"The Christmas Wish"
By Rita Widmer
Summary: Will Stella's Christmas wish finally come true this year?
Author's Note: Please leave feedback, good or bad, and if you haven't read my last story "Dream" please check it out.
"Dear Santa,
My wish for Christmas hasn't changed this year. I don't blame you for not giving me my Christmas wish in past years, because it's not your fault he hasn't been ready, but I think this year he just might. So this year, I ask you to give Mac Taylor a little push my way so I can show him that he can love once again in his life and forever more.
Love,
Stella Bonasera"
Stella looked down at her latest letter to Santa Claus. Since Christmas of 2002, she had been writing to him to give her Mac Taylor for her present underneath the tree. In some ways, maybe Santa did give her him by keeping him in her life even if it wasn't romantically.
After their evening of giving to the kids at the hospital, she could no longer deny something was changing in their relationship. They had touched, hugged before but it was usually connected to giving the other comfort. The hug they shared that evening was out of pure joy in being together.
She read her letter again, and she wondered if she was giving it to the right person. Maybe the person who needed to read it was Mac himself. It was a riskier move on her part, because she would be making that first move instead of Mac.
Looking through the glass, she could see him sitting in his office studying some report in front of him.
'Just ask him over to dinner, and give him the letter,' she thought to herself. 'It is Christmas after all. It was the season of miracles.'
Before the courage could dissolve within her, she stood up from her desk, and headed to his office.
He looked up as she walked into his office, and gave her a crooked smile. A smile she was seeing more often these days.
"Neither one of us has a case to work on and you get off in an hour, and I'm heading home now." She took a breath before continuing. "How about coming to my place for dinner after work?"
With abated breath, she waited for him to answer. He stared in her eyes for what seemed like minutes before saying, "Can I bring something?"
"Just yourself, that's all I want." She almost giggled at how his eyebrows shot up at that. "Ever wanted, Mac." She smiled at him before turning around to head back to her own office.
MSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMS
Stella smiled at the feast cooking before her. Somehow earlier in the week when she was grocery shopping she knew she needed the food for a special Christmas dinner. Everything needed to cook a little longer, so she set out to set the table. Two tall candles lit in the middle gave it a romantic air. The dishes were her best set, and after arranging things 10 times she finally decided it was perfect.
Grabbing the letter from her jacket, she set it on the coffee table, and made an envelope with his name on front. Writing another note for him, she taped it to the outside of her door for him to read. Then when her apartment looked set, she went to get herself ready.
Twenty minutes later, she heard him enter the apartment, and the scrunch of the couch told her he was following the directions of the note. She peeked out of her bedroom door to see him looking at the envelope. The investigator in him finally gave in and he opened it.
She could see the different emotions cross his face as he realized what it was saying. Then she heard her name softly whispered to the apartment.
She finally got the courage to enter the living room. When they were standing facing each other, she watched for a moment as he opened his mouth several times to say something but nothing came out.
"There's only one thing I need to know. Are you ready for me…forever? Because that is all I'm interested in this is no short term romance for me or a try out. If you aren't ready or if you don't think you can ever love me then just say so right now and we'll sit down to dinner and go back to being friends soon forgotten. Nothing will change if you don't want it to."
"I do want this, but I'm afraid."
She could give him plenty of platitudes but she knew the only way to assure him. She gently took his hands in hers, and wrapped his arms around her. "How's that?"
"Good."
"How about this?" She leaned in and kissed him softly before she felt his arms move to hold her tightly against him and the deepening of the kiss was completely led by him. In the back of her mind, she heard the ding of the timer telling her the food was ready, and slowly they ended the kiss. Leaning her head against she shoulder, she whispered, "I love you now and forever. All I need from you is that in return."
He kissed her earlobe before whispering in return, "I do love you Stella, but right now I'm starving for that delicious smelling dinner you're cooking."
She laughed, and they slowly let go of each other, almost as if they were afraid to lose the connection.
MSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMS
Christmas, 2010
"Dear Santa,
Last year I wished for the love of Mac, and now I have it. He proposed on Valentine's Day and we were married in April. After 7 years of asking for the same thing this year I ask for something new.
I found out yesterday, I was expecting a little baby. Will you promise to give it every Christmas wish? And hopefully not make it wait for 7 years to receive it in the form asked.
Love,
Stella Taylor"
"Another letter to Santa?" Mac asked his wife.
"Yes, I have a new wish for him to grant."
"You have me, what more could you want?"
"Egotistic," she laughed, "Last year all I needed was you, but this year I have to think about someone else."
"Who?"
"Our child."
Their laughter rang out around the apartment, and Stella couldn't help thinking she never heard him laugh as much as she had the past year. She made him happy and he made her happy. It wasn't a perfect life but as close as they could make it.
The End