Raquel needed several days to recover from her ordeal. The pain had gone, but she was weak and shivery, and she slept most of the day. Whenever she woke up, no matter what time of the day or night, Sergio was by her side. She urged him to go to bed and get some decent sleep himself, but he stubbornly refused and simply napped in his chair. Several times, she was sorely tempted to ask him if he wanted to come sleep next to her again, but she knew he'd only done that because of exceptional circumstances, and she didn't want to ask too much of him. Still, it didn't keep her from remembering how wonderful it had felt when he had taken her in his arms, and she desperately wished it could happen again – that he would lie close to her again, and hold her, or at least hold her hand again. But he hadn't touched her since they had woken up together, and he'd turned very red and apologized and hurried out of bed. She knew she wasn't supposed to fall in love with him – she knew it was hopeless, but the way he had cared for her over the past few days had made her feelings for him so much stronger, and she didn't know what to do about them except ignore them and hope they'd go away. Every once in a while, though, she was awake while he was sleeping in his chair, and then she watched his face in the firelight, and wished that she could kiss him.

…

He watched her sleep for hours and hours. His relief that she'd recovered was immeasurable – the thought of losing another person he cared for to this horrible drug had been unbearable to him, and though he knew it had been a thousand times worse for her, the withdrawal had been hard on him too. Again and again, he remembered how she'd cried, how she'd held on to him so desperately, how she'd asked him to help her, and his heart broke all over again – if he could have taken on the pain instead of her, he would have done so in a heartbeat. But he also remembered getting in the bed with her, he remembered how she'd curled up against him and how she'd fit so perfectly in his arms. He'd never held another person like that, so close and intimate, and every time he thought back to that night, he was filled with a curious longing to do it again – but unfortunately he had no excuse anymore now that she felt better. He felt like he'd already overstepped her boundaries by staying in the bed with her all night, but he hadn't wanted to wake her when she was finally sleeping soundly – at least, that's what he told himself.

After three days of recovery, she was finally able to get out of bed again, just in time for the family to arrive. They came to celebrate Christmas with him every year, arriving a few days beforehand and staying for three weeks. It was a time he always looked forward to, as Tatiana and the children always decorated the house and filled it with singing and laughter, and it was the one time of the year when his brother actually stayed with his family the entire time. All in all, it was a time of the year he was very fond of, and he looked forward to sharing it with Raquel. The De Fonollosa household arrived in a whirlwind of noise and luggage and enthusiasm for the festivities, and Sergio hugged his brother and received a kiss from Tatiana, then Delia slipped her little hand in his and wouldn't let go again. He watched Raquel kiss his brother on the cheek, then hug Tatiana.

"My dear Raquel", Tatiana smiled. "It's so good to see you home again."

"Yes", Raquel smiled back. "It's good to be home."

Sergio felt a warm glow in his chest as he watched his family – all the people he loved together under his roof. It would be a wonderful three weeks.

To the utter delight of the children, it started to snow a few hours after they arrived, and it didn't stop snowing all night – it looked like they would have a white Christmas this year.

On the day of Christmas Eve, the women stayed home putting up candles and decorations of folded paper, while the children went out into the forest with Sergio and Andrés to select a tree that would serve as the Yule Log – a tree trunk that would be placed in the hearth of the drawing room, and that would burn for days, bringing good luck to the house. The children chose the tree, and Sergio and Andrés took turns with the axe until it fell down, then they attached ropes to it, and the smaller children rode on the log as they pulled it home through the snow. The older children skipped alongside and collected evergreen boughs to decorate the house with – branches of holly, ivy, hawthorn, and Christmas Rose. When they got home, they hung up the branches all over the house, and the smell of the greenery mingled with the delicious smells coming from the kitchen to create a truly festive atmosphere. In the evening, the Yule Log was lit with a lump of charcoal left over from last year's log, which Sergio had kept safe in a box all year, and they all sat around the fire and played games as the log blazed away.

