Let It Snow
Snow Flurries
Connor clapped and applauded along with his father; DC cried. As usual, Olivia was amused as she watched the three men in her life gaze out the window at their first tree lighting ceremony in Rockefeller Center from Hugh Fitzwilliam's office. The boys' grandmother and great grandmother tried to soothe the frightened child as Hugh took pictures, but the flash of the camera set DC off once more. Olivia sighed and took her younger son into her arms. He quieted instantly, resting his head on his mother's shoulder.
“I think they've had a little too much excitement today,” Olivia said apologetically. As if to prove her point, both boys were asleep within seconds, one on each parents' shoulder. Kathleen checked her watch.
“Perhaps it's time for us to call it a night,” she agreed. Richard handed Connor to his nanny, Mina, and went to have a word with his father.
What is that scamp up to? Bess wondered as she watched the two men conspiring in one corner. She observed Hugh handing his son a set of keys and smiled knowingly. Mina got Connor into his snowsuit while Olivia dressed DC, but when she reached for her own coat, Richard stopped her.
“We're not leaving just yet,” he said softly.
“Why didn't you say so? We just got the boys all bundled up!” Olivia replied.
“Oh, they're leaving; you and I are not.” Olivia frowned.
“Why not?”
“Humor me,” Richard smiled. He bent to kiss her forehead. “Let's say goodnight to the family.” He led her by the hand to Hugh's outer office, where Kathleen was carrying one child and Hugh the other. Mina was helping Bess into her coat. “Don't forget to send the car back for us, Mina,” Richard said. Olivia found herself blushing as she said her goodbyes to her in-laws. When the others stepped into the elevator, the couple returned to Hugh's office and locked the door. "Now, where's that champagne?”
“This all seems rather familiar,” Olivia smiled as she went over to the window to gaze down upon the tree. She watched the snow dance on the wind and waft its way down to the street, creating a soft, romantic haze over the scene before her. A moment later, Richard joined her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She rested her head on his shoulder.
“Very familiar. Oops!” Richard abruptly pulled away from Olivia and went to turn off the lights. “That's better. I love snow flurries, don't you?” Olivia nodded.
“Will there be dancing this year?”
“Undoubtedly,” Richard purred in her ear. Olivia turned around.
“You know, this time I can already hear music.”
“I took the liberty of queuing up a little mood music,” Richard replied, dipping his head to kiss Olivia as the couple began to dance.
“Should I ask why your father has this `mood music' in his office?” Richard shrugged.
“I have no idea, although this is what mom and dad like to dance to at home.”
“Maybe she visits,” Olivia mused.
“Let's not worry about their love life tonight, okay?”
“Should we be worrying about ours?”
“I think not.” Olivia sighed in mock relief. “Care for a dip, Mrs. Fitzwilliam?”
“I haven't had any champagne yet. You know I love to dip--.”
“When you're dizzy? I remember,” Richard said as he released his wife and went to pour out the champagne. “Dad chilled this bottle for us.”
“So he knew all along we'd be staying behind?” Richard nodded and Olivia bit her lip. “What did you tell him?”
“Oh, that we two young lovers wanted to recapture the magic of our first date. Too bad it's not the 20th. We've never managed to be here on the 20th of December since that first time,” Richard sighed.
“Does it matter? December 20th is a pretty great day for us no matter where we are,” Olivia replied pertly.
“Here, here!” Richard concurred. The couple raised their flutes and touched them to each other, then took a sip of champagne. “Shall we resume our dance?” They each took another sip and set their glasses down. They danced for a time, content to be in each other's arms and living in the moment.
“What else did you tell Hugh? What does he know about our first time here?”
“Well, that first time I told him that I planned on showing you the tree and asked him put up a bottle of something for us in the fridge. Tonight, I pretty much told him the same thing.”
“Richard Fitzwilliam, you have a twinkle in your eye. What are you not telling me?” Olivia demanded.
“Oh, I fully intend to tell you everything. It's dad I'm keeping things from.”
“What things?”
“Oh, that I intend to make love to my wife on his sofa bathed in the glittering light of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.”
“That is certainly information that should be disseminated on a need to know basis,” Olivia smiled.
