Boreas and Ginny were figuring out her move to Antarctica. Ginny had dealt with all the craziness of the Christmas season and embraced her role as more than just Boreas’ wife — but as Ginny, the fire elemental, who could be open about her secret among other magical folk. Around her friends at The North Pole, she didn’t have to hide a thing, and she was sure that once she got settled in ‘the Deep South’ of Antarctica, she’d find even more friends. Just like in The Gift of the Magi, the pair had to figure out how to balance their wants and needs — but with some communication and a lot of long-distance phone calls, things worked out in the end. Their love was the best present either of them had ever gotten for Christmas, and it was a gift that kept on giving.

Ginny was worried about not being able to help her family at the cafe, but her parents encouraged her to live a magical life. Although they’d chosen a peaceful existence in beachy Los Angeles, and they’d miss her, they knew that their daughter had to follow her heart. Of course, she’d be welcome to visit any time, and Boreas was sure that Krampus could come up with some sort of portal for Ginny to use to visit her family as often as she wanted.

And of course, if Boreas ever broke her heart, Ginny’s mom and sisters were prepared to toast him like a marshmallow.

If there was any doubt Boreas loved Ginny, that doubt should’ve been put to rest when Boreas showed up on New Year’s Day with a jewelry box in hand.

Ginny’s sisters pretended to give the couple privacy while Boreas gifted Ginny the jewelry. Of course, they were peaking at the box to make sure Boreas had gotten Ginny the good stuff.

When they didn’t see the flash of diamonds, they shook their heads in disappointment, but when Ginny saw the jewelry, she broke out into a grin.

“Boreas, this is the cutest bracelet I’ve ever seen,” said Ginny. She fingered the charms on the necklace. There were eleven curvy bakers on the charm bracelet, each one icing a different dessert, from cakes and cupcakes to cookies and gingerbread houses.

“It’s not just a bracelet,” said Boreas. “It’s a promise. I want to bake with you and cook with you and be a part of your world too, Ginny. I know I’m icy and unapproachable to most people, but you, well, you managed to see something in me I don’t think I could’ve seen on my own. I want to be the best husband I can be for you – and just like baking, it’s going to be a process.”

“You know, you could’ve just said all that without having to buy me a bracelet,” said Ginny, blushing.

“First of all – I love buying you things to wear, especially cute and sexy things, as you know very well by now,” said Boreas with a wink. “Secondly – I want you to remember this promise forever. I don’t know if you remember, but we met on – “

“December eleventh,” answered Ginny. “I could never forget.”

“Well, you know that old Christmas song?” asked Boreas. “On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…”

“…Eleven pipers piping,” finished Ginny. “I always thought that was about musicians, but hey. Piping out icing, that should count too. It’s much tastier.”

“I never want you to forget our fairy tale,” said Boreas. “Not the beginning.”

“And the ending?” asked Ginny.

“There will never be an ending,” promised Boreas, leaning forward to kiss Ginny.

An alarm on Boreas’ phone went off and broke the kiss before it could get good.

“Ah, shit,” said Boreas, looking at the alert. “I gotta go, babe.”

It was a father-son tradition to go ice fishing at least once per year. This year, Boreas had taken Jack to a lake in Canada, not far from an ice-wine vineyard. He’d rented a cabin and an ice shanty and gotten a few bottles of ice wine from the store, so they had something to drink while fishing. He’d popped down to LA that morning to visit Ginny and was back up at the cabin before Jack had even woken up. Usually, the boy was up early like his father, but Boreas had let him sleep in. After all, the kid deserved a break.

Their fishing trip had been a tradition ever since Jack was old enough to hold a fishing rod, and now that he was old enough to hold a bottle of wine in one hand and fish in the other, Boreas knew it was time he broached an awkward topic with his son.

“So…” said Boreas.

“Yeah?” asked Jack, surprised to hear his father break the silence.

“You like Ginny?” asked Boreas.

“Yeah,” said Jack. “She’s great.”

“Good,” said Boreas. “You, uh, given any thought to things?”

“To what things?” asked Jack. “You mean the family business?”

“No,” said Boreas, putting his wine down and putting a hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Son, that will be your business one day, but not yet. I still have much to teach you.”

“Then what?” asked Jack. “What do you mean, have I given any thought to things?”

“Well…when two people love each other…” started Boreas.

“I know how sex works,” said Jack.

“This ain’t a sex talk, boy,” said Boreas. “It’s a love talk.”

“A what now?” asked Jack.

“Our kind can find love too, Jack,” said Boreas. “I’m proof, Ginny’s proof, and heck, even that demon Krampus and that bastard Santana have found true love. I just…want you to know that love is in your stars too, Jack. I can feel it.”

“So what are you trying to say?” asked Jack. “I should start dating?”

“I’m saying that you and that Pandora girl have a lot that you two haven’t said,” said Boreas. “I’ve seen the way you two look at each other. Thought it was puppy love, at first, but now, I ain’t so sure.”

“I don’t think Pandora and I are ever getting together,” admitted Jack. “She’s…just my best friend.” A bead of nervous sweat dripped down Jack’s forehead, and his armpits started to stain his white cotton t-shirt.

“A year before I got together with Ginny, I didn’t even know she existed,” said Boreas. “Hell, look at Santana and Befana — exes turned lovers. Fate’s weird like that.”

“I should just focus on working harder, learning the business from you, and just…forget about the feelings,” said Jack.

“So you do have ‘em,” said Boreas. “All I’m saying, Jack, is that the best time to tell someone you love them is yesterday, and the second-best time to tell them is today.”

Just then, a fish bit at Boreas’ line! He reeled it in, and at the end of the line, there wasn’t a tasty fish — at least, not one made of flesh.

There was a big ice sculpture on the end of the line, in the shape of a fish.

“Ha-ha,” said Boreas sarcastically, turning the fish to snow, so it fell off of his hook and melted back into water once it hit the surface of the ice fishing hole. “I’ll drop the subject, son, but mark my words — you and the Claus girl, you’ll end up together. I can feel it in my bones.”

There was something else Boreas was sure of, something he didn’t reveal. There was one thing he knew – he’d never known his son to ‘sweat,’ from exercise or from stress, and he’d just seen it happen. Either Pandora would be the death of Jack…or she’d be the one thing that could save his life if Boreas couldn’t.