On Christmas Day, they all went to church together, then came home to the Christmas feast – the table in the dining room was absolutely covered with dishes, including several types of sweets, and the children ate until they were bursting, then they flopped down in front of the fire and fell asleep in a heap, except for Delia, who had fallen in love with Clover, and spent an hour quietly on the hearth rug stroking the rabbit's velvety ears. In the afternoon, they all bundled up warm and went outside to play in the snow. Building snowmen quickly turned into throwing snowballs at each other, and soon there was an all-out war going on between Andrés and the boys on one side, and Raquel and the girls on the other, while Sergio and Tatiana stood to the side and watched it all unfold with amusement and raised eyebrows.

"Children really are little savages, aren't they?" Tatiana remarked. "Though our spouses aren't much better."

"I don't see the charm of it", Sergio said, shaking his head. "Throwing snow in each other's faces."

He was looking at Tatiana as he said it, and he paid dearly for his moment of inattention – before he knew what was happening, a big snowball had hit him on the side of the head, and he turned around in surprise to see Raquel and Delia bent over with laughter.

"Oh, very funny", he pretended to complain as he wiped away the snow. "Throwing missiles at a man still recovering from a bullet wound and a broken rib."

"You're perfectly fine", Raquel grinned, then she hurriedly ducked behind a tree to avoid a snowball from Andrés, pulling Delia with her.

"I can't believe it", Sergio grumbled. "From my own wife, no less."

Tatiana gave him a look.

"You seem happy that she's home."

"I am", he said, and he couldn't help but smile.

"I'm glad you came to your senses", she said drily. "It took you long enough."

"I know", he said, embarrassed. "I don't know why."

"Can I enquire as to the status of your relationship?"

He hesitated.

"What… what do you mean?"

"Let me put it this way: can Delia expect a cousin to play with at some point?"

He felt himself go red.

"We're friends."

"I see."

"Good friends."

"I see."

"It works for us."

"I see."

The way she was looking at him made him distinctly uncomfortable.

"I feel like you have more to say, Tatiana."

"No, no", she said lightly. "I'll let you figure things out on your own."

At that point, Raquel hit Andrés straight in the face with a snowball, and he wiped the snow out of his eyes and laughingly admitted defeat. They all trooped back inside to change out of their wet clothes, then the children insisted that there was still time for presents before dinner. They sat down in front of the brightly burning fire, and the children unwrapped the toys that Raquel had carefully picked out for them – Delia was especially happy with her new doll. Raquel sat among the children on the hearth rug and she exclaimed in delight at each unwrapped present they showed her as if she hadn't bought them herself. Sergio couldn't take his eyes off her – the way the firelight covered her face in a golden glow, the way her eyes lit up as her laughter mingled with Delia's… he truly had a lovely wife.

He had prepared a little surprise, and he was filled with a feeling of eager anticipation as he looked at his wife, but he waited patiently until the children had unwrapped all of their gifts. Finally, he said:

"Raquel… I have a present for you too."

She looked at him in surprise – usually only the children received presents.

"Really?" she said. "Where is it?"

"You'll have to come outside."

They all got up and went outside, the children speculating excitedly about what it would be, while Raquel kept looking at him with an expression of utmost curiosity. He tried to suppress a smile – oh, he hoped she would like it.

He led them all to the stables, and when they entered, the children exclaimed in delight, while Andrés let out a low whistle. In one of the boxes stood a white mare, tall and lovely, who cocked her ears forward inquisitively as they entered and regarded them with intelligent eyes.

"That", his brother said appreciatively, "is a magnificent horse."

But Sergio only had eyes for Raquel. The expression on her face was everything to him – she was looking at the mare with eyes full of wonder and delight.

"What do you think?" he asked her, smiling.

"Oh Sergio", she whispered. "She's beautiful."

She went forward and held out her hand to the horse, who bent her head and sniffed at it, then allowed herself to be stroked.

"She's like a unicorn", Delia whispered in awe, and Raquel smiled and nodded.

"Yes, she's exactly like a unicorn."

She ran a hand over the mare's neck, then looked back at Sergio.

