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skyler10fic · 1 year

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Home for the Holidays: Christmas Carol + Holidaisy = 4ever

By Skyler10

Summary: Daisy has had an engagement ring hidden from Carol for a year. This Christmas, she plans to propose while they are home at Melinda and Phil's house. But the holiday is also a reminder of Carol's family's rejection, so it's not all magic and mistletoe. Can Daisy make this year the "best Christmas ever" as Carol predicts it will be?

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Daisy had been hiding the small ring box for a year.

Last Christmas, Grandma Lian had given it to Daisy.

“I have a gift for you. In my purse. Come with me.”

“Ooo! Is this something from your collection?” Daisy lit up as she saw the ring box. Grandma Lian had acquired treasures from around the world in her travels, and Daisy loved to hear the stories behind them.

“You can keep it for yourself, or maybe you will want to give it to a special young woman. But you should have this.” Grandma Lian pressed the box into Daisy’s palms. “Your grandpa gave me this when we were very young. He gave me many pretty things when we were married, but this one is special.”

“Grandma, is this your engagement ring?” Daisy opened the box and stared at the simple row of small diamonds in a silver band. The setting was exactly what she’d pictured giving Carol.

“It is. I have no need for it, and if you like, it can be used for its intended purpose once more. When you’re ready, of course. Or simply consider it a gift.”

“Aww, thank you.” Daisy hugged her and stuffed the ring box in her dress pocket until she could sneak back to her room to hide it better. Daisy knew they weren’t quite at that step yet, but one day, she’d be ready.

Somehow, a year had flown by. Carol had been away for work off and on throughout the year, and Daisy had been pulling long hours herself. It all paid off with plenty of money and vacation time stored up for Christmas with Daisy’s parents and then a beach trip over New Year’s. And it couldn’t come soon enough. Escaping from the city together was exactly what they needed.

As they drove, the past weeks’ tension and shortness with each other slipped away. Carol grew quiet as they passed her old high school and the area of town she grew up in, and then again as they passed the turn-off to her parents’ current house.

“Have you heard anything—?” Daisy started tentatively, but Carol cut her off.

“No, no. It’s fine. Aunt Wendy said she got a Christmas card this year, just signed from my mom. So that’s something. My brother is still following me on Instagram, so I comment on his posts sometimes. He doesn’t reply much, but that’s not really a change.”

“Not really the chatty type.” Daisy had only met him a few times, but he mostly kept to himself when they had, especially in big groups or loud restaurants.

“Exactly.” Carol signaled and turned onto the familiar lamplit street she’d hurried down with a duffle bag on her shoulder only a year before. In some ways, it seemed like so much longer.

And in others, it was unchanged. Rows and rows of decorated houses, the lamp posts with their wreaths, and Phil out front salting the sidewalk before their arrival.

“Dad!” Daisy hopped out of the car as soon as Carol turned off the engine.

“Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” He hugged her close and beckoned Carol in for a group hug. He helped them carry their bags into the house and Melinda put on some spiced cider as they chatted about the drive and the weeks since they had caught up.

“We have a surprise for Carol,” Phil announced and he ushered them into the living room. Hanging on the mantel were four stockings instead of three, and one had Carol’s name embroidered on it, just like the rest of the family’s. Purple for Daisy, light blue for Melinda, silver for Phil, and now royal blue for Carol.

“I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” Carol touched the soft woven fabric in awe.

Daisy slipped her arm around Carol’s waist. “It’s beautiful.”

“Did you know?” Carol asked her.

“They asked me if I thought you’d like one and I said yes, but I didn’t see the final result.”

Carol turned to Phil and Melinda. “It’s perfect.”

Phil teased with a twinkle in his eye, “Now the real mystery is, what will Santa put in them on Christmas morning?”

Daisy laughed. “Dad, we haven’t done stocking stuffers since I was a kid. Next you’re going to be talking milk and cookies.”

Melinda pursed her lips in amusement. “Remember that time Daisy insisted we put out carrots for the reindeer?”

Phil shook his head. “Oh no, that’s not the full story.” He leaned in to explain to Carol. “She begged me to find hay for them. Hay. On Christmas Eve. The best I could do was some carrots from the fridge!”

Daisy tsked. “Those carrots in the yard were eaten.”

Melinda snorted and walked toward the kitchen to check on the cider. “Yeah, by a raccoon.”

Daisy faked an offended gasp and they all laughed. Phil followed Melinda to the kitchen but the girls hung back, admiring the tree.

