The Christmas Party

Sledding Through the Snow

I woke up with Thea pressed against my back, her face burrowed between my shoulder blades and her arm holding me close. Elation filled my entire being and I wondered at how anyone who came before me could have possibly let this woman go.

I breathed in deeply and pushed myself closer. Thea responded by tightening her grip around my waist.

"Good morning," she said. I smiled. Her morning voice was one of my favorite sounds. It lacked the refined edge of her constant offensive posture and instead invited me in to the soft recesses of exposure.

I rolled around to face her, our noses touching in soft gestures of intimacy. "Good morning, beautiful."

A small smile tinged Thea's lips and she dropped her eyes. I smiled at her embarrassment.

"Suddenly the most self-assured girl I know can't take a compliment?" I teased.

"It's different when it's coming from you," she confessed.

"How so?"

Thea considered my question for a moment. "When you compliment me I actually believe it, not for sake of my own vanity or yours, but because you seem to truly see me." Thea paused and looked me in the eye. "I've never had that."

I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever met because everything you believe, everything you are, shines through and you radiate decency, kindness, and love like no other person I've met."

Thea kissed me. I was taken aback by her passion. She rolled on top of me and ran her hand along my jaw, my neck, my ribs. She rested her forehead against mine, eyes closed, and whispered. "You're perfect."

"Even if I am annoying?"

"Especially when you're annoying." Thea kissed me again. "You can't parallel parking."

"You hate running," I retorted. "Looks like we're still tied."

I pulled Thea into me and kissed her again and again and again; I couldn't get enough of this women. I love her her hair fell in my face when I kissed her and the scent of her shampoo and her skin wafted into my nose, intoxicating me. My hands trailed over her body, exploring every undiscovered corner of her body.

A loud series of knocks pounded against our door followed by the giggles of three small girls.

"Aunt Louise are you awake?" I heard.

Thea laughed and rolled off of me. I pushed myself up in the bed. "Yes you can come in."

The girls opened the door and rushed into our room, jumping on the bed. Alexis immediately cuddled up to Thea, whom she followed around all night last night, insisting that she sit between us on the couch when we watched a movie after dinner.

"What's going on little ladies?" I asked the girls.

"Can we do something today?" Courtney asked.

"Like what?"

"Play outside!" Courntey said.

"Build a snowman!" Alexis insisted.

"Go sledding!" Maddie added.

"I happen to know that your aunt loves sledding," Thea informed my nieces. Their eyes, huge and imploring, turned on me.

"Aunt Louise will you take us sledding?" Maddie asked. Eleven years old and she'd already mastered the art of the puppy dog eyes.

"Pretty please?" Courtney begged.

"Pleeeeeaaaaase?" Alexis joined in.

"You know I can't say no to you," I said with a wide grin. "And I love sledding. I even packed my own sled!"

The girls, all excitement, jumped from the bed and dashed down the stairs. It sounded like a thunderstorm ravaging the house as they thumped on the staircase. We would hear their delighted squeals as they told their mom and dad that I would be taking them sledding.

We piled into two cars, my parents electing to stay at home and take care of a few things. Alexis insisted she ride with us, while the other two girls drove with their parents. I wasn't entirely sure where Thea landed on public displays of affection, but I tried my luck when I reached across the car and intertwined our fingers. She glanced at me and smiled, rubbing her thumb along the back of my hand.

"Can you two be anymore disgustingly cute?" Luca asked from the backseat, still sullen that his permanent claim to shotgun was ruined by Thea's new position in my life.

I stuck out my tongue in the rear view mirror which caused Alexis to giggle.

We drove to the park down the road. My sister and I had spent many days in our childhood sledding on the hills. One special year we found an old skateboard deck with the wheels pried off and we took turns trying to snowboard down the slope.

When we arrived the hill was crawling with other neighborhood children sliding down the hill. We pulled on heavier jackets and gloves and tucked our sleds under our arms, preparing to hike up the embankment, my sister and brother-in-law opting to stay at the bottom and take pictures. The oldest decided she didn't need anyone's hand to hold as she trudged up the hill; the other two were not quite as brave. Alexis latched onto Thea's hand and let her lead them up the hill.

"Do you want to hold me hand?" I asked Courtney. She shook her head and took a step back toward her mom. "What's wrong? Don't you want to go sledding?"

"I changed my mind," she told me, crossing her arms.

I looked up at my sister inquisitively.

"She's a little scared of sledding," Lauren explained.

"What if I told you sledding was the most fun in the entire world?"

Courtney didn't seem convinced.

