Today's story is written by Irene softxsurrera on Twitter and Wattpad. Merry Christmas! I hope you all enjoy the final installment of the advent calendar and have a wonderful holiday season.
Around 8 am the next day Robert woke up, his head resting atop Andy's shoulders while his arm stretched across her body grasping her right hand. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he looked around the room in confusion before remembering that he wasn't at home in Seattle and was instead in a gorgeous 5 star hotel in Reykjavik. Joy took hold of him as the previous day's events came flashing forward in his mind. Andy had planned an entire vacation just for him.
He didn't know what he'd done to deserve such a caring woman as Andy but he thanked the heavens for bringing them back to each other. Robert didn't believe in the existence of soulmates. At least not until he met Andy. If anybody asked he'd say she was his better half. They were so different and similar at the same time. On paper nobody would think they could make a good couple but none of that mattered because the love they held was everlasting.
It was at this moment that Andy also chose to wake, having felt Robert begin to shift beside her. For a few minutes neither of them moved, content to do nothing but stare at the soft flutters of snowflakes making their way onto the city streets while curled together.
Realizing they needed to get their day started, Andy turned to face Robert. Not wanting to leave the warm embrace of his wife he burrowed further into the covers pulling Andy right up to his chest to keep her from leaving.
"Why don't we just stay here all day," Robert purred. The energy between them became charged and Andy could feel her heart flutter at the sweetness seeping from Robert's words. Even though they had just gone three rounds only a few hours ago she wanted more. If they were at home she gladly would have agreed to spend Christmas Eve watching soap operas and having sex.
But as she had spent a pretty penny on this vacation she was damn sure going to get her money's worth. With some gentle coaxing Andy got Robert to finally get up and they got ready for the day.
She couldn't help but be reminded of the day they laid together in bed right after they officially started dating for the first time. Hidden in secret from the world they professed their love. Robert trusted her enough to share how far he had fallen into his addiction. It had touched her to know that he trusted her enough to bear his soul. Around everyone else Robert was reserved, closed off. Only with her did he give into his emotions.
She had broken his trust once before. She vowed to never do it again.
After a hearty Icelandic breakfast of skyr yogurt with blueberries and arctic char fish atop rye bread they headed out.
"Alright Ms. Herrera, what's first on our itinerary for the day."
Andy sported a devilish grin, relishing in Robert's confusion. When it came to planning dates or a weekend activity Robert took the lead organizing their days. Andy always pitched in but she enjoyed seeing what Robert would plan for them. It was nice to be in charge for once.
Refusing to answer, Andy grabbed Robert's hand with a promise that he was definitely going to enjoy their first stop.
Weaving their way through downtown Reykjavik they passed the holiday market, coming to Tjörnin, a stunning natural lake surrounded by the best of the city's architecture. Hundreds of families could be seen skating across the frozen water to the sound of classic Christmas tunes. Renting two pairs of skates they made their way onto the ice.
Robert zoomed across the lake invigorated by the sensation of gliding without a care in the world. On the ice he felt free. He hadn't been ice skating since the burning Zamboni call 19 took a few years back and hadn't realized how much he missed it until now. None of his friends had ever cared much for ice skating so he rarely went.
It wasn't long however before he realized Andy wasn't by his side. Turning around he found her all the way by the entrance struggling to catch up. She was incredibly shaky moving at a snail's pace to not lose her balance. Catching Robert's eyes as he skated back towards her she held her thumb up to signal she was fine before motioning for him to go on ahead. Luck was not on her side though as right after she tumbled forward landing flat on her stomach.
As Robert helped her back onto her feet he couldn't help but laugh at how bad she was. For Andy's sake he attempted to conceal his chuckles behind his hands. Andy scowled in response, mollified at having been embarrassed so publicly.
"This isn't funny you know."
"I mean it kinda is. You're a world class firefighter and dancer but baby you suck at ice skating."
"I do not," Andy yelled incredulously. She crossed her arms and donned a puppy dog pout. "I just need a few more minutes to get used to the ice. I haven't skated in years."
Robert gave her a sideway glance. "Neither have I but I'm fine." He immediately regretted what he said when Andy angrily pushed his steadying hand off her and skated away from him.
Naturally, she didn't get very far and a few seconds later Robert helped her up from the ground. By now his chuckles had turned into full blown laughter.
"I could be seriously injured here, you know."
"You could be, but you're not." Robert made a move to loop his arm around Andy to guide her but she brushed him off. "All your problems would be solved if you just accepted my help."
Andy made no move to acknowledge his words. She lasted a good two minutes before falling for the third time.
Robert said nothing as he watched Andy stand up on her own. He sported his classic 'I told you so face' which only incensed Andy further. Ignoring her better judgment she made one final attempt to skate on her own and after nearly breaking her tooth on the way down she finally relented and grabbed hold of Robert's hand.