Daisy sighed and rolled her eyes as she caught sight of something hanging above them in their reflection in the big picture window.

“What?” Carol followed her gaze upward. Hanging from the ceiling just a few feet to the left was a sprig of mistletoe. “Hmm.” She repositioned Daisy so they were directly under it. “There we go.”

Daisy laughed but kissed her anyway. “Nerd.”

“Tradition!” Carol countered. “Besides, I earned it for driving.”

“You did,” Daisy conceded. “And you didn’t even yell at any of the other cars.”

“Exactly. Not out loud at least.”

Carol was too proud of herself so Daisy took her hand and guided her to the kitchen for cider and gingerbread cookies. What Carol had missed last year was the annual decorating tradition that accompanied cider night. Daisy decorated a gingerbread woman in a white dress. She thought about adding a veil but chickened out and made white curly hair instead. She hadn’t noticed Carol was decorating a gingerbread woman too. Carol asked to borrow the white icing when Daisy was done with it and added white hair to hers too. She placed hers next to Daisy’s on the plate.

“Aw, look at our old women.” Carol positioned them so their hands were side by side. “Growing old in their gingerbread house together.”

Phil stopped decorating in contemplation. “So gingerbread people living in gingerbread houses, would that be like people made of bricks and sheetrock or houses made of—”

“Okay!” Melinda held up a hand. “I don’t like where this is going. Kids, don’t eat too much and ruin your dinner. That includes you, mister.” She pointed at Phil who took a bite of defiance. She threw up her hands and set about cleaning up from their earlier baking.

“I better help with that.” Phil jerked his thumb toward the sink with one hand and finished off his cookie with the other.

Alone together at the kitchen table, Carol kept decorating but said lowly, “So I was thinking, while we’re on vacation, here and at the beach, what if we just turned work off completely? You know, do not disturb, no email, no calls or texts…”

“Yeah,” Daisy agreed. That certainly fit into her plan. “I’ve already told everyone I’m out and unavailable, so I might as well actually stick to that.”

“Exactly. Same. Just you and me.”

“And them.” Daisy giggled as her dad played Christmas music on his phone and pulled her mom into a dance.

—--------

When the rest of the lights in the house were off, Daisy and Carol slipped into bed, this time in Daisy’s childhood bedroom. Melinda had said she hoped Carol would be a good influence on Daisy to clean it out, but Carol agreed solely to hear all of Daisy’s stories about the things she kept over the years. That could wait for tomorrow, though.

Instead of turning out the bedroom light, Carol got up and searched Daisy’s crowded desk for something… there it was.

“What are you looking for?” Daisy sat up in bed on her elbows.

Carol turned around to reveal a Polaroid. “This.”

Daisy beckoned her back, then adjusted her pillow to be more comfortable upright. “It should still have some film in it; god knows it’s long expired by now.”

Carol brought the camera back to bed with her. She propped her pillow up next to Daisy, who took the camera and examined it in nostalgia for a second before raising it above their heads.

“Smile,” she teased and pressed the button. The picture came out, but they would have to wait to see if it would develop into a discernible image or at all.

Daisy was too impatient, though. “One more.”

This time as she raised the camera and pressed the button, Carol kissed her temple.

Carol took the camera and they shot two more until the film ran out. Daisy set the camera on the bedside table next to the developing photos.

“What should we do while we wait?” she asked with the tip of her tongue peeking out of her teasing smile.

“I have an idea. Come here.” Carol pulled her in close and they kissed for a reasonable amount of time (and maybe more) for the photos to appear on the film.

Carol began to take off Daisy’s shirt, but Daisy giggled and pointed to the band posters on the wall. “Not while everyone’s watching.”

“We really have to take those down tomorrow,” Carol concluded. Daisy hummed in agreement and turned to the bedside table to check on the photos.

“Oooh look,” Daisy sighed happily. The photos were not clear nor were they accurate colors, but they developed in a way that provided a romantic haze to them. She dug around in her bedside table drawer and produced a Sharpie. On the temple-kissing one, she wrote “Christmas Carol + Holidaisy = 4ever.”

Carol took the Sharpie and wrote their names surrounded by hearts and stars on one and drew a tree and sleigh with C + D in between on another. On the last, Daisy simply wrote, “I love you” with a heart.

Photography session complete, they returned the photos to their spot next to the camera on the bedside table again and Daisy turned off the light so they could settle in for the night in comfortable, cozy darkness wrapped up in each other.

