“I hope next time you go somewhere warm,” Nils commented. “You should negotiate the Bahamas. Or New Zealand. It’s a beautiful place.”

Keira smiled, recalling how well traveled Milo’s father was. The complete opposite of his son, in fact. Milo had confessed to rarely leaving his home country due to a fear of flying and bouts of terrible homesickness.

“We need to toast,” Yolanta said suddenly, holding up her coffee mug. “To Christmas!”

Laughing, Keira raised her own mug, clinking it in turn with each of the family members and wishing them each a Merry Christmas as she did so.

As she looked around the table at the family, Keira felt a swell of love for them all. She really had loved the time she’d spent with them and would cherish it forever. It wasn’t every day that she got the opportunity to meet such a warm, friendly, caring family and have them open their arms and heart to her over the Christmas season. She was going to miss them desperately after leaving Sweden.

“Can we open presents now?” Regina asked as soon as the plates were empty.

Nils chuckled. “She is still a seven-year-old at heart. At least we get her to sit through breakfast these days. Back then we used to have to negotiate with her to let us sleep in beyond five a.m.!”

Yolanta laughed. “Let’s go sit around the tree.”

Everyone stood, leaving the table mess for later, and went into the living room.

“I can’t wait to give Keira her gift,” Yolanta said as they went. “It’s extra special.”

Keira felt touched to know Milo’s family had gone to so much effort for her. Before she’d agreed to stay for Christmas, they’d given her gifts to take back to New York and she’d been overwhelmed with gratitude enough. But when it turned out she was staying, the gifts had multiplied beneath the tree, almost to a level that embarrassed Keira. She didn’t feel like she deserved so much kindness. Compared to Christmases at home, she felt thoroughly spoiled.

“I have something special for Keira too,” Milo said.

She blushed. Out the corner of her mouth, she muttered, “You know I haven’t had time to buy anything.”

Milo laughed. “We know. No one minds. You don’t give gifts expecting them in return. That defeats the point of gifts.”

“I know,” Keira said, “but I feel so guilty. Everyone’s been absurdly accommodating.”

“Stop worrying.” Milo chuckled. “Your presence is our present!”

Keira rolled her eyes at his cheesy line, but she did feel a little better.

They entered the living room and all took their seats. Nils positioned himself on the floor, preparing to hand the gifts out. He picked up the first, which was wrapped in gorgeous sparkly silver paper.

“This is for Keira,” he said, reading the snowflake-shaped tag. “It’s from Yolanta.”

He passed it first to Yolanta, who then passed it on to Keira, clearly in some kind of family ritual. Keira took the large rectangular box, still feeling residual guilt about having nothing to give in return.

Carefully, so as not to rip the gorgeous paper, Keira peeled back the tape and unwrapped her gift. The box contained within it was white with a Swedish brand name written across it that Keira couldn’t read. But the rest of the family all made a noise that seemed to suggest they knew exactly what was inside.

Keira lifted the lid and folded back the white tissue paper inside. To her shock and delight, inside was a full snow suit. Keira pulled it out, holding it up, and laughing along with the rest of them. So far, she’d been borrowing a spare suit of Yolanta’s that was far too big for her, not to mention bright red. This one was dark, sleekly designed, and the appropriate size.

“Amazing,” Keira said. “This looks so comfortable. I’m going to get so much use out of it.”

But she felt her chest hitch then, as it dawned on her that she potentially was not. Her days in Sweden were almost over.

“For when you next visit,” Yolanta reassured her, as if intuitively picking up on the subtle change in Keira’s mood.

“Thank you,” Keira said with deep gratitude.

From the tree, Nils had handed a gift to Milo, via Regina, and he opened up a new watch.

“Thanks, sis,” he said, admiring it on his wrist.

“The next gift,” Nils continued from his place on the floor, surrounded by pine needles, “is for… Keira. From Milo.”

He handed the flat, rectangular gift to Milo, was passed it on to Keira.

Keira raised an eyebrow. She had no clue what it might be.

She began to unwrap it, realizing as she did that it was some kind of painting. She pulled the rest of the paper off hurriedly and spun the rectangle around so it was facing the right way. Then she gasped at what she saw. The landscape painting depicted the scene of a frozen lake, with dogs sledding over it. It was beautiful, and so incredibly thoughtful.

“That’s the same lake we went ice fishing on,” Milo explained. “It’s painted by a famous Swedish painter. I thought it would help you remember Sweden.”

Keira felt herself well up, so touched by the gesture. She threw her arms around Milo. “It’s wonderful!” she exclaimed, pressing kisses onto his cheek.

Nils continued his present sharing, handing one to Yolanta for Regina, and another to Regina to hand straight back to him.

“What I really wanted to get you,” Milo said in Keira’s ear as his family busied themselves with their gifts, “was an actual dog sled ride.”

Keira laughed.

“Sadly, we didn’t have enough time,” he continued. “So I got you this instead.”

He pulled something out from behind him. Keira gasped from the shock of there being yet another gift for her, and for the fact it had not gone through the official Nilson family channels.

“A secret gift?” she said, in a joke conspiratorial voice.

Milo nodded. “Open it,” he said eagerly.

Beyond touched, Keira carefully removed the paper. She was holding a small black rectangular box, and already recognized the packaging as jewelry. She snapped it open and gasped. Inside was a necklace of white gold and pale sapphire.

“Oh, Milo, it’s gorgeous,” she said, breathless.

She reached in and pulled the necklace up to her neck, laying the delicate thing across her collarbones.

“Let me,” he offered.

She turned, swiping her hair over one shoulder, and Milo fastened the latch. His fingers felt warm