Chapter 5: Some Wishes Do Come True

Summary: Winter fun continues, Noah speaks his mind, and at least one decision is made.

Notes: Here we are, folks. The end of this happy little holiday tale. Hope you all enjoyed it and thank you to everyone who commented, I sincerely appreciate it. Now it's time to get back to wrapping up The Space Between.

Noah was the first to wake up the morning after Rafa arrived. Snuggled deep under the warm covers, he rolled over to face the bed where his Momma and Rafa were still asleep. His lips split into a broad grin at the sight of his Momma cuddled up in Uncle Rafa's arms. Even though the adults were sound asleep, he could tell they were happy and in love. His little boy heart swelled with joy, and he let his mind drift to daydreams of what it would be like if they were a real family.

The feel of a warm embrace pulling her closer roused Liv from her slumber. She inhaled deeply, Rafa's signature scent surrounding her, and she snuggled further into his warm body. That was the best night's sleep she had the entire trip, and it was entirely due to the man sleeping next to her. Finally opening her eyes, Liv spotted Noah gazing in their direction, brimming with utter happiness.

"What has you so happy, sweet boy?" she whispered unable to hold back her own broad smile.

Noah snuggled into his pillow for a moment before replying, "Uncle Rafa's here and he makes you happy. Now we're all happy and can have fun together!" His voice started at a whisper but increased in volume until he was nearly shouting with glee.

"You both make Rafa happy, too, mijo," Rafa's said gruffly as Noah's voice woke him, his face buried in the hair at the back of Liv's neck. "Maybe just not at that decibel."

Patting Rafa's arm, Liv asked, "What kind of fun are we having today?"

The little boy launched into an explanation of all the things they still have left to do including skiing, ice skating, and horse-drawn sleigh riding. With a soft chuckle, Rafa moved his lips close to Liv's ear. "I'm going to need coffee. Lots and lots of coffee," he murmured before nipping softly at the delicate flesh of her ear lobe.

"You and me both," she sighed as a most pleasant shiver ran down her back. Returning her focus to her son, she said, "Why don't you go brush your teeth and take a shower, Noah. Once we are all cleaned up, we'll go have breakfast at Dasher's and settle on today's adventure."

The little boy shot out of the bed toward the bathroom, eager to get the day started.

"Now I have about 10 minutes to show you how much I've missed you," Liv said as she rolled over to face Rafa, her fingertips tracing softly down the side of his face. "You are so handsome."

"Mi amor." He gazed at her with fathomless green eyes before their lips and tongues collided.

Rafa held the door to Dasher's Diner open for Liv and Noah to pass through before he followed. Noah already told him every detail about the restaurant, and as he observed the small-town diner in person, he was impressed with Noah's recall of the minutiae. They seated themselves at a booth, the adults snuggled close on one side and Noah on the opposite side of the table.

"Good morning! What a beautiful family you three make!" Dotti greeted once she arrived at their booth. Word traveled fast through the townsfolk after Jack was turned down by the lovely Olivia at the arrival of her big city boyfriend. Now that she could see for herself how handsome the boyfriend was, and how adoringly the whole family gazed at each other, Dotti knew that Jack, or any other man for that matter, never stood a chance.

"Oh, thank you, Dotti! This is my boyfriend, Rafael," Liv introduced them, tangling her fingers with Rafa's on the table.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rafa greeted with his crooked smile.

"Likewise," Dotti breathed, completely charmed by those sparkling green eyes. "What can I get for you three?"

Orders for coffee, chocolate milk, waffles, and breakfast sandwiches were placed, and Dotti bustled off to the kitchen.

"What do you think about going skiing today?" Liv asked her boys.

"Works for me," Rafa replied, placing a sweet kiss on her cheek. They both turned to Noah awaiting his response only to find him smiling broadly at the two of them. "What?"

"I love you, Momma and Rafa," Noah replied without hesitation, causing Liv to feel like she would melt into a puddle full of love.

"We love you, too, Noah," Rafa replied, his voice cracking with emotion. Clearing his throat, he redirected the conversation. "So, skiing?"