"Andy, why did you pick ice skating? You know you're horrible at it."
Andy sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I know but you love it. I've been practicing with Vic for a few weeks to get better because I knew you'd have fun if we went skating."
Robert was touched. Andy had gone out of her way to practice ice skating just for him knowing she was bad at it.
"You should be out there free skating, not stuck holding me up."
"You could never hold me back. I'd much rather skate next to you anyway than by myself." Andy calmed down at that, glad she wasn't ruining the experience for Robert.
They skated around the perimeter of the lake steering clear of the large crowd in the center. Whenever Andy began to falter Robert reached out to correct her. It was slow going but they took the time to make casual conversation and take in the sights. Robert couldn't have asked for a better way to spend their first morning in Iceland.
After about two hours they headed off the ice to grab lunch. Robert was ready to rest but Andy ushered him out the restaurant onto a bus to head to their next destination.
After a short bus ride they came to a deserted field in the Icelandic countryside covered in a light layer of snow. Waiting for them was a herd of Icelandic horses.
"We're riding those?"
Andy shared in Robrt's astonishment. When she had booked this activity she hadn't realized how small the horses were. Unlike the regular horses they had in Seattle, the Icelandic horses stood at only 4 feet tall. Though short, they had a regal quality to them. As they galloped along the field she couldn't help but think they were one of the most majestic creatures she'd ever seen.
"There's no way they can carry me," Robert stated matter of factly. The owner of the horse ranch quickly corrected him. As the sturdiest horse breed in all of Europe, they would have no problem even with somebody over 6 feet tall.
Robert looked unsure but he agreed to mount first, towering over the poor horse. It began to walk slowly and Robert found himself liking the experience.
"This isn't so bad," he thought to himself. Moments later Robert cursed himself for speaking too soon as the white haired beast picked up speed. He was forced to hold on for dear life as it scurried around the field, nearly throwing him off.
Andy was doubled over in laughter, taking as many photos as she could. The best way to describe how Robert looked was ridiculous and she had to be sure to memorialize this moment. This was his payback for laughing at her ice skating skills.
Needing others to share in her glee she sent the photos in her group chat with the station. She figured Vic would definitely get a kick out of watching Robert flail around atop the horse. It was still very early in the morning in Seattle so she didn't expect to get a response for a few hours at least.
Mounting her own horse with the precision of somebody who had ridden for years she trotted at a regular pace over to where Robert was still struggling to get his horse under control.
"It can sense your fear. It'll calm down once you do."
"I was a battalion chief. I know how to be calm." Robert was promptly thrown off the horse landing in a pile on the floor. Snapping another photo Andy helped him up. She petted his horse and it immediately calmed down.
"You gonna need help getting back onto the horse?" Andy joked, giving Robert a friendly push.
He shook his head and mounted the horse successfully. "Not a word of what happened to anyone."
She smiled back. He didn't have to know about the pictures she sent to the team.
Following their guide they started out on a tour of the Icelandic countryside. They walked for miles across lava fields which resembled a pebbled craggy riverbed filled with chunks of rocks of all different shapes and sizes. The ground beneath them was soft from a combination of snow and moss. Funnels of steam rose between them as they trekked further keeping them warm from the racing icy winter wind.
About an hour into the tour they came up to a series of geysers. Every six to eight minutes the geysers erupted, spewing boiling water 20 feet into the air. Andy and Robert looked on in amazement. Neither had ever seen a geyser in action before and it blew them away.
With a heavy heart they turned back towards the horse ranch as their tour finished.
Andy pulled Robert into a light hug while they waited for the bus to arrive to head to their final destination. "Did you have fun?." Robert squeezed her shoulders. "I had a wonderful time. I'll need to give horseback riding another try soon." Andy sighed in relief, glad that he had liked it despite the rocky start.
Feeling her phone buzz inside her pocket she found multiple messages from the team wishing them a good trip and laughing at the photos of Robert on the horse. Andy moved to conceal her phone so Robert wouldn't see she'd sent the pictures but he caught a glance at one of Travis' jokes.
"Really Andy, you sent pictures of that to the team."
To her benefit Andy looked sheepish but she made no move to apologize. "You looked wonderful on the horse."
"I looked like an idiot."
"The team thought you looked great," Andy stated, doing her best to deflect.
"Is that why Travis called me a bumbling giant?"
"Well…" Andy began trying to think of an excuse but none came so she conceded that the team had found his horse riding skills laughable.
"I know them, they're having a good laugh at my expense." Robert wanted to be mad at Andy. He had a carefully constructed image that he wanted to maintain and he didn't need the team to see videos of him yelling in fear over a horse.
