“Santa comes tonight?”

I smile at Emma as I finish putting Nora’s mashed carrot dinner in a plastic bowl with some tater-tots.

“Yeah baby, Santa comes tonight!”

“And Daddy?”

I turn away to the kitchen sink to hide the frown on my face. I sigh as I glance out the window that looks out over the promenade and the harbor down below, bathed in the dim glow of the late winter afternoon.

“We’ll see, honey. Daddy’s very busy with work.”

“Is he working with Santa?”

I laugh. “Yeah, he is.”

“Oh okay then. It’s okay.”

I turn back to smile quizzically at my precocious little three-year old. “What do you mean, Emma?”

“It’s okay if he’s with Santa. I think Santa needs help.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. Daddy’s good with helping.”

I smile as I move behind her chair and kiss the top of her head. I smooth down her hair. “Yeah he is.”

Silas and I only had a brief talk this morning, and the reception was terrible. After that it’s just been a series of texts back and forth about the airports still being grounded, which has put a sour mood on my mind all day.

It’s Christmas Eve, and my husband isn’t going to be home.

And I’m not mad at him – of course I’m not. I know he’s just as, if not more, broken up about not being here as I am. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t still suck that he won’t be here.

I look out the window again at the mountains of snow still coming down on Shelter Harbor, which is more like Shuttered Harbor with this weather. It’s not like we get many tourists in the winter anyway, but with this, we’re guaranteed none.

I realize I’m rambling inside my own head, trying to find something to latch onto besides Silas being gone.

“Mama, Santa!”

I smile wryly as I start to clean up the kitchen sink. “I know, honey.”

“Mama, Santa!”

“Yeah, I know, Em! He’s coming tonight, isn’t he!”

Nora chirps from her highchair, and I turn to see her pushing mashed carrots around her bowl.

“Mama!” Emma cries out, suddenly standing up in her chair, which she knows is a no-no.

“Emma-”

“It’s Santa!”

“Emma, honey, what-”

But that’s when I glance up to see her excited face. She’s grinning excitedly with her little arm raised and her finger pointing through to the living room and the big wide-frame window that faces the long driveway.

The driveway with the giant, rumbling, red truck climbing through the snow drifts.

“It’s Santa! It’s Santa!” Emma’s jumping up and down, and I scoop Nora into my arms before helping Emma by the hand to the front door.

I’m grinning so hard it hurts.

“It’s not Santa, honey,” I say, feeling almost as excited as my daughter is.

Her face falls as I bring her to the front door and start to open it. The huge 4x4 truck rumbles to a stop in the driveway and Emma huddles against me as I open the door to the wind.

“It’s better than Santa.”

The door to the truck opens, and he jumps out, a huge grin on his face.

Emma shrieks as he comes bounding through the snow towards us all, laughing with his arms wide.

“Daddy!”

* * *

Later, I’m lying against Silas on our sofa by the fireplace. Miraculously, both girls are sound asleep, and it actually quiet for once.

I turn and punch him in the arm playfully.

“I’m mad at you, you know.”

He chuckles, grabbing my wrists and kissing me. “For what?”

“For driving through that storm to get here! You could have-”

“Ivy, I was fine, and I rented the biggest all-wheel drive truck in New York City.”

“The one that just happened to be Santa Claus red, huh?”

“Oh, no, I asked for that specifically.”

I laugh before I remember I’m mad at him.

“You could’ve gotten hurt.”

“There wasn’t another car on the road for miles. And anyways, there’s no way I was going to miss tonight here with you.”

I snuggle into him as he wraps his arms around me.

“Besides,” he whispers in my ear.

“I think someone promised me a peek at the present I got her. I mean how could I not drive through a blizzard for that?”

I grin, turning to kiss him fiercely on the lips.

“Drove all this way hoping to get lucky huh?”

He grins. “Oh, I’m already lucky, gorgeous.”

He leans in and brushes his lips across my ear, sending a shiver down my back.

“I drove all this way so I could make you come on every inch of my cock tonight.”

I moan, audibly.

“You want to show me that present now?”

I bite my lip as I look at him. “How about I show them both to you now?”

His eyes flash as he nods hungrily.

I peck him on the lips. “Give me ten minutes, and then come upstairs.”