I'm home safe and sound! I hope everyone ha a great holiday weekend!

I'm nestled in a large wingback chair near the fireplace, Pride and Prejudice opened to one of my favorite scenes. My stomach is full from lunch, my hair is still damp from a shower, and I'm warm and cozy in my flannel PJs, enjoying the silence. Edward is out doing whatever a man might in three feet of snow.

Sometime later, his boots thump against the porch, and I perk up, curious what he's been up to. Every day he goes out the to woodshed and brings in a few armfuls, but he's already done that this morning, so I was surprised when he donned his heavy coat and disappeared into the winter wonderland again after lunch.

The door flies open, and he steps through, a wide smile pushing against his reddened cheeks. "Come," he says, waving me over. My brows lift, but I set my book aside and stand. He's like a kid with his excitement. "Hurry. You're gonna love this."

I approach slowly, unsure what to expect, and when I see what he has, my jaw drops. And then I smile as wide as he is. "Are you serious?" I ask, turning to face him. "Is this for us?"

"Yep," he replies, smirking cockily.

"Oh, my God." I throw my arms around him without another thought. "This is so awesome!" I pull back, smiling like crazy. "Do we have decorations?"

"Pretty sure there's a box or two up in the loft area."

I squeal and throw my arms around him again. "Thank you," I say, my voice cracking. I'm not sure why this small gesture means so much, but it does. It's stabbed me straight in the heart. I feel it all the way to my bones.

"Wow," Edward says, pulling back from my death grip. "If I'd known a tree was enough to make you cling to me like that, I'd have gotten you one yesterday."

I swat him on the chest, still smiling. "Is there a stand? Can we set it up?"

His chuckle is light and carefree. "Absolutely."

Edward drags the tree inside and then we go hunting for a box marked Christmas. He has to climb through a hole in the ceiling inside the closet, but the goods he's able to pass down include a box of lights, another with ornaments, and a stand.

I make hot cocoa while he works to make it free-standing. A few curse words reach my ears in the kitchen as he does so, but he gets it done. It's a beautiful dark green and stands about a foot taller than me. My spirits soar as we spend the next little while adorning it with lights and ornaments.

"You haven't stopped smiling since you set eyes on it," he says, nudging me with his shoulder as we stand back to admire our work. "It's a good look."

"I don't know." I shake my head, entranced by the twinkling lights. "With everything that's happened, Christmas had slipped my mind. Thank you for reminding me." I look at him for a brief second before dropping my eyes, my cheeks heating. "And thank you for being here for me, helping me mask the pain so I can enjoy the holiday."

"I'll be your masking partner anytime," he says with a wink.

I sigh and look back to the tree, my heart full of unexpected warmth. I thought when I arrived in the dead of night to a cabin in the woods that was slowly being snowed in that I'd be alone with my misery. I could take all the time a week would give to get my act together before going back and facing reality.

That's not what happened.

Edward drops his hand and takes mine, lacing our fingers without saying a word. My smile, one that hasn't gone very far in the past couple hours, creeps back onto my lips. I guess what they say is true.

The only way to get over one guy is to get under another.

Especially when your name is Bella and his name is Edward!

See you tomorrow :)