"What's her name?"

"Freya."

"Perfect", Raquel nodded. "But why, Sergio?I already have a horse."

Sergio shook his head.

"Belle is much too calm for you, you're too good a rider. You need a horse with a little spirit. I… I thought we could go out riding together, you and me."

She looked up eagerly.

"You want to go out riding with me?"

He smiled. "Every day, if you want to."

She came over to him and looked up at him with a radiant smile.

"Thank you. This is such a lovely gift."

He looked at her shining eyes, and he couldn't be more pleased.

…

Over the next few days, the weather turned very cold, and to the children's delight, a nearby pond froze over completely, so one day they headed out to skate. Sergio wasn't planning to go out on the ice – he didn't even have any skates – but Raquel was almost as excited as the children, and Sergio wasn't surprised at all that she turned out to be an excellent skater. He stood at the edge of the pond and watched her in admiration as she flew over the ice, sure-footed and graceful, then slowed down to help Delia, who was a little scared, and soon the two were skating hand in hand. After a while, the two eldest children, Andrew and Rose, challenged Raquel to a race, so they went out into the middle of the pond and set out for the shore where Andrés, Tatiana and Sergio stood waiting. Raquel let the children win, but she was still going very fast as she approached the shore, and though she tried to slow down in the end, she didn't manage it completely. Just in time, Sergio opened his arms and caught her, and they fell backwards together into a big pile of snow.

The snow made for a soft landing, but he still had the breath knocked out of him. She was lying on top of him, her light body shaking with laughter, and he couldn't help it – he laughed too.

"I'm so sorry", she finally gasped. "Are you alright?"

She lifted her head to look at him, and he stopped laughing as he looked into her eyes.

"Yes", he said, wondering if he'd ever felt more alright in his life than he felt right now.

"I didn't hurt your ribs, did I?"

He still had his arms around her, and suddenly he was reminded so vividly of holding her in the bed that one night. He swallowed.

"No", he said, "my ribs are fine."

"Good", she said, looking back into his eyes, seeming a little breathless. He suddenly wondered if she was thinking about that night too.

"Yes", he whispered – oh, he didn't even know what he was saying anymore. Her eyes were so bright, and her cheeks were red, and her face was so close to his.

Then she seemed to shake herself – she blinked and smiled.

"I'll get off you now."

For a moment, he thought about not letting her go, about simply not opening his arms and keeping her close – but of course that was ridiculous. So he opened his arms and tried to ignore the stab of disappointment he felt as she took his brother's hand and he pulled her upright again.

He got up too, and she smiled at him.

"You have snow in your hair."

She reached up a hand and brushed it away, and he felt a swooping sensation in his stomach that he couldn't quite place. Then he looked around and noticed that the children were all on the ground because they were laughing so hard.

"Don't laugh", Tatiana chided them, though Sergio could see that she was suppressing a smile herself. "They could have been hurt."

"Thank you for catching me", Raquel winked at him, and he smiled and followed her with his eyes as she raced off again. She could run into him any day – he would always be there to catch her.

…

The next day, they let the children run wild in the garden while the adults sat in the drawing room and talked. Peace and quiet lasted for about an hour, then the children came storming back in, red-cheeked and dragging in snow, and shouting excitedly. The adults got up to see what the excitement was all about.

"Mistletoe!" the children yelled. "We found mistletoe!"

Rose was carrying the branch, and she got up on a chair behind her parents and dangled the mistletoe over their heads.

"Now you have to kiss!" she said triumphantly.

Andrés grinned, wrapped his wife in his arms and dipped her, then kissed her dramatically until the children cheered and clapped. Sergio and Raquel were laughing – but then Delia took the branch from her sister and got up on a chair behind them and held up the mistletoe.

"Now Uncle Sergio and Aunt Raquel."

Sergio's eyes went wide, and Tatiana took a step forward to intervene, but Raquel held up a hand to signal that it was alright. She was smiling as she turned and looked up at him.

"Do you trust me?"

He looked at her. Did he trust her?

"Yes", he whispered.

