Page 42 of Festive Flings

Oscar has a fierce independent streak but he does let me help him put on his rented skates. I show him how to place his socks so they don’t rub and give him blisters. “You’ve done this a lot really, haven’t you, Owen?”

I chuckle at his astuteness. “Shhh, don’t tell Jamie yet, but I used to play hockey. I’m going to try and impress her.” He wrinkles up his nose.

“She’s so bad; she’ll be impressed if you don’t fall down, Owen. Ice hockey is a really tough game. My mum says I can’t play it because I’ll break my beautiful face.” He rolls his eyes and shakes his head. He’s a real character, alright. After I help him tie his laces tight, we go to meet the girls who both have a penguin, much to Oscar’s dismay.

It's busy because it’s the weekend and it’s the run up to Christmas, so we try to stay huddled together. Chloe frets and is still unsteady even with her penguin for support, whereas I suspect Jamie only has a penguin to make Chloe feel better.

“Oscar, I’m going to give your sister a skating lesson. Will you look after Jamie?” He rolls his eyes again but glides over the ice to his aunt.

“Okay, okay, but at least abandon the penguins for a minute.” I relent; he seems steady enough to hold Jamie up, and I think Chloe’s confidence would grow if she believed she could do this and wasn’t so dependent on the skating aid. I move their penguins into the middle, and then I hold my hand out to little Chloe.

“Chloe, instead of using the penguin you need to learn to walk like one of them on the ice. You’ve seen a penguin walk, eh?” I start to do the penguin waddle march, and she giggles as she joins in too.

“Look! I’m not falling over!” she shouts to me as we waddle along the ice. Her giggles of glee at not falling over just melt my heart. Kids aren’t so bad after all.

Jamie’s eyes, filled with love, longing and passion, catch my attention. She almost falls over when she attempts to wave at me.

I bring Chloe back to her aunt, and she boasts about getting all the way around the rink without falling once. It is heart-warming to see when she pushes her penguin this time, she does it with a bit more confidence.

“Owen, shall we have a race?” Oscar shouts to me. I bend and kiss Jamie before I leave. Her nose and cheeks are now bright red, and she looks adorable with her little penguin and her look-alike niece.

I can’t remember the last time I had such good, innocent fun. It's amazing how children change a dynamic; they have so much joy and energy. Oscar has a natural athleticism about him and he picks up the basic skills very quickly. He will make a great sportsman in whatever pursuit he chooses.

When our time on the ice is almost up, I ask Oscar to watch his sister for a couple of minutes. I just want a moment with Jamie.

“You’re not going to be making out, are you? That would be so gross!” he mutters in disgust.

“Oi, it wouldn’t be gross. Just look the other way for a minute, young man,” Jamie adds through her laughter.

I take her hand, and just as I thought, she isn't too bad on her skates. I spin her around in the middle of the rink and then pull her to me. “I’ve had a lovely day, babe, much better than what I thought we would have. I was terrified of the children but they are cool.”

“I have loved today. Thank you for sharing this with me. Those little people mean the world to me, and just watching you interact with them made my heart flutter. I’m really falling for you, Owen. This all feels so right and so natural.”

I lift her chin with my cold fingers and kiss her tenderly. She is the sweetest, most intoxicating honey, and I am addicted to her. Today confirms I want the full package with Jamie. I want her to be part of every aspect of my life, and I want to be part of every aspect of hers too.

We go back to the children who are pretending to vomit, and once we have our normal shoes back on, we go to the café upstairs to have dinner and hot chocolate. It's been a long time since I have had any sort of semblance of family time, and it’s a shock to find how organic and exciting this all feels. We are having an awesome time, and with the Christmas music playing, the lights and decorations all around us, it's hard to not get excited about the impending holiday.

We make our way around the small Christmas market. There are little wooden huts serving food and drink and selling little holiday items. It's no Tivoli Garden but being here with Jamie and the children makes it extra special.

Chloe wants a new hat that looks like a reindeer, and Oscar picks up a hand-crafted tin ornament. “I want to get this for my mum; she will love this for her café.” Jamie helps him pay, kisses him on the head and tells him his mum will love that he has been so thoughtful.

I pick out an ornament for Jamie and me. It's two elves kissing with a toy workshop in the back and a banner over their heads that says “Our First Christmas”. The lady serving quickly etches Owen and Jamie onto the bellies of the elves before wrapping it in tissue paper. I slide it into my pocket; I’m going to ask her to come to my home tomorrow to help me decorate my Christmas tree and I’ll show her the decoration then.

We head back to Jamie’s sister's house with the children, who look worn out and ready for a big sleep.

Jamie helps her niece and nephew get ready for bed. Chloe runs to me after she has brushed her teeth and cuddles me. “Thank you, Owen, I’ve had loads of fun today, and I didn’t even fall over. I’m glad Jamie brought you. I knew you were special when she kept saying your name when she was sleeping.” I ruffle her hair and wish her goodnight as she runs back on her little legs to get her bedtime story off her aunt.

Oscar comes to fist bump me and makes me promise we will play FIFA again in the morning before his parents return. “Definitely, buddy. I’m going to kick your butt.”

“Challenge accepted, Owen. You are going down!” he replies with a grin.

I wait in the living room for Jamie. She comes in after about ten minutes with a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Do you want to watch a Christmas film, babe? We can snuggle up and drink wine and make out.” The look on her face sets my soul on fire. Happiness oozes from her, and the feeling is mutual. I have never been as happy and content as I am right now.

Jamie kicks her shoes off and tells me to do the same. We lie together on the sofa watching the film Love, Actually. We kiss, cuddle and laugh as we watch the sweet movie. Jamie cries when they all declare love for each other, and part of me has to acknowledge that I would probably do the same if Jamie was to fall in love with me. She knows how I feel about her, and I know she is falling for me; she told me. The icing on the cake would be those precious words and feelings.

Life would be perfect.

~ Tim ~

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