"Yes!" Noah declared. "Have you ever been skiing before, Rafa?"

"Yes, lots of times. I've even skied in Switzerland. Have you ever been skiing, mijo?"

"No," Noah replied shaking his head sadly. "Is it hard?"

"It can be if you start out on the tougher slopes. But we'll start with a lesson and the bunny slopes, those are the easiest. I think you'll get the hang of it pretty quick, Noah," Rafa explained, easing Noah's anxiety.

"Ok, you'll help me though, right?"

"Of course, mijo!" Rafa smiled, touched that Noah wanted his help.

An hour later, they were geared up at the bottom of the bunny slope, ready for Noah's 30-minute beginner skiing lesson. Liv and Rafa watched proudly as Noah followed the instructor's directions to the letter. They stayed at the bottom of the hill when the instructor showed the class how to get on the ski lift and took them on their first run, Rafa proudly taking pictures of his special boy.

Soon enough, the three of them piled onto the ski lift to do their first run together. Liv was nervous, she hadn't been skiing in years, and it was no surprise when she wiped out the moment she got off of the ski lift.

With gut-deep hysterical laughter, Noah and Rafa helped her out of the way of other skiers exiting the lift, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Keep it up, you two," she growled, tossing snow at them as they continued laughing. Their merriment was contagious, though, and Liv soon found herself joining in. "Maybe I should have signed up for the beginner lesson, too."

The family of three began their slow slalom down the snow-covered hill, dodging other skiers as they curved back and forth across the slope. Rafa was itching to take off and feel the wind in his hair, but he held back to keep an eye on Noah. He was proud of the boy for how well he took to the slopes, only falling twice when he lost balance trying to avoid slamming into someone. Liv, on the other hand, spent more time on her ass than she did upright on her skis. She never gave up, though, and Rafa flashed her a loving smile. After a few runs on the easy slopes, Liv knew Rafa wanted more of a challenge and waved him off to the black diamond level slopes. His skills were wasted on the bunny slopes.

"Just don't break your neck, dear," she teased receiving an eye roll in return before he skied off.

Her enthusiasm for the adventure waned long before Noah's did, but the enticing offer of hot chocolate and snacks lured the young boy into the lodge when Liv's body could take no more. They sat in comfy lounge chairs by the floor to ceiling windows sipping from their mugs and watching skiers come flying down the mountain trails.

Noah was practically vibrating in his seat as he looked between his mom and the skiers down below. She knew he was dying to ask a question and her curiosity was piqued. "What's on your mind, sweet boy?"

Turning wide blue eyes on her, Noah inhaled a deep breath. "Can Rafa come live with us? I mean, he's over all the time and we love him and we're unhappy when he's not around and I'd like him to be around more and I know you do, too."

His words came out in a rush and Liv needed a moment to process. Her heart skipped a beat hearing that her sweet boy wanted Rafa to live with them, that he loved the man that much. It was more than she ever hoped for, really. She'd noticed, too, how Noah dropped the use of 'Uncle' since Rafa arrived in Vermont. She couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before Noah wanted to start calling him dad or papi.

"Momma?" Noah questioned, concerned that she had a blank look on her face.

Blinking, Liv focused on her son. She hadn't realized she zoned out in thought for so long. "Sweet boy, would you really like it Rafa moved in with us? You would have to listen to him like you do me and do what he tells you."

"I know, I already do that!" Noah exclaimed. "He's an adult and if he lives with us, I will listen to him like he's my dad." After a beat, he added shyly, "Maybe he can even become my dad."

Heart clenching, Liv pulled her son in for a tight hug, placing a kiss on his soft curly hair. "Maybe one day he will, Noah. I'm sure he would like that. He loves you so much. But let's take it one step at a time for now, ok?"

At his nod, Liv continued, "I would love for Rafa to move in with us, sweet boy. We haven't talked about it yet, but he loves us, and we love him, so we can all talk about it together. How does that sound?"