Her smile widened.

"Then close your eyes."

He hesitated. She was looking at him with a clear, steady gaze.

"Close your eyes", she repeated encouragingly.

His heart was beating fast. He trusted her. He closed his eyes.

He heard her come closer, then he felt her place a light hand against his chest and lean in close. His mouth was dry, his heart was beating in his throat, he didn't know what he was hoping for, and then… she pressed her lips against his cheek in an infinitely soft kiss. It only lasted for a moment, then she pulled away again, and as he opened his eyes, he realized he'd been holding his breath. Maybe that was why he felt so dizzy. The children were cheering – all kisses were the same to them – and he felt his cheeks go a vivid, burning red. Raquel was still smiling as they sent the children back outside and sat back down in front of the fire, but Sergio had trouble following the conversation. He could still feel the place where she had kissed him hours afterwards.

…

That evening, they were gathered in the drawing room as usual to listen to Tatiana play the piano. After a while, Andrés suddenly turned to Raquel.

"My dear Raquel, won't you sing something for us? I crave a little variety in the entertainment."

Raquel looked up in surprise.

"Me?"

"Yes. I seem to recall your sister telling us that you have a good voice."

Raquel hesitated.

"Oh… I… I don't know about that. I've been taught to sing, of course, but…"

"Perhaps", Tatiana said, getting up from behind the piano, "with a different accompanist?"

She turned to him.

"Sergio?"

He hesitated.

"I'm not as good as you are, Tatiana."

"Nonsense", she said. "You play charmingly."

"I haven't played in so long, I'm probably a little rusty."

"You don't just forget how to play."

Delia turned to him.

"Please, Uncle Sergio?"

Well, that did it. He looked questioningly at Raquel, who smiled and shrugged, then got up. He got up too and went to sit behind the piano. The moment he positioned his fingers on the keys, he remembered again how dearly he loved to play, how much joy it brought him to evoke sounds from the instrument. Why did he do it so rarely? He looked up at Raquel. Why did he have so much trouble recognizing the things that brought him happiness?

The song she chose was one of his favorites, and for a moment he felt some apprehension – he was very sensitive to it being sung just right. But then she nodded at him and he started playing, and he was caught up immediately by the music. Tatiana was right – he hadn't forgotten how to play at all. His fingers were effortlessly gliding over the keys, and the music was flowing smoothly around him.

When she started singing, he was surprised at the warm, pleasant sound of her voice, and he gradually realized to his delight that she sang the song just the way he liked it – clear and strong when he played louder, soft and gentle where he preferred to take it back himself. He hadn't played with another person for years, and the experience was strangely intimate despite the listening family members – for a moment, it was just the two of them as her voice intertwined with the music he was making in hauntingly beautiful harmony. After the last note had faded away, he looked up to see her smile at him with shining eyes, and as he smiled back, he just couldn't look away from her.

Suddenly he became aware of his brother loudly clearing his throat, and he blinked in confusion and looked at him.

"What?"

Andrés was grinning broadly.

"I said that was nicely done, but I don't think you heard me."

"Oh", Sergio said. "Well, thank you."

He got up from behind the piano and went back to his chair.

"I think the two of you should play together more often", Tatiana said.

"Yes", he murmured, looking at Raquel, who sat back down in her own chair with a rather dreamy smile. "Maybe we should."

…

The next evening, Delia came inside from the cold with a cough and a fever. Tatiana took her up to bed, and brought up some soup for dinner. After dinner, she came to tell Sergio that her daughter requested his company – or rather, she had asked after Uncle Sergio and Aunt Raquel.

Raquel smiled.

"Of course we can go keep her company. Let's take Clover, that might cheer her up."

They went upstairs to Delia's bedroom, where the girl's eyes lit up at the sight of the rabbit.

"Clover!"

Raquel deposited the animal in Delia's lap, then she joined them on the bed, wrapped an arm around the girl, and looked expectantly at Sergio.

"Why don't you read us a story?"

"Yes please!" Delia said.