“I can already tell,” Carol whispered, half asleep, “this is gonna be the best Christmas ever.”

Daisy only answered with a kiss but thought to herself, “Oh, you have no idea.”

—-------

Their Christmas Eve was a busy one from the start. They cleaned out Daisy’s room first thing after breakfast, urged on by Melinda who gave them boxes for storage, donation, and recycling and bag for trash. The process was slowed a bit by Carol asking for backstories and Daisy recounting the memories behind several mementos, but eventually, they finished with three full boxes and a bulging trash bag. Carol helped her redecorate with what was left, so by lunchtime, Daisy’s childhood room was not only more organized but more fitting of a guest room for a grown couple.

Next on the list, they dropped the donations off at a local shelter that needed the support, especially the toys and winter clothes this time of year. Then, the girls stopped by a downtown Christmas market for hot cocoa and walked hand-in-hand through rows of vendors who were eager for last-minute shoppers. They even made a last-minute rush to the store when they received a text that they were missing ingredients for tomorrow’s lunch with Melinda’s parents. Carol teased Daisy as they waited in line at the grocery store, pointing subtly to a pair of old women squabbling over whether they would have russet potatoes or sweet potatoes at their dinner.

“Think that’s going to be us someday?” Carol winked.

“Probably,” Daisy giggled. “I’m the one with the blue hair and you’re the one with the tracksuit.”

“You know,” Carol imagined, “they probably do this every year. The day before, the lines are long, and they realize one of them put one kind of potatoes in the cart and one prefers the other that year.”

“They probably know almost everyone in this store and all the butcher’s kids’ names.” Daisy played along. “When they don’t come in for too long, the cashiers start to worry.”

Carol started unloading their few items onto the checkout belt.

“I bet they—” she stopped as she saw who was paying at the register in the next line over. She paled and froze, with a box of butter sticks in her hand.

“You okay?” Daisy followed her gaze, standing on tiptoes to see over the magazine rack from this angle.

Sue Danvers made small talk with the cashier only feet away from them. Carol watched her carefully as she checked out, unaware her only daughter was so close. That is, until she lingered by the ice machine near the exit. Carol excused herself as Daisy paid and took their bag of items. When Daisy walked over, she could tell Carol and her mother were having a difficult, stilted conversation, so she hung back out of earshot but watched carefully.

Carol’s back was to Daisy, but she said something that shocked Sue. Carol waited a beat more, but Sue shook her head and walked away. Daisy rushed over and took Carol’s hand with her free one.

“Hey.” Carol squeezed Daisy’s hand and inhaled deeply. “Let’s go home.”

Once they were in the car, Daisy didn’t press the issue but gently asked, “Wanna talk about it?”

“Later,” Carol promised.

But of course, they didn’t get a moment alone together until bedtime, and by then, they were content to let the magic of Christmas Eve sweep away the hard conversations and bad memories and heartache. Still, Daisy’s goodnight kiss lingered.

“I love you, Christmas Carol,” she whispered into the dark.

“Love you, Holidaisy,” Carol whispered back and cuddled her close.

They held each other in protection against the bad memories and rejection of the outside world. In the safety of this love-filled home, they could sleep in peace.

—-----------

Early Christmas morning, before Carol woke, Daisy snuck out of bed and grabbed the ring box hidden in her bag. She watched her sleeping girlfriend carefully while putting the ring box in her robe pocket. She crept out of the bedroom to the living room where the light of dawn was visible around the window’s curtains. It gave her just enough light to see Carol’s stocking hanging next to her own. She carefully pulled it off the snowman stocking hanger, but just as she did, she thought she heard a creak of the floor behind her.

She whipped around to make sure Carol hadn’t followed her, but she didn’t see or hear anything else. Satisfied it was just the house settling, she pulled the ring box from her pocket, slid it into the new stocking, and rehanged it on the snowman hanger. She stepped back to make sure it wasn’t immediately obvious what was inside and thought she heard another creak. Finished with her task, she was free to investigate. She tip-toed back to the hall, but no one was there. The kitchen and dining room were similarly empty and quiet. It must have been her own movements after all.

When she returned to bed, Carol was still asleep. That is, until the bed shifted when she got back in it.

“Mmm Daiz?” Carol mumbled.

“Shh, it’s not time yet. Go back to sleep.”

“Mmk,” Carol sighed and did as she was told for another hour.

