our way home together."

The word hung between them, full of promise, and his heart jumped when Megan reached for his hand, threading their fingers together. "Home," she repeated softly. "I like the sound of that."

"Mama!" Ruby jumped up suddenly. "Can I show Scott the Cupid ornament? I kept him on my special shelf, just like you said!"

"Of course, sweetheart."

Ruby grabbed Scott's free hand, tugging him toward her room. "Come on! You have to see. I made him a special place!"

Scott laughed, allowing himself to be pulled along. Ruby's room was a splash of color in the otherwise modern space, herpersonality somehow making even the stark walls feel warmer. She darted to a small shelf where the wooden Cupid ornament sat proudly among her treasured possessions.

"See?" She pointed up at it. "I put him where he can watch over everything. And sometimes, when I miss home, I tell him stories."

Scott's chest tightened as he reached into his jacket pocket, feeling the small carved box he'd brought with him. "I have something else for you," he said, kneeling down to her level. "Something I made before you left, but never got the chance to give you."

Ruby's eyes widened as he held out the box. "For me?"

"Open it," he encouraged, watching as her small fingers traced the carved reindeer prancing around its edges.

Ruby lifted the lid carefully, her face lighting up at the velvet-lined interior. "It's beautiful!" she breathed, running her fingers along the smooth wood. "Look, Mama! The reindeer look just like Cupid!"

Scott smiled, warmth spreading through his chest at her delight. "I thought maybe you could keep your special treasures in here. Including Cupid, when we drive home."

"Can I put him in right now?" Ruby bounced on her toes, already reaching for the ornament.

"Of course."

He watched as she carefully lifted Cupid from his perch and placed him in the box, handling him like he was made of gold instead of wood. The pure joy on her face, the way she immediately hugged the box to her chest—it made every hour he'd spent carving it worth it.

"Thank you," Ruby whispered, throwing her arms around his neck. "I love it. And I love you."

The simple declaration, delivered with a child's complete honesty, nearly undid him. Scott hugged her back, his throattight with emotion. When he looked up, he found Megan watching them from the doorway, her eyes bright with tears.

"Ruby, honey," she said softly. "Why don't you show Scott where you want to put your new treasure box?"

They spent the next hour in Ruby's room, rearranging her shelf to make a perfect spot for the box, listening as she chattered about all the treasures she would keep inside. Scott sat on the floor, watching the two of them, his heart fuller than he'd ever thought possible.

Outside the window, San Diego's skyline stretched toward the horizon, but Scott's thoughts were already on Palmar Island—on quiet beaches and twinkling Christmas lights, on morning coffee runs and evening walks by the shore. On all the moments yet to come, with these two beside him.

They had details to sort out, logistics to handle, a whole life to pack up and move. But none of that mattered. What mattered was right here, in this room, in this moment.

They were going home. Together.

Epilogue

The candlelight from the chapel cast a warm glow through the stained glass windows, creating patterns that danced across the snow-dusted ground outside. Megan stood just beyond the heavy wooden doors, her daughter's small hand warm in hers as she breathed in the crisp December air. The scent of pine and cinnamon drifted from the garlands woven throughout the chapel, mingling with the salt breeze from the nearby shore.

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