“Speaking of `disseminated'…” Richard bent his head to Olivia's throat and began to nibble along its base.
“Smooth, Fizz,” Olivia giggled, although she instantly felt a frisson of pleasure race through her body. She turned her head and sought his mouth. They kissed passionately, quickly losing themselves in each other. Richard produced a soft blanket from somewhere and the pair made slow, intense, ardent love on the leather sofa, tumbling to the floor amid peals of laughter shortly after Richard reached his climax.
“Dad needs a bigger sofa,” he gasped.
“We need a better venue,” Olivia corrected gently, as she wiped the sweat and hair from his brow. She lowered her head and kissed Richard as he carefully extricated the blanket from their entangled bodies and wrapped it around his love.
“A better venue sounds good. Home?”
“Home is ideal,” Olivia said as she reached out and snared her glass of champagne from the end table. She took a sip and then poured a drop into the well of Richard's collarbone and lapped it up.
“Do you think Diaz is back with the car yet?” Olivia shook her head, poured another drop of champagne and lapped it like a cat. Richard took the glass from her hand and drained it.
“There's got to be mad traffic in midtown tonight,” she decided.
“True,” Richard said as he carefully set the glass down on the carpet. “So, shall we get dressed and meet him downstairs or shall we kill a little more time up here?” Olivia lifted her eyes to his and waggled her brows. She reached out for the other glass of champagne and brought it to her lips.
“You know how I feel about being out in the snow.” She held the glass so Richard could take a sip.
“Yes, I do. Let's get out of here.”
The End.
Snowsuits
“All right, what's our game plan?” Richard asked as he applied the emergency brake and pulled his keys out of the ignition.
“Snowsuits and warm jammies are at the top of the list,” Olivia said. “Let's worry about stuff for the boys first and then we can do a little Christmas shopping.” She opened the door of the Range Rover and slid out. Richard did the same. He went around to the rear of the vehicle to offload the stroller and diaper bag while Olivia took Connor out of his car seat. Richard collected DC and the family soon set off for the children's clothing store. As they entered, Olivia took charge of the stroller and went in one direction, charging Richard with the task of finding snowsuits for the toddlers. He gave his wife a crisp salute and headed in the opposite direction--for the outerwear area of the store.
“May I help you?” a young saleswoman asked as he approached.
“Yes, I'm looking for a snowsuit,” Richard replied.
“I don't think we carry your size,” she answered flirtatiously. Richard blinked at the woman and pasted on a polite smile.
“Toddler, size three.” The woman nodded and led him to the racks, where he immediately began to search for something he liked. The saleswoman hovered nearby.
“Let me guess; a birthday present for a nephew?”
“My only nephew lives in southern California,” Richard replied absently. “He's nearly four so even if he did need a snowsuit I doubt a toddler three would fit him.”
“Another child, then,” the woman assayed.
“Yes, another child--what other child?” Richard asked as he looked up sharply.
“You tell me,” the woman smiled.
“I really don't know.” Richard frowned and turned back to the suits.
“Well, you must be buying a snowsuit for someone.”
“I must be, yes.”
“If not your nephew then the child of a friend?” Richard selected a suit from the rack and held it up for inspection.
“You means Charles's son?” The saleswoman shrugged.
“I guess.”
“No,” Richard said. “Jason is only a year old. How about my friend Frank?”
“How old is his son?” the saleswoman inquired, somewhat confused.
“No, wait; he's got a girl,” Richard said as he stuffed the suit under one arm and continued to peruse the selections on the rack. “No, I'm afraid I have no toddler nephew and my friends don't either. Wait, I take that back. Frank's got a nephew about eighteen months old.”
“Then you're buying a suit for him?” Richard looked at the woman and frowned.
“Why should I? I've never even met him!” The woman raised her eyebrows. “Do you have another one of these?” He held up the suit he'd been holding onto.
“What's wrong with that one?”
“Nothing; I just want another one.”
“These suits were just put out yesterday, sir. I assure you they're all fresh and in immaculate condition.”
“Humor me.” The woman shrugged and walked away. Richard sighed and walked over to the rack where the scarves, hats and gloves were on display. The woman appeared at his elbow.
