December is when things get really busy at work. She's scrambling to get everything together for the end of the year reports. She's wrapping her first web series and putting together a holiday party for her few employees. It's worse than any finals week she ever experienced in college or in grad school, mostly because it lasts nearly all month. She's sleep deprived, stressed, and she can't wait for Christmas, even if it means constant engagement hints from her mother despite the fact that this is their first Christmas as a couple.
Darcy is swamped as well. It's not as bad for him because he has a lot more employees to help him out, but things are busy. It's halfway through December when he realizes they haven't decorated their condo (she moved in at the end of the summer once she decided to stop pretending she actually used her apartment).
She tells him she won't be back until late and that she's really sorry she's missing dinner again. He understands. He experienced the same thing when he succeeded his father and he wasn't in the same position as her. Pemberley Digital was established and there were plenty of people to help him; Lizzie is doing nearly everything on her own. He hates that it means they can't spend as much time together, but he's so proud of her. Lizzie Bennet Productions has really taken off and he's really enjoyed watching her first web series.
He sees how hard she is working and wants to surprise her with something nice. On his way home from the office he stops and gets everything he needs to decorate the apartment. They used to go all out for Christmas when his parents were still alive. He and Gigi never really decorated other than putting up an artificial tree after they were gone; they always spent Christmas skiing so there was no point in decorating a house they wouldn't be spending any time in. They won't be spending Christmas at the condo, but a little Christmas spirit wouldn't hurt.
They're spending the actual holiday at her parents' house and leaving on the twenty-sixth for Tahoe. He took her for a late summer getaway to the mountains, but it will be her first time skiing. He's excited to teach her and she's moderately excited to learn. Mostly, he's excited to sit by the fire with her and spend a week together without having to work.
He wraps every railing with garland and sets up the tree in the bay window. He strings the lights, but leaves the tree otherwise bare. He had to go up to the attic to collect the boxes of ornaments from his childhood home. When he opened the box, he found too many memories. The ornaments are nice and meaningful, but this is his first Christmas with Lizzie. He wants them to create their own memories around ornaments.
Even though she reassures him she'll eat something, he knows the chances of that happening are pretty slim. He orders food from her favorite takeout place and keeps it in the warming drawer so she'll have something hot to eat when she gets home, whenever that is.
He sits on the couch and responds to emails while he waits for her. Since she's moved in, he's tried to keep his work and personal lives separate but justifies that if she's working he should be able to too.
She finally walks through the door at eleven and finds her way into his arms.
"William, this looks great." She says taking in all of the garland. She's glad he went for the real stuff because it smells like pine and she can't help but grin.
"Thank you. Are you hungry? I have dinner."
"I'm starving, you're the best." She wraps her arms tightly around his waist and he leads her into the kitchen.
He sits with her at the counter while she eats, listening to how her day went and how much she likes the decorations.
"We still need to decorate the tree," he tells her.
"Do you have any ornaments?" she asks between bites of spaghetti.
"There are some in boxes upstairs, but they're ornaments from my childhood. I thought we could get our own."
"I don't mind using your ornaments. I think it'd be nice." She sees the disapproval on his face. "You don't want to use them, then?"
"I don't. I, it's just that there are a lot of memories attached to them. It's not that they're sad memories; some of them are tied to my happiest memories, but I want to have our own set of ornaments. I want to make our own memories."
"William," she begins, "that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I want to make our own memories too."
"Then it's settled. We'll get some ornament this weekend and decorate the tree."
"I still can't believe you did all of this. It was so sweet."
"I thought it would be nice to have some holiday cheer. You've been working hard."
"Thank you so much. This was the nicest surprise. I love you so much."
"I love you too."
That weekend, they go out and acquire a set of ornaments for the tree. Some are traditional glass balls while the rest have something to do with their relationship. They revisit the all place he and Gigi took her on the San Francisco tour and buy ornaments from the tourist shops at each location. He somehow finds a store that sells novelty ornaments including a bowtie. It's incredibly cheesy but they want their ornaments to mean something to them.
They make a choice to buy ornaments everywhere they go as a couple. They have a nice collection by the following Christmas, including from the estate in England where they got engaged. Over the years they add ornaments from their honeymoon, and later, (but not that much later) a "baby's first Christmas" ornament.