Sergio sat down in a chair next to the bed and selected a book.

"How about The Rabbit and the Carrots?" he said. "That seems appropriate."

"Yes", Delia sighed, and Sergio noticed how she leaned her head against Raquel in the most trusting way. Seeing them together like this produced a curious feeling in his chest, but he shook it off, opened the book, and started reading.

The story was rather long, and as usual when he read to her, Delia was asleep before it was done. He glanced up and saw that Raquel was looking down at the sleeping girl with the softest expression in her eyes. The feeling in his chest returned – it was a sweet, slightly melancholy longing, but try as he might, he couldn't define what it was for. He frowned. He must have had too much wine at dinner. Then Raquel looked up at him, her eyes still soft, and she gave him the sweetest smile, and the feeling swelled until it filled his entire chest.

He suddenly had a vague sense that they could be more than this, he and Raquel, that there were other possibilities that he had refused to acknowledge up until now but that were there nonetheless, should he choose to explore them. It was only a half-formed thought, and he pushed it away before it could take root. What they had now – unconventional as it was – was good. He didn't want anything else, because what they had now worked for them, no matter what Tatiana might think. Anything else would be messy and complicated and potentially painful, and he refused to even entertain the possibility. As long as she was with him – as long as she didn't leave him again – as long as she was happy – that was enough. And she did look happy. Yes, he told himself. That was enough.

…

On New Year's Eve, everyone was tired from the many days of celebrating and play. There would be more celebration on New Year's Day, but there were no traditions to observe for this evening, so both the children and the adults went up to bed at their usual hour. Raquel was in her room with Annie, who helped her out of her dress and into her nightgown, then Raquel sat down in front of her mirror so Annie could take the pins out of her hair. Before the girl could start, however, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Raquel frowned – it must be Tatiana. Was something wrong with one of the children? She got up and put on her dressing gown, then opened the door. Her eyes went wide when she saw Sergio standing there.

"Excuse me", Annie murmured immediately, then tactfully left the room.

Raquel's first feeling was a rush of hope, but of course that was ridiculous, so she settled on worry instead.

"Is something wrong?"

"No", he said softly. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"You're not disturbing me."

"It's just that… I was looking out of my window, and it's a full moon tonight. It's very bright out. I was wondering… would you like to come out for a walk?"

She looked at him in surprise, then smiled.

"Yes, I would love that. Let me just get dressed again."

He nodded, and she closed the door and took off her dressing gown and nightgown, still smiling. He seemed so steady and predictable, and then every once in a while, he did something like this. She suspected that there was an element of whimsy and playfulness to his character that might come out more under the right circumstances, and she wondered if she would ever be able to create the right circumstances. She put on her dress again, doing up the buttons in the back, but there were a few between her shoulder blades that she just couldn't reach. Calling back Annie for three buttons would be silly, so she opened the door and asked Sergio:

"Could you just help me with some buttons?"

"Oh", he said, and she smiled at the flustered expression on his face. "Well… yes, of course."

He came into the room and into the light of the candle, and she turned around so her back was to him. He stepped closer and she felt a little tingle in her stomach as his fingers started on the buttons – oh, how she wished that he was undoing them instead. But button by button, his hands traveled upwards instead of down, and soon he was done.

"There", he whispered.

She turned around and smiled at him.

"Thank you. Let's go then."

They went downstairs with the lit candle and found their coats and scarves and gloves, then they stepped out into the cold, clean air of a perfectly clear night. The ground was still covered with snow, and the light of the full moon reflected on it to create a bright, silvery light that allowed them to see almost as well as during the day – but the atmosphere it created was very far removed from the prosaic light of day. They walked across the garden in silence, side by side, the snow crisping underneath their feet, and Raquel marveled at the beauty of the night, of the deep black sky arching overhead, covered with tiny pinpricks of light, contrasting wonderfully with the pure white snow on the ground. This was a rare sort of night, an extraordinary night – a night to believe in magic.