“Sir, I don't have another blue one like this.”
“Do you have it in other colors?”
“Yes; we carry this suit in tan, red and brown.”
“Oh, okay. May I see the red and brown? Tan isn't his color.”
“Whose color?”
“Connor or D.C., it doesn't matter. Either way, tan doesn't really do anything for his eyes.”
“Are his eyes a lovely blue like yours?'
“Whose?”
“Connor.”
“Oh, yes. His eyes are just like mine. D.C.'s used to be, too, but they turned kind of hazelish.”
“Hazelish?”
“Yeah. It's an amazing color, really,” Richard said with a dreamy smile.
“So this suit is for him?”
“No, I think the other one is for him.” The saleswoman opened her mouth and closed it again. “Now may I see them?” The woman backed away and shook her head as she returned to the storeroom. Richard turned back to the rack and noticed Olivia smiling at him from a short distance away. Richard returned the smile and held up the snowsuit in his hand.
“Nice! But as I recall, we have two children,” Olivia said teasingly.
“The saleswoman is looking for another one in the back.” Olivia nodded her understanding.
“I want to look at boots.”
“Okay,” Richard said. He found a suitable scarf, hat and mittens to complement the blue snow suit.
“Here's the brown snowsuit,” the saleswoman said as she returned. “I also found another blue one all the way in the back of the storeroom.”
“Cool.” Richard smiled. “I'll take the blue one.” He reached for the suit and the woman started to take the other one from his hand. “I want both of them.”
“You're buying two?”
“You have a problem with that?”
“Well...no. But why would a kid need two snowsuits?”
“I have no idea,” Richard said. “Thank you.” He turned and selected another scarf, hat and mittens before giving the woman a disarming smile and walking away. Another saleswoman joined the first as she watched Richard walk away.
“What a hunk.”
“Oh, he's pretty all right, but he's a total nut job,” she said as Richard returned to the rack and selected more accessories.
“Here we are, two snowsuits and all the fixings,” Richard said as he displayed his selections to his wife a few minutes later. Olivia was trying shoes on the boys, so she only gave them a cursory glance.
“Should we be buying them identical attire? And why do you have three hats and scarves and four pairs of mittens?”
“Spare parts,” he said. Olivia smiled. “And I thought if we got all the same colors they'd be completely interchangeable.”
“Whatever you say,” Olivia said. She'd picked out snow boots and a pair of shoes for each boy and Richard carried all of the purchases to the counter at the front of the store as she got the boys ready to leave. He placed all of his purchases on the counter, to the amusement of the sales woman.
“Stocking up I see,” she smiled.
“Excuse me?” Richard asked as he reached for his wallet.
“You've got a lot of stuff here.”
“I'm expecting a very cold winter,” he said with an impish smile. The saleswoman paused from her task of ringing up the sale and looked up at him, unsure as to whether or not he was teasing.
“Did you want three of these or four?”
“I thought so,” Richard answered cryptically. “Is there a problem?”
“Well, you've got two pairs of pajamas, two pairs of boots, two pairs of shoes, and two snowsuits, but then you have three hats and three scarves and four pairs of mittens.”
“I've got two kids.” The woman blinked, opened her mouth, thought better of what she was about to say and resumed ringing up the sale. Richard paid the total and carried the purchases to the door, where his young family awaited him. “You think I should get five pairs of mittens?” he asked as he bent to zip up Connor's jacket.
“Richard,” Olivia said as she shook her head reproachfully. Richard straightened up and smiled beatifically.
“I love shopping, don't you?” Olivia looked around at the three confused saleswomen.
“Let's go, Fizz.”
The End
Snowball Fight
Richard and Olivia Fitzwilliam were sitting together on the sofa enjoying some quiet time alone. Their boys had traveled up to their home in Connecticut with their nanny and the couple would join them the following evening. But Thursday nights were just for Richard and Olivia, and on this night, they sat in front of the fire wrapping Christmas presents.
“Richard! Put it in the box. Richard! Put it in the box now!”
“This is so cool!” Richard said as he reluctantly placed the truck into the box Olivia held open.
“I knew I should have bought three,” Olivia deadpanned as she closed the box and reached for the wrapping paper.