Daisy eventually fell back asleep too, which surprised her. She thought she wouldn’t be able to with nerves about proposing this morning, but instead, she dreamt of walking in a dark snowy forest only illuminated by moonlight and the Christmas lights around the evergreen trees lining her path. When she got to the end, a giant, snowy, lit Christmas tree stood in a clearing. As the winter wind pierced her clothing, all she could think about was wishing Carol was there with her. And when she turned around to face the path, suddenly, in the way of dreams, Carol was there. Daisy took Carol’s freezing hand in her own and found herself sliding a ring made of ice crystals on Carol’s finger. Carol kissed her and when she opened her eyes, a snowman with a Bible was on one side and rows and rows of chairs filled with friends and family sat on the other side.

“Oh no, the rings!” exclaimed the dream snowman (presumably Parson Brown of the “Winter Wonderland” song). Daisy looked down to find Carol’s ice ring had melted. Daisy watched as an identical ring on her own finger melted right in front of her eyes. Daisy tried to cry out but the sound stuck in her throat.

“It’s okay, my Holidaisy,” Dream Carol replied, amused at all the concern. “We’re forever. See?” The rings had melted into snowflake pattern markings on their fingers. Dream Carol kissed Daisy again and the crowd in chairs cheered, but Daisy noted she felt it not on her lips but on her forehead.

“Merry Christmas,” the very real, warm Carol whispered and brushed back strands of Daisy’s hair from falling in her face.

“Hi,” Daisy croaked out. She turned onto her back and stretched. “Merry Christmas morning!”

Satisfied Daisy was awake, Carol got out of bed and headed to her suitcase to put on sweatpants, a sports bra, and a long-sleeved shirt with an evergreen tree print. “You looked really happy. What were you dreaming about? I hated to wake you, but your dad knocked and said pancakes are almost ready.”

“Wow, I can’t believe I slept through him stopping by.” Daisy sat up and smiled softly as she remembered her dream. “Just dreaming about kissing you in a winter wonderland.”

“Supposed to snow later. Maybe we can make your dream come true.” Carol winked. “But for now, breakfast!” She left for the bathroom and Daisy changed, contemplating what to wear that would be nice enough to propose in but comfy enough to not raise suspicion. She went with a holiday shirt that roughly matched Carol’s, but with a holly and berry print instead. They could always do nice engagement photos later—assuming Carol said yes, of course. Daisy was fairly confident she would, but nerves told her not to get too cocky. What if Carol wasn’t ready? Or what if Christmas wasn’t the right time with its reminder of her family’s rejection? They had only seen Carol’s mom yesterday, so it wasn’t exactly ancient history.

Daisy took a deep breath. The ring was already in the stocking. She couldn’t hesitate now. Carol was already in the kitchen by the time Daisy dressed and made her way to the bathroom. Daisy rehearsed her speech in her head, revising and then calming herself down again when she worried about messing it up.

Once she stepped into the kitchen, though, the same feeling she had at this same sight last year settled her nerves. Carol and her parents and their holiday traditions fit so naturally. It was the very picture of home to Daisy. Carol saw her approaching and poured Daisy some coffee before pouring her own in the mugs Melinda had ready on the table for them.

“Hot pancakes, coming through!” Phil called as he carried the plate from the stove to the table. He saw Daisy walk in and greeted her, “Hey, there she is. Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”

“Merry Christmas, Dad. Thanks for the pancakes.”

“Of course! Out of sprinkles this year, though.”

Melinda came in and pecked a kiss to Phil’s cheek before explaining to the girls, “He did try to make them into shapes to make up for it, but they were ugly blobs so we ate them instead.”

Daisy and Carol laughed at Phil’s expense. “You’d think a pancake snowman would be pretty easy with the circles, but it’s harder than it looks!” he explained.

When they were finished with breakfast, they made their way to the living room, mugs of coffee and tea in hand. Daisy was surprised to see each stocking had something in it, and in particular, hers had a little box with a bow sticking out on top. The parents took their usual spots with Melinda sitting on the couch and Phil in his chair next to her.

Carol spoke up quickly, “I think we should do stockings first, in a new tradition.”

They agreed so she set down her coffee mug on an end table and took it upon herself to distribute the stockings, first to Melinda, who pulled out some calming loose-leaf tea. Then to Phil who had gourmet chocolates. Daisy stood by Carol, unsure of how to proceed with Carol apparently playing stocking stuffer elf for the others but as yet unaware there was something in her own stocking.

“I got those when I was in Europe for my work conference a few weeks ago,” Carol explained. Ah. That at least explained why she had stocking stuffers ready for them all, Daisy reasoned. But Carol was still holding Daisy’s stocking. “For yours, if you don’t like it, you can have anything you want, but this just seemed like you.”