It seemed that Sergio's thoughts had been going along the same lines, because when they entered the forest and followed the path winding among the trees, he quietly said:

"My nurse used to tell me stories about snowy nights under a full moon. She said that those were night when the lines of reality blurred a little, when the boundaries between the realms faded and the fairies would come dancing in the snow."

Raquel had heard similar stories. She had never believed them, but tonight… tonight they seemed possible.

"She also said", Sergio continued, "that the fairies are always looking for the loveliest maidens to take home with them, to dance at their courts."

He looked sideways at her and gave her a slight smile.

"So I'd better keep an eye on you."

She laughed softly, pleased, and they walked on in silence for a while. Suddenly, there was movement among the trees, and Sergio held out a hand to stop her.

"Look", he whispered.

Through the trees, a line of deer approached them, impossibly slender and graceful, delicately picking their way through the snow without making a sound. They passed by the humans without seeming to notice them, so close that Raquel was holding her breath, her eyes wide with wonder. At the end of the line came a majestic male, strong and noble, carrying his antlers with pride. When he passed them, he stopped and regarded them, and for just a moment, Raquel had no trouble believing that he was a fairy king in disguise.

Then the deer went on, and Sergio and Raquel looked at each other in amazement.

"I'm so glad you asked me to come out", she whispered, and he nodded and smiled in agreement.

They walked on and reached the open spot with the pavilion where they had once sheltered from the rain. They needed no shelter now, so they didn't go in, instead walking in slow circles around the snowy clearing.

"It must be almost midnight", Raquel said. "Almost time for a new year to start."

"It's been such a strange year", he murmured. "Last year at this time… I never would have thought I would start the next year with you."

"Yes", she agreed, "it's been a strange year for me too."

He stopped and looked at her.

"Raquel… do you regret marrying me?"

She considered him, then shook her head.

"No. I don't."

He smiled.

"I'm glad."

She didn't want to ask him if he regretted marrying her, because she was afraid that his reaction might tell her things she didn't want to hear, but he simply said:

"I don't regret marrying you either."

She felt a warm glow at his words, which only increased when he continued:

"I'm very glad I'm starting this new year with you."

Perhaps he would never be in love with her, but he did care for her – she was sure of that. It was enough, she told herself. It was enough.

They looked up at the clear sky, where the stars seemed to shine more brilliantly than usual. Suddenly, as they were watching, a bright flash of light streaked across the sky, just for an instant. They smiled at each other in delight.

"A shooting star", he said. "Now you can make a wish."

She looked at him. She couldn't resist. She closed her eyes and wished that he would kiss her.

The moment she opened her eyes, the sound of church bells started up in the distance, ringing in the new year.

"You know", he said, looking down and shuffling slightly, "my nurse also used to tell me that it is good luck to start the new year with… with a kiss."

Her eyes went wide. That star was fast.

He tentatively looked up at her.

"If I may?"

"Yes", she whispered, wondering if this was really happening, if perhaps the lines of reality were blurring a little. She must be dreaming, she would wake up any moment now, in her bed, alone – but the cold air nipped at her cheeks, and the smile her gave her was warm and real. And on a night like this… anything could happen.

He came to stand close to her and looked down at her, and she felt completely breathless as she looked into his eyes. For a moment, they just looked at each other, on this beautiful night, with the church bells still ringing in the distance, and the promise of what could happen filling the air between them. He seemed to hesitate, then come to a decision, and the next moment he bent his head. She closed her eyes and her heart skipped a beat… and then he softly pressed a kiss to her cheek. A feeling of distinct disappointment mingled with the fluttering of butterflies in her stomach.

"Happy new year", he murmured.

She swallowed hard, then whispered:

"Happy new year."

"Shall we go back?"

No, she thought, looking at him, no, I want to stay here and live in this perfect night with you forever. I want you to wrap your arms around me to keep me warm and I want you to kiss me properly.

Out loud, she said:

"Yes, let's go back."

He held out his arm to her and she took it, and as they walked back together, she felt her cheek tingle, and she reflected on how shooting stars were sneaky little buggers, and that the next time, she would be a lot more specific in her request.