CC tucked her legs underneath her and pulled the throw around herself securely. She had turned off all the lamps in the house, but she'd plugged in the colored lights on the Christmas tree, and a fire still crackled brightly in the fireplace. She leaned forward and plucked a candy cane off a protruding branch and nibbled at the end of it, gazing at the tree. She glanced down at her watch.

11:30.He should be home by now. She sucked at the end of the candy cane. I wish he didn't have to work late nights. I wish I could fall asleep without him. I wonder if other wives need their husbands as much as I need mine.Maybe I should make some girlfriends and ask them about it. A quiet noise from the baby monitor by her side interrupted her ruminations. She turned up the volume, wondering if she needed to go check on her baby, but she was quickly comforted by the gentle smacking sounds that her daughter made so frequently since she'd begun teething. CC set down the baby monitor and smiled to herself. No one had been more surprised than her when she'd fallen instantly in love with her baby girl. CC had taken to motherhood as naturally as if she were navigating a multimillion-dollar business deal, and moreover, she was having fun. As tiring as it was, CC loved being a mother.

Just as CC had begun to settle back into the sofa, she heard the muffled jingle of Niles' keys in the front door. She twisted around to watch him come in, a relieved smile tugging at her lips. Niles opened the door, and a draft of icy air followed him inside. From her nest on the sofa, CC observed that the snow had stopped falling, but the air was so cold she could actually see the hovering frost.

"Shut the door, servant, it's colder than a well digger's butt out there!" CC said, her eyes dancing.

"I'll take your word for it, darling. You're the one with enough experience to tell," he replied, shrugging out of his coat and pulling off his boots.

"You're a pathetic excuse for a man," CC told him, tipping her face upward for his kiss as he approached the back of the couch.

"Ditto," he replied, smiling, and lowered his mouth onto hers.

After several long moments of breathless kissing, CC pulled her lips from Niles'. They smiled at each other gently.

"You taste like peppermint," breathed Niles.

"You smell like snow," replied CC. Then she held out her arms. "Come here."

Niles circled around the end of the couch and eased onto the cushions. CC lifted the edge of her throw and tucked it in around Niles as he slid an arm around her back and pulled her legs over his own. CC finished tending to the blanket and rested her head against Niles' shoulder. They sat quietly for a moment, snuggling together in front of their fireplace and contemplating their Christmas tree.