“You didn't get me one?” Richard looked convincingly crestfallen and Olivia reached out to caress his cheek.
“If you'd rather I take back one of your other presents, I can stop by FAO Schwartz tomorrow and find another truck for you.”
“Get DC another truck. I want the red one,” Richard said with the enthusiasm of a small child. “Wait; why do you have to return something in order to get me a truck?” he asked as he reached for the box containing the truck and clutched it to his chest.
“Because you already have more presents than anyone else.”
“I do?” Richard smiled broadly. Olivia held out her hand. Richard sighed and handed over the truck as his smile faded.
“I tell you what: if you're good, I'll take it up with Santa,” his wife said cheekily.
“Or you could just buy everyone else more presents and even things up.” Olivia gave him a caustic look and resumed wrapping. “I just love Christmas, don't you?”
“Uh huh.”
“Isn't it just a wonderful time of the year? I love the shopping, the lights, the mistletoe,” he said, pausing to lean over and kiss Olivia for the sixth or seventh time in the past half hour.
“Shouldn't I be kissing you under your ear? That's where the mistletoe is hanging,” Olivia observed.
“Stop being such a stickler for accuracy,” Richard replied. “On second thought,” he said, leaning forward again, “I rather like it when you kiss that spot.” Olivia pushed him away, ignoring his pout.
“We're supposed to be wrapping presents, remember?”
“Grinch!” Olivia stuck out her tongue and Richard turned away from her with mock petulance. “Oh, man! Don't make me wrap this!”
“Why not?”
“It's a ball! How the heck does a person wrap a ball?”
“One lays it on a sheet of that tissue paper over there, gathers up the edges and ties a ribbon around it. I could have sworn I told you that an hour ago.”
“Oh,” Richard said as he rose and went over to a chair near the window, where the roll of tissue paper sat amid an assortment of vividly colored papers. As he grabbed hold of it he caught a glimpse of the street outside. “Livy! It's snowing!”
“No surprise there; the weather report said we'd get four to six inches by daybreak tomorrow.”
“Not enough for sledding,” Richard said glumly as he continued to stare out the window.
“Sledding? Richard, where are you going to go sledding in New York City on a Thursday night?”
“I was thinking about Saturday morning in Connecticut. It's time we introduced the little guys to--.”
“No! No, no, no, no, no! You are not taking my sons to Suicide Hill!”
Richard burst into laughter.
“Don't be ridiculous! We'll start them out with something small. I was thinking more along the lines of just putting them on the sleds and taking a walk.”
“Why don't we try out their new snowshoes?”
“Those are Christmas presents!”
“I know, Richard, but the boys don't know that! We could all go snowshoeing together.”
“We could all go sledding together,” Richard asserted.
“No way. I took one sled ride down Suicide Hill with you and that was enough. I'm never going near you with a sled in your hands again. I still can't believe Lizzy rode down that hill with William twice.”
“I should have married her when I had the chance. I like a woman with guts,” Richard teased.
“I have guts,” Olivia replied, tossing a roll of ribbon at him. “And I intend to have them remain where they are. They're called internal organs for a reason, you know.” Richard laughed and returned to his former position on the sofa. “Besides, you may like a woman with guts; you adore me. What did you do with the tape?”
Richard rose to collect the tape and the roll of ribbon before sitting down again.
“I do adore you,” he admitted happily. “I just wish you weren't such a wimp.”
“You married a wimp. Live with it.”
“I am; very happily, in fact,” he said. He kissed Olivia yet again and returned to his task. “Where are my presents? Richard asked sometime later as he tucked a wooden tree ornament into the ribbon on his last package.
“I thought they were right in front of you,” Olivia replied absently as she struggled with a bow.
“No, not the presents I'm giving; the presents I'm getting.” Olivia looked up suspiciously.
“Most of them are in Connecticut. Why?”
“I want to see if there's anything I'm willing to give back in order to get a truck.” Olivia smiled and shook her head.
“It doesn't work that way, Fizz. I'm the one who makes the gift decisions.”
“But they're my gifts.”