Carol seemed especially anxious for Daisy’s reaction. Daisy’s heart skipped a beat as she pulled out the small wrapped box, but she chastised herself for jumping to conclusions just because rings were on her mind. It’s just a souvenir from her Europe trip, Daisy reminded herself, just like the others. Daisy nearly dropped it when she got the wrapping off and saw it was a hinged box… exactly like the kind…

Carol gently took the box from Daisy’s trembling hands and knelt on one knee in front of her. She opened the top to reveal the most perfect, gleaming ring. “Daisy May Coulson, you’ve given me so much already: hope, joy, peace, but most of all, love. You’ve given me a family and a home. I want to do the same for you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”

Daisy gasped in surprise but recovered enough to nod and say, “Yes, yes, yes” through welling tears that turned to laughter. Carol slid the ring on her finger and sighed in relief when it was exactly the right size.

Phil and Melinda clapped and cheered. Daisy wiped her eyes and turned to get Carol’s stocking. “You might want to look inside. I didn’t wrap yours, but I hope you like it too.”

Carol’s joy turned to puzzled surprise until she pulled out a ring box too. “Wait. Is this?”

Daisy nodded. It was her turn to pop the question. She opened the box and asked, “And how about you, Carol Jane Danvers? Will you be my wife, forever?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she slid the ring on Carol’s finger.

Carol kissed her before saying anything, then pulled away only slightly to say, “Yeah, you know what? I think I will.”

They all laughed at Carol’s teasing answer, and Phil and Melinda cheered again as Carol and Daisy kissed once more.

Daisy turned to her parents to show them her ring. It was elegant, not too big but still obviously an engagement ring, feminine enough but not overly so. The thought that Carol knew her so well made her nearly burst with joy. As Carol showed Phil and Melinda her ring, they oohed and ahhed, but Phil let slip that both rings were “even prettier in person.”

“Wait, you saw pictures of both of them?” Daisy furrowed her brow. She knew she’d sent her parents a photo of Carol’s ring… Oh. “This whole time, you knew we were both proposing on Christmas?”

“Yeah, we did,” Phil admitted. “What can I say, we’re pretty good at surprises.”

Melinda added, “We didn’t know when exactly, until Carol handed off the gifts for us to put in the stockings last night.”

Daisy turned to her now-fiancee. “Now why didn’t I think of that? That explains why I didn’t hear you get up at all last night.”

Carol confessed, “Well, I should probably tell you, I didn’t just have them help hide the ring in the stocking either.”

Daisy looked between Carol and her parents until Melinda explained. “She called a month ago and told us she was going to propose and asked for our blessing.”

“I know it’s old fashioned,” Carol rushed out, “but you’re the most important person in my life, and you guys are my family, and—”

“Hey,” Daisy cut her off gently and took her hands. “That means the world to me, that you would want to and even think to do that, especially since you were planning on asking me here.”

“If you’re curious, we said yes,” Phil replied with a wink. “Consider your engagement parentally blessed.”

Daisy remembered an important bit of information. “And grandparentally blessed. That ring was Grandma Lian’s. I hadn’t even said anything to her about proposing back then—one year ago today, actually. She gave it to me with permission to use it for this when we were ready, and I’ve been dreaming of giving it to you ever since.”

“A year ago?” Carol was speechless. She admired the ring anew, now knowing it had even more family meaning and history behind it.

Melinda cleared her throat. “Continuing on that theme, traditionally the bride’s parents help pay for the wedding, and making some assumptions that we’re not going to have any competition there, we want you to know we’re happy to help.” It was clear from Melinda’s tone that Sue and Joe Danvers were not exactly on her Christmas card list after the way they treated their daughter.

Carol sank down on the couch next to Melinda, and Daisy followed. Judging from Carol’s frown, this was about to get serious. “Thank you. I was planning on only telling Daisy, but you two might as well know.” She took Daisy’s hand. “We saw my mom at the store yesterday. While Daisy was checking out, I told my mom I was planning on marrying Daisy, if she’d have me.” Carol met Daisy’s eyes, which were full of sadness and empathy.

That solves that mystery, then, Daisy thought to herself. Out loud, she asked softly, “What’d she say? I saw you two were talking and then she just walked away. Was that when you told her?”

Carol hung her head. “Yeah. Yeah, she was sort of stunned for a bit. I don’t think she expected it. Then she said she hoped we were happy but that she didn’t want to know more and not to tell my dad.”