"No need to get worried. We send stuff like this all the time and tease one another. They don't think any less of you because you can't ride horses. You'd know if you took the time to integrate yourself more into the group."
"Like I haven't tried. They all still see me as an outsider. They're waiting for the shoe to drop with us again."
Andy couldn't fault Robert for thinking that. The team had barely supported them the first time they got together and they pretty much ostracized Robert after she left him. But things were different now. Things were going up for them.
"Well they'll be waiting for a long time then because I plan on never leaving you." Andy placed a soft kiss on Robert's cheek and Robert felt his heart melt. He couldn't stay mad at her even if he tried.
"Let me add you to the group chat. It'll be the first step to getting you on closer terms with the team. And you won't have to keep relying on me for all the station gossip." Robert didn't know how to feel about being in a group chat with his teammates. He liked them all well enough but he was only particularly close to Vic and Ben somewhat. His relationship with Maya, while no longer tense, would never be very amicable. Still, he planned to spend the rest of his life with Andy so he ought to get closer to her friends.
Robert agreed to be added right as they got back onto the bus.
Andy: Is everybody cool with me adding Robert to the group chat?
The icons of her friends filtered in and out of view as she saw them start to type and then stop. She didn't think much of it. They were all probably busy at work or with their families. Andy cuddled next to Robert before finally taking another glance at her phone a few minutes later.
Vic: He's already in here
Travis: Yeah didn't we add him ages ago
Ben: No I would have remembered
Vic: Of course we did
Maya: I thought so too but I checked and he's not in here
Vic: You're all wrong… Oh no never mind I'm wrong
Andy: Hold on, you all thought he was already in this? He's never said anything
Jack: Well yeah he doesn't say much at the station. Figured he was just being silent in here too
Travis: He's kind of a lurker if you think about it
Andy completely lost it. Her shrieks of laughter reverberated throughout the entire bus. Everyone was staring at her but she couldn't get herself to stop. Robert couldn't understand what could be so funny so he grabbed Andy's phone to see what all the fuss was about. He felt insulted at what he saw.
"I'm not that antisocial."
"You're pretty close to it honey, but it's okay. Even if you like to lurk, I still love you."
The team readily agreed to add Robert. If they were willing to get closer with him Robert vowed he would too and change their minds.
However that was a plan for another day as they had reached their final destination for the day. The Blue Lagoon. An oasis of milky blue water set against a backdrop of black lava rocks greeted them. Tired from the day's activities they relaxed into the geothermal pool. They stayed there for a few hours soaking in all the lagoon had to offer before making their way back to Reykjavik.
Dinner was a quiet affair and they retired right after to their hotel. They wanted to explore more of the city but they would need to be up at dawn for what Andy had planned for Christmas so they figured heading home early would be best.
Since they weren't going to be in the hotel all Christmas Day they decided to exchange gifts on Christmas Eve. From Andy, Robert got a striking Italian leather jacket to replace his old one. It was even nicer than the one he already owned and he looked forward to wearing it when the weather warmed. His second gift was a brand new smoothie blender but Andy had left it back at their house.
From Robert, Andy got a gold necklace with their names engraved into the heart pendant. Inside was a miniature version of the first picture they ever took together. He also organized for her to see a performance by the American Ballet Theatre. Andy was set to visit her mother in New York in the spring and he wanted her to have something fun to do with her family.
Both gifts were perfect and Andy told him so. She was ecstatic to be with someone who knew her so well.
In actuality, Robert had one more gift he wanted to give Andy but doing it in the hotel just didn't feel right. He figured the right time would come soon so he held off.
At the crack of dawn the next day Robert and Andy made their way to the front of the hotel where they were picked up and taken to Sólhemajökull, a glacial tongue that formed part of the larger Mýrdalsjökull glacier located next to the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. In the distance was an expanse of black sandy beach and jagged mountains.
Neither Andy nor Robert had ever gone ice climbing before so this was a totally new experience. Both of them being firefighters they didn't expect to have too many problems exerting themselves physically.
30 minutes into the hike they made it to the foot of the glacier's roots and were fitted with harnesses, crampons, an ice ax, and helmet. With the help of their guide they learned how to ascend vertical ice shafts and made their way into the heart of the glacier. If there was one word to describe what the inside of a glacier looked like it would be mesmerizing. The sun reflected off the see-through ice, its glittery surface a sight to behold.
Everything was going perfect until they began their descent down. One of their tour mates, a young twenty-year old from Ireland, had spent the entire safety demonstration joking around with his friend. Since he hadn't paid attention he didn't take the guide's warning to go down the ice slowly, especially as the fresh snow made the ice extra slippery. The crampons on his shoes could only do so much as he traveled across the ice at breakthrough speeds. The guide called out at him to stop but it was too late. He lost his balance, skirting across the ice right into Andy who got thrown off her balance as they both fell right into an open crevasse.
Reacting immediately, Robert charged forward attempting to catch Andy's hand before she fell all the way but he missed her by a millisecond.
"Andy! Andy, are you okay?" When no response came Robert called out again, terrified that his girlfriend was seriously injured. A beat later he heard her voice faintly say she was okay and relief flooded his system. They were pretty deep into the ice so she hadn't heard Robert at first.
"We need to get out of here fast. The kid's bleeding badly."
"We've got you, we're gonna get you out of there soon."
While Andy had been spared on the way down the kid hadn't been as lucky and his leg was nicked by a sharp shard of glass slicing right through one of his arterial veins. It was extremely dark in the crevice they had fallen into but Andy could feel the kid's blood on her hands. The smell alone was unmistakable.
"Am I gonna die? I can't die. I'm too young." The boy was freaking out and had started to hyperventilate. Andy placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"You're going to be fine. I'm a trained paramedic, nothing will happen to you with me here." Calming down after that Andy got to work, ripping off a piece of her undershirt to tie across the wound to clamp the bleeding. Without first aid equipment it was the best she could do until they got out.
Above on the glacier Robert was directing the rescue efforts. He was freaking out but knew he needed to stay calm until Andy was safe. Using a long rope with the help of the guide they managed to pull both Andy and the boy out. Both were checked over for any other injuries and a helicopter swiftly arrived to take the boy to the hospital for his leg.
Since being rescued, Robert had refused to let go of her. "For a moment I thought I'd lost you forever." Sensing his anxiety Andy rubbed her hand along his back.
"But you didn't. I'm right here. I'll always do everything I can to come home to you." Given the job they had there was no guarantee they'd live to the end of their shift. Every fire they tackled was an opportunity to die. All they could do was try their best to stay safe.
"Even on vacation we don't get a day off from saving somebody's life" Robert joked, bringing back an air of levity. Andy couldn't agree more. Danger always seemed to follow them.
The rest of the tour went off without a hitch and was just as fun as the first half had been before the accident. Returning to the base of the glacier they had lunch and got back on the bus for a driving tour of Iceland's famous waterfalls.
By this point it was nightfall and the bus left its passengers on an open field. Robert and Andy were stopped in their tracks by the beauty of the Northern Lights. A rainbow of colors danced across the sky as rivers of green bled into the black heavens. A congregation of stars melded with the aurora lights playing above them as woven threads of their soul. Neither could turn away, too enchanted by the dazzling spectacle that surrounded them.
Wrapping his arms around Andy, Robert took notice of the silence. Nobody was making a sound. It felt as if they were the only two people in the world.
Standing here Robert was more at peace than he had ever been before.
When Andy left him at Maya's wedding, Robert felt his whole world collapse around him. For months he chased after her, trying with all his might to recapture the serenity and stability she had brought him as his career blew into pieces. After they officially divorced he made many attempts to move on, dating just about everyone who asked him out. The women he met were lovely, some even extraordinary, but in the end none of them compared to Andy.
She was it for him. His everything.
He had lost her once before. He had almost lost her today. The reality that time was fleeting became all the more clearer. He didn't want to waste another second of their life together.
With a deep breath he broke away from Andy, stepping behind her as she continued to stare in awe at the Northern Lights. Reaching into his pockets he grabbed a tiny box and kneeled.
Having noticed Robert was no longer standing near Andy turned around and felt her heart stop. Happiness coursed through her like a shooting star.
"When we started to work together you were obstinate, berated me behind my back to your father in Spanish, and fought me on every turn. Even though you did all of these things the only thing I could think about when we talked was how beautiful you were. Slowly but surely you let me get to know you and I became awed by your strength, perseverance, and dedication to everything you do. When you set your mind to something you never stop."
Staring into Andy's eyes he sought to communicate the undying devotion he had for her. All he could do was speak from the heart.
"What really drew me to you though was your kindness and empathy. The way you try to help everyone no matter who they are. You inspire me every day to be better."
At this point Andy was crying. She didn't know what she had done to deserve a man as kind and gracious as Robert.
"The first time we were together neither of us was in a good place. We both made mistakes and almost lost each other. Over the past year we've grown so much, personally and together. I can't imagine living without you as my wife for another second. Andrea Herrera, will you marry me again?"
There was so much she wanted to say to Robert but he'd taken all the words right out of her mouth. She couldn't verbalize the pure love she felt for him at that moment. Unable to formulate a coherent thought she closed the distance between them pulling him into a tender kiss. Under the swirling colors of the Northern Lights Andy agreed to be with Robert forever.
"Merry Christmas my love."