”Not yet, they aren't,” Olivia shot back with a glance at the gaily-wrapped package that already bore her husband's name. “And if you get to look at your presents, do I get to look at mine?”
“We can negotiate under the mistletoe,” Richard said as he leaned closer to Olivia. He leaned further, invading her private space till she laid back on the couch. “Stop laughing,” he demanded as he closed the distance between their lips and kissed her. Olivia plucked the sprig of mistletoe from its place on his ear and held it over his head as they kissed, dropping it after a moment to run her hands through Richard's hair.
“That's enough,” Olivia said abruptly, pushing her still-eager husband away. “Let me up.”
“That's enough?” Richard said as he got to his feet and pulled her up.
“Thanks, babe.” Olivia kissed his cheek and ducked out of his reach as his arms sought to wend their way around her body. “I need to call Mina before ten.” She headed out to the kitchen with Richard in tow. Olivia spoke to both the housekeeper and the nanny, while Richard stared out the French doors leading to the small garden at the rear of their townhouse. As Olivia hung up the phone she heard Richard speak, but his voice seemed to trail off and she frowned and said “Hmm?” as she jotted down a note on her memo pad. Before she could turn a wet snowball hit her at the back of her neck.
“I said I wish I had my snow mittens in town,” Richard said. Olivia turned and glared at him, standing in the open doorway, a second snowball shaped and ready in his bare hands. “Could you make me another pair?”
“Don't you--! Richard!” He roared with laughter as Olivia screamed and charged him, spitting snow as she bore down on him. He turned and ran out into the yard, but Olivia froze in the doorway. “Come back here, you!”
“What did you say?” Richard said as Olivia ducked, so that the incoming snowball just grazed her left hip. She slid behind one of the doors so that she was shielded from further attack.
“Come back inside, you nut!” Olivia said, amused in spite of herself.
“Why don't you come out here and make me?”
“I'm not going out there! It's freezing!”
“I bet Lizzy would come out and play.”
“Oh, I think you grossly underestimate my friend's intelligence,” Olivia said as she ventured out from behind the door just a bit.
“Come on out. I promise not to throw anything at you.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Olivia asked as she very tentatively emerged and stepped out of doors.
“No,” Richard replied as a snowball hit her squarely in the chest. “Quite frankly I thought you were smarter than that.” Olivia bent to grab a handful of snow. A loose snowball exploded on her rear end.
“This is cold!” she cried as she tried to form a ball.
“It's snow,” Richard chuckled as he let loose another sphere. “It's supposed to be cold.”
“Where in our marriage vows,” Olivia shouted as she watched her snowball plummet to the ground a full two feet in front of Richard, “did it say anything about me being a target?” Olivia grimaced and shut her eyes as a snowball hit her chest once more. Then she felt Richard's body pressed tightly to hers as he wrapped his arms around her. She opened her eyes and saw him smiling.
“I love winter.”
“Yes, I suspected that.”
“We fell in love in the winter.”
“Technically, it was still fall,” Olivia pointed out as she slipped her chilled hands into Richard's rear pockets.
“We had our first great kiss in the snow, remember? The night we put up Fitz's tree?” Olivia nodded. “You had snowflakes on your lashes then, too. You looked so beautiful that night. That kiss was magic.”
“Was I blue?”
“Excuse me?”
“I must have been; I wasn't wearing a coat that night, either. I know I'm turning blue now.”
Richard sighed dramatically.
“Point taken.”
“Took you long enough. It's freezing out here!”
“Let's go inside and warm you, shall we?”
“Please?”
Richard smiled and scooped Olivia into his arms. He carried her inside and placed her on the counter while he secured the doors. Then he lifted her in his arms again.
“Where to?”
“Hmm,” Olivia said dreamily as she pondered her options.
“There's a nice warm fire in the study. We could have hot chocolate and cookies.”
Olivia shook her head, causing a small spray of melted snow to coat her face and Richard's. She smiled and gently wiped the water out of his eyes.
“Bedroom?” Richard suggested. Olivia nodded.
“I have a sudden longing for nice, warm flannel jammies, and heavy comforters,” she said.
“May I suggest an alternative?” Richard said as the couple ascended the stairs.