“Oh babe,” Daisy hugged her.

“Well, that answers my next question of whether they knew,” Melinda remarked.

“Their loss is our gain,” Phil added. “It sounds redundant to say it at this point, but welcome to the family, Carol. Feels like we need a toast.” He raised a lukewarm cup of coffee, and the others did the same with their cooling coffee and tea. “Here’s to Daisy and Carol, may the love you share be a light to all, and may this year surround you with comfort and joy in each other and from all those who care about you.”

“Cheers,” Melinda agreed. Carol and Daisy echoed it and clicked mugs with Melinda and Phil. They all grimaced at their room-temperature drinks.

Phil checked the time. “We’d better get this show on the road if we’re going to be ready in time for Lian and William to arrive.”

Daisy resumed her usual place distributing the other gifts from under the tree, and they went about unwrapping, thanking each other, and cleaning up the scattered wrapping as usual.

The last gift Daisy was waiting for, however, came later, with her grandmother’s nod of approval at the news and the sight of her ring on Carol’s finger. Just as she had intended. It didn’t mean Grandma Lian went soft on them, of course. They did still face a series of direct questions they weren’t prepared to answer, having only been engaged a few hours, but knowing they had her support and even encouragement helped them pass her tests of confidence with flying colors.

Grandpa William was thrilled as well and told Carol she could call him Grandpa too instead of Mr. May, especially after hearing that her own grandparents had passed several years ago.

—----------------

When the lunch was done and the photos were taken and the grandparents had gone home, Carol and Daisy found a moment to video call Carol’s Aunt Wendy and her wife, Victoria, to tell them the good news and show them the rings. They insisted on flying in for the wedding whenever the girls set a date, and as frequent travelers, they offered their expertise and connections for booking queer-friendly resorts and BnBs for potential honeymoon spots.

After the video call, Carol and Daisy sent a quick photo showing off their rings to their friend group chat and posted a few more to social media with the caption: “We got each other the same thing for Christmas this year. Surprise!” with two ring emojis and a wedding chapel and two brides.

Carol’s earlier sadness at her mom’s reaction faded back into memory as the magic of Christmas Day and the acceptance of her chosen family surrounded her. There would always be grief there, especially as she wondered whether she would even send her own parents a wedding invitation when it came time. But there was so much joy too, from the Coulsons to Aunt Wendy and Victoria to the all-caps ecstatic reply texts of their friend group to social media comments leaving happy emoji-filled reactions. The one that meant the most to Carol, though, was a simple Instagram like and “congrats sis” from her brother late that evening.

She showed the last comment to Daisy on her phone just as their movie of the night, It’s a Wonderful Life, ended with “Auld Lang Syne.” She felt a bit like George Bailey, whose friends rallied around him in public support when he needed it most.

Daisy smiled and pointed to the next one under Carol’s brother’s comment. This new one was from a former coworker’s daughter, a girl they had met at a company picnic a few summers ago and who had followed Carol on Instagram ever since. The comment read: “I’m only 16, so it’s going to be a while, but I want this someday. I just came out to my dad. He’s supportive but worried I’m not going to have a good life here in my new state where it’s harder than it was when I lived up there. I’m going to show him this so he knows I can be happy like you two.”

The credits to the movie rolled, and Phil and Melinda said goodnight and turned off the TV. When they were gone, Daisy said softly to Carol, “This is about more than us, isn’t it?”

“I hadn’t really thought of it like that,” Carol admitted. “But yeah, if I’d known about Aunt Wendy and Victoria when I was in high school, and just seen them be happy together as I figured things out, life might have been a lot easier for me.”

Daisy stood and stretched. “Then, I guess, for the sake of all the little girls out there, with the next generation watching, we will just have to live happily ever after.”

Carol stood too and wrapped her arms loosely around her future wife. “Oh, we definitely will.”

Daisy kissed her deeply, with the light of the Christmas tree gleaming behind them. Everyone else—all the details of wedding planning and the comments from social media and the eyes of the world that still viewed them as an issue to debate or an inspiration to uphold—could wait.

For this moment, on Christmas night, this was their fairytale and theirs alone.

Outside the living room window, the forecasted flurries began, giving the impression they were transported to their own little snowglobe.

They went to the window to watch it fall, and Carol laughed to herself as she saw it from this side of the window this year, a beautiful white Christmas, safe and warm with her love wrapped in her arms.

It was snowing. Of course it was snowing.

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