"Don't you have fun when we hang out?" I asked Courtney. She nodded. "Have you ever not had fun when we hang out?" Courtney shook her head. "I wouldn't ever do something that wasn't fun, right?" Courtney hesitated, but nodded, accepting. "I wouldn't lie to you about something being fun, you know that too, right?" Courtney nodded.

I pointed up the hill and we watched Luca and Maddie slide down the hill. Their laughter filled the air.

"Doesn't it look like Uncle Luca and your sister are having fun?" Courtney nodded again. "Let's try one time, okay? You see how Alexis is sitting in front of Thea?"

Courtney looked to the top of the hill. Alexis wedged herself between Thea's legs and even from this distance, Alexis' grin was unmistakable.

"You can sit like that with me on my sled. Try one time for me and if you hate it I'll make you two hot chocolates when we get home and you can have candy for dinner. Deal?"

Though hesitant, Courtney eventually agreed and latched onto my hand. We heard Alexis laughing and screaming to go again with Thea. I looked over my should and smiled while we climbed the hill, watching Thea chat and laugh with Alexis; she was a natural with my nieces and they seemed to adore her. It made my heart smile.

"Ready?" I asked Courtney when we climbed into the sled.

She nodded her head but fear was written all over her face. I wrapped one arm tight around her and pulled her close. "Don't worry, Auntie Louise won't let anything bad happen. We're going to have so much and as soon as we get to the bottom you're going to be begging me to go again."

I flashed her a reassuring grin and nudged us forward until we picked up speed. Courtney screamed in glee as we sailed down the hill. Sure enough, as soon as we came to a stop at the bottom she was chanting "again, again!" My sister smiled at us.

"I can't believe you actually got her to go," Ross said.

"I don't think she would have done it if her aunt wasn't here," Lauren agreed.

"Well I am the fun lesbian aunt for a reason. Just wait until they're old enough to go camping."

My sister laughed and shook her head. Courtney latched onto my hand and we trekked back up the mountain.

"Aunt Louise?" Courtney asked.

"What's up, sweetie?"

"Is Thea your husband?"

I chuckled. "No, she's my girlfriend. Maybe one day she'll be my wife though."

Courtney looked confused. "Like mommy and daddy?"

"Right, except we'll both be mommies."

"I thought only mommies could marry daddies."

"Nope. Mommies can marry mommies and daddies can marry daddies. As long as you love a person you can marry them."

"I love mommy, so can I marry her?" Courtney asked, trying to work out all of the finer points of this conversation. I laughed.

"No, you can't marry mommy. One day when your older you might find someone you really, really like and want to spend all of your time with. Whoever that person is you might want to marry them."

"Like Alyssa?"

I smiled at the mention of her best friend. "Maybe Alyssa. If you two like each other a lot. But maybe wait until you're in college or you'll give mommy and daddy and auntie a heart attack if we find out you're dating before you're twenty."

"What's dating?"

"You know like in your movies with Anna and Christoff?"

Courtney nodded.

"Like that. They're dating."

"Oh." Courtney thought for a long while. "And I can date anyone?"

"As long as you like them as a person, yes."

"Okay."

"And not until you're twenty."

Courtney furrowed her brow but accepted that dating was only allowed after twenty. That seemed to be the end of our conversation and we climbed back into the sled together and soared down the hill. I couldn't count how many times Courtney and I climbed that hill together but my legs were screaming in protest by the end of the day.

"It seems like Alexis found a new best friend," my sister commented while we walked back to the car.

"It sure seems like it, huh?"

"Well good thing your girlfriend gets along with the kids so well. I don't know what we would have done if they didn't like her.

"Dump her, probably."

We both laughed.

"I really do like her though, Lou. I'm happy you found her."

"Thanks. I'm really happy too. It only took three years of wearing her down but it looks like all paid off."

I loved watching Thea go down the hill with Alexis. Thea was never keen on being around kids or hanging out with them, but she seemed like she was thoroughly enjoying herself today. She always had Alexis's hand in hers and held onto her while they sled, laughing the entire day and chatting away with my niece. Even on the car ride home Thea was turned around in the seat chatting with Alexis.

When we got home and showered, bundling ourselves up in the fuzzy socks, warm pajamas, and blankets with hot chocolate in our hands, I settled close to Thea on the couch and leaned my head against her shoulder. She kissed the top of my head and nestled in close to me. I couldn't recall a time that I'd been happier.

Was it too early to say 'I love you'?

* * *

A/N: Thank you everyone for reading, voting, and commenting!

Remember, if there's anything you definitely want to see in this story, drop it in the comments, as there are only 8 days left in December!

I also went back and edited and added a bit more to the previous chapter just to spruce it up because I wasn't really satisfied with it. No major changes though, so it's definitely not necessary to read, but in case you do. :)

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays!

Best wishes