“I'd be shocked if you didn't,” Olivia smiled. She kissed his nose and Richard went slightly cross-eyed, briefly reminding her of kissing her sons.
“They say that the best way to warm someone is with body heat. Direct skin to skin contact is most efficient, actually.”
“I'm not that cold,” Olivia said as Richard bent to lay her on the bed. He promptly lifted her again. “No! All right! Uncle! Put me down,” she cried as she wriggled out of his arms. “You can have your skin to skin contact.”
“You make that sound like a bad thing,” Richard complained as he helped her peel off her damp turtleneck and camisole.
“It is, sometimes. Skin to skin contact with you can be very dangerous,” Olivia said suggestively.
“Dangerous? Little old me?”
“Yes, little old you. You have a tendency to go from `warming' to `broil' without warning. A girl can get burned if she's not too careful.”
Richard ran warm hands down her bare torso.
“You can take the heat,” he said huskily. He released his wife to pull off his sweater and tee shirt while Olivia quickly shucked the rest of her clothing and dove under the covers of the massive bed. Richard went into the bathroom to towel off his hair and laughed at the sight he beheld on his return. “Comfortable?”
“Yes. I'm not so sure I need any skin to skin contact, after all,” Olivia teased from under the thick duvet.
“Oh? Well, in that case, I've got a bit more wrapping to do.” Richard said soberly. He turned and left the room. Olivia was a bit surprised by his remark, but she knew her husband well and stayed put. She stretched out in the bed and luxuriated in the space. Usually, when she was in bed with Richard, she was confined to a narrow sliver of the mattress. He tended to snuggle close and wrap his body around hers, trapping her on the edge of the bed. Being able to stretch out in the middle of the bed was a rare occurrence and she took advantage of it.
After about ten minutes, however, Olivia rose and went to do her evening ablutions. When she came out of the bathroom, she slipped into her warm robe and, holding it closed, she went down to check on Richard, her curiosity getting the better of her. He was not in the study as she suspected. There was, however, a present sitting on the coffee table that she had not seen before. It was wrapped in purple paper with silver ribbon, a sure sign that the present was meant for her. She lifted the package and shook it, curious as to what it might hold. It was about four inches square and two inches high, so she assumed that it might be jewelry.
“You know, if I sniffed around like that, you'd be all over me,” Richard said from behind her. Olivia laid the package down and turned around.
“Guilty as--.” She turned to face him and was hit squarely on her chest with a snowball. “Richard Fitzwilliam!” He laughed and pulled her body to his. She let out a cry when her bare skin came into contact with his chest as Richard slipped his hands inside her robe and wrapped his arms around her. “What have you been doing? You're as cold as ice!”
“I was trying to cool off a little before coming to bed,” he said easily.
“You went outside with no shirt on? Are you mad? Never mind; I withdraw the question.” Olivia said as she began to briskly rub Richard's arms and shoulders. “How long were you outside?” she asked as she reached around to his back and ran her hands over the cold, clammy skin.
“Long enough to make the idea of skin to skin contact with me palatable again,” Richard replied calculatingly. Olivia dropped her hands and rolled her eyes.
“Oh, Fizz! Come on, let's get you up to bed,” she said as she took hold of Richard's hand. He didn't move.
“Aren't you forgetting something?” Richard glanced at the box on the table significantly. Olivia looked at it, too.
“It's not Christmas yet.”
“When have I ever waited for a holiday to give you a present?” Richard asked as he picked up the package. “Come on.” He turned off the lamp and led the way upstairs. He placed the box on Olivia's nightstand before removing his boots and his remaining clothing. Olivia slipped out of her robe and awaited him under the covers. Richard slid between the sheets and nestled his head into a comfortable position on Olivia's chest.
“Your hair is wet and your ear is freezing,” Olivia grumbled good-naturedly as she stroked his cold cheek.
“Your feet are cold,” Richard countered.
“Cold feet, warm heart,” she countered.
“Isn't that `cold hands'?” Richard said, turning his head slightly to look into her eyes. “Speaking of which...” He ran a still-chilled hand along Olivia's torso.
“Richard, that is cold!”
“So warm me,” he challenged, carefully turning over to look Olivia in the eye. She immediately took up the challenge pulling his face into a searing kiss. He moaned in response and Olivia began to giggle. “What are you laughing at?” Richard asked between kisses to her throat.
“One kiss and you're already on simmer.”
“Lady, you need a thermometer! I passed simmer when we were still downstairs.”
“Where are you then?” Olivia's eyes suddenly went wide as Richard's hand began to explore. “Never mind; it's quite obvious you're sizzling.”
“At the very least,” Richard mumbled.
“Maybe I should bring up a thermometer next time we're here,” Olivia said. Richard silenced her with a kiss. “And a fire extinguisher.”
“If you can't take the heat--,” he began, but Olivia quickly put her hand to his mouth.
“If you're planning on calling me a wimp again, I am so ready to prove you wrong,” she said boldly. Richard's smile peered out from both sides of her hand. She pulled it away, tracing the tips of her fingers lightly over his lips as she did so. Richard took that as his signal to start gathering his evidence. To his delight, Olivia offered up ample proof for his examination.
Later that evening, Olivia snuggled in the warmth provided by her husband's arms. She glanced up and saw that Richard was half asleep. She lightly pushed on his chest and he automatically slid over a few inches, pulling her with him. She pushed again and Richard moved again.
“If we go any farther you won't be able to reach your present,” Richard said drowsily.
“Oh! I completely forgot about it,” Olivia said as she sat up eagerly and reached for the box. As Richard had surmised, it was just barely within reach, since the couple was--temporarily, at least--lying in the middle of the king-sized bed. Olivia held up the box and carefully inspected it.
“Open it!” Richard said through a huge yawn. Olivia untied the ribbon and carefully opened the paper with careful deliberation. “You're just doing that to make me crazy, aren't you?” he groused. Olivia just laughed, but she gasped when she opened the jewelry case she found inside the robin's egg blue box.
“It's the Tiffany snowflake, just like the giant one hanging over the intersection of Fifth Avenue!”
“A reasonable facsimile, anyway; they wouldn't sell me the real one--not that it'd fit between your--.” Olivia looked up sharply. “Whereas, this one fits perfectly,” he smiled disarmingly. “And of course, it's considerably warmer than the other ones you tried on tonight.”
“Tried on?” Olivia exclaimed incredulously.
“Well, why did you think I went out back and sorted through all that--ouch!”
“Don't even try to tell me you found this in the garden,” Olivia cried as she punched his arm.
“I did, honest!” Richard said sincerely, as he took the box from Olivia and set it back on the night stand. He turned off the lamp and pulled her into his arms. “All right; the truth is I left it out there earlier and you were supposed to follow me into the garden so I could pin it on you when I appeared to be brushing off the snow on your chest. But it took me a few tries to hit the right spot and you were such a wimp I had to go to plan B.”
“Plan B?”
“The things I suffer for love,” Richard sighed. “I forgot about the box entirely when I brought you inside. I remembered it when we got upstairs, so I had to go back down for it. Then of course, I couldn't find the darn box in the snow. Then I had to come in and wrap it without proper supervision--.”
“You mean you went searching for it out there bare-chested?”
“What other man would have done that for you?” Olivia burst into laughter.
“No sane man, surely, but it is a beautiful pin. Thank you; I'll wear it to Lizzy and William's Christmas party Saturday night.”
“My thoughts exactly; it's the perfect accessory for a little black dress.”
“I hope that it also works for a little purple dress, because that's what I'm planning on wearing,” Olivia smiled.
“Whatever you're wearing, you'll look fabulous,” Richard said drowsily.
“Well, that has nothing to do with my wardrobe or my jewels, you know.” Richard kissed Olivia's hair and said “hmm?” “Everyone says I'm radiant and they always ask me why.”
“Do you send them to Grandma Bess?” Richard smiled.
“No; I usually just look at you and smile.” Richard lifted his head and opened his eyes to look at her.
“Oh. Well, in that case, I'm sorry about that snowball in your face.”
“What about the one on the back of my neck?”
“Hey, I had to get your attention!”
“Good night, Richard,” Olivia sighed. She snuggled in his arms with a smile on her face.
“Good night, Angel.”
The End