Carrie stood near the window in the front of their apartment, looking out at Christmas on Park Avenue. There was nothing like Christmas in New York and Carrie always managed to get inspiration from it when she was having writers block.
She hadn't had writers block in awhile though. Ever since she got married and found out she was pregnant, it seemed like the words couldn't get on her computer screen fast enough. But this week, on Christmas Eve, she was at a loss. It seemed like she wasn't even thinking, her mind was just blank. It had been this way since her husband had informed her that he had to fly to Paris for a business emergency and that he was going to be away for Christmas.
Sure Paris was a special place for both of them; ever since she had looked up from her broken necklace and saw him standing before her. She would always love Paris because that was where the man she loved for as long as she could remember finally admitted that he loved her too, the way that she wanted to be loved. She would always love that bridge and she could even remember the light post that they stood in front of when he pulled a diamond ring from his pocket and asked her to marry him.
Normally she would have just gone with him and they could spend their first Christmas together in Paris, but she according to her doctor, she was not allowed to set foot on a plane until the baby was born. Her pregnancy was not at all expected, but three months after they were married, as the blazing summer set in over New York, she realized that she was late.
Just as Miranda had done two years before, she took multiple pregnancy tests one day when he was at work, all which confirmed her suspicions. And just to be sure, she made an appointment with her doctor that afternoon, who confirmed that the tests were correct and she was in fact expecting.
She was nervous about telling her husband. They had never really talked about having children and she wasn't sure how he was going to react. He always seemed to light up around Brady and Charlotte's daughter Elizabeth, and they just adored their "Uncle John," but she wasn't certain that he would be thrilled about having a child of their own.
But he surprised her yet again. He was persistent in his questioning about why she was acting so strange at dinner that night, and finally she gave in and told him that she was expecting their first child. For a moment he sat in stunned silence, but slowly a huge smile spread across his face. He moved to the other side of the table and swept her up in his arms and kissed her passionately. When they pulled apart and she rested her head against his chest, a smile spread across her face as well as she felt his hand slide protectively over her still flat stomach.
He was extremely supportive as she fought morning sickness and severe pain in her back and ankles as the weight of the baby took a toll on her. But he was there, holding her hair back or rubbing her feet when he got home from work. And he never missed a doctor's appointment either. She even thought that she saw him get a little teary when they heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time, but he wouldn't admit it when she called him on it in the cab on the way home. And she would never forget the proud smile on his face when the doctor informed them that they were having a girl.
But then there was some major crisis at work and he was the only one who could fix the problem in Paris. He had a strange look on his face when he came home from work that night, and she knew immediately that something was wrong. And when he told her, and she begged him not to go, and he said he had no choice, the only thing left for her to do was wrap herself in his strong and reassuring embrace and cry softly against his shoulder.
So she stood at the front door of their building as he handed the cab driver his bag, kissed him goodbye and nodded softly when he said that he would do everything that he could to make it back in time for Christmas. And then he was gone.
After multiple calls from Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, all asking her to spend the holiday with them, and her turning them all down, she stood alone in their dark apartment, save the soft glow from the Christmas tree, looking at New York below her.
"Well little one," Carrie whispered as she rubbed her hand over her protruding stomach, "I guess it's just going to be you and me. Since your daddy's not here, there nothing left to do except get some sleep."
And with a flick of the light switch, she made her way into their bedroom, a single tear rolling down her cheek.
The next morning…
As the morning sunlight shone in through the bedroom window, Carrie was gently roused from her sleep. Stretching out her cramped back, she leaned over and saw that the other side of the bed was still empty.
Sighing, she swung her practically round body out of bed and reached for a hair tie on the nightstand to tie back her hair. But instead of finding the black tie that she left there the previous night, her hand touched something pointier.
Looking down at her nightstand she saw a miniature Eifel tower. Picking it up, she saw that there was a little gold plate at the bottom of the tower that read "Baby's First Christmas."
"What the…how did this get here?" she questioned to the empty room. Sliding her feet into her slippers, she rushed out into the living room, hoping to find the only thing that she wanted this year for Christmas.
"Looking for something?" came a voice from behind her.
Spinning on her heel, Carrie turned to find her husband standing behind her, a tired smile across his distinctive features.
"How did you get here?" she asked, not really sure that he was standing in front of her.
"Well it took a really look time, but I realized that the only place I wanted to be for Christmas was here with you. So I took the first flight from Paris with the staff in Paris communicating with me by email, but not until tomorrow. And here I am."
"I can't believe it," she choked out, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Closing the space between them, he gently wrapped her in his arms and whispered in her ear, "I love you Carrie and it was stupid for me to leave. I only want to be here with you this Christmas, and I promise that I will be here for all of our Christmas' and when you need me. Always."
Smiling into his shoulder, she let out a small laugh and said, "Good. Cause the only thing that I want for Christmas is you," before kissing him.