"Ok," Noah replied, satisfied that his mom wanted the same thing, and they would talk about it with Rafa together. "There's Rafa!" he exclaimed moments later when he spotted the man swooshing down the tail end of a slope. Even from that distance, Noah could see the pink-cheeked exhilaration on Rafa's face as he glided closer to the lodge. As if he could feel Noah's piercing gaze on him, the man looked up at the windows and waved while he skied towards the equipment rental area. Minutes later, Rafa joined them in the lodge.

"Did you have fun?" Liv asked as he gave her a soft kiss, savoring the lingering taste of chocolate from her drink on her lips.

Shrugging his shoulders and sliding into the seat next to Liv, he replied, "I mean, it's no Swiss Alps, but it was fun."

"Uh huh," Liv rolled her eyes with a teasing smile. "Maybe next time you can treat us to Christmas in the Alps."

"Maybe," he smirked charmingly. Rafa turned to Noah, pulling the young boy onto his lap. "How about you, mijo. Did you have fun?"

"I had the most fun! That was awesome!" Noah bounced with excitement. "I can't wait to do it again sometime."

"Maybe that would be a great activity for the two of you while I hit the spa next time," Liv said with a chuckle, leaning into Rafa's side. "I don't think my body can handle those kinds of falls anymore."

They ended up staying for dinner at the lodge before heading back to the inn for the night. As Liv drove along the winding road back to Christmas Village, a large deer raced across the roadway about 50 feet in front of them. Noah caught sight of it and said, "That silly deer needs to be careful and look both ways before crossing the street."

They adults laughed and Rafa added, "In New York, that would be considered jay walking."

The rest of their Vermont trip was spent going on adventures during the day and cuddling in front of the fireplace in the evenings. They all went ice skating, sledding, walking through town, and even built another snowman.

On their last day, Rafa booked a late morning horse-drawn sleigh ride that took them down Main Street and through a snow-covered valley. It was an hour-long tour and they sat in the sleigh, Noah in the middle, covered with a large fleece blanket. The crunch of the snow beneath the horses' hooves was mesmerizing in its cadence.

"This really does feel like we're in the North Pole, on our way to visit Santa," Liv said watching the snow-capped trees glisten in the winter sun.

"It's just as cold as the North Pole, too," Rafa said, teeth chattering as he shivered. Noah giggled and climbed into his lap, tucking extra bits of the blanket around them to seal in the warmth. "Thank you, mijo. That's much better."

On the return leg of the tour, when they were nearly back to where the sleigh ride started, Noah could not contain himself any longer. His mom said they would take about it with Rafa, but it had been days, and nothing was said about Rafa moving in with them. Adults just made everything more difficult and took for-ev-er to do things. It was time to take matters into his own hands.

"Rafa?"

"Yeah buddy?"

"Do you want to move in with me and Momma?"

Rafa froze, his wide green eyes shot to meet Liv's gaze. Her eyes were wide with surprise as well, but they quickly warmed as she flashed him an adoring smile.

"Well, that wasn't quite how I planned to ask you, but we would both love it if you would come live with us," she said, her steady voice and gleam in her deep brown eyes conveying how much she meant the words. She quickly added, "But no pressure though."

A quick shake of his head later, Rafa gazed at her with a dazed smile, strong arms pulling the boy in his lap closer to his chest. "I swear sometimes it feels like you Bensons can read my thoughts. I've been thinking for days how I should breach this conversation."

"Oh?" Liv asked, eyebrows raised in amazement.

"I would love to move in with you both," he breathed, tugging Liv closer to him and kissing her soundly, Noah's delighted squeals ringing in their ears and causing the horses pulling the sleigh to whinny.

Feeling very proud and accomplished, Noah puffed out his chest. When they broke apart from the kiss, he blurted, "Will you ask Momma to marry you now so you can be my Papi?"

"Noah!" Liv exclaimed, blushing as Rafa laughed.

"Soon, mijo." Rafa replied with a conspiratorial wink. Tilting his head closer to the boy in his lap, Rafa whispered, "We'll have to wait and see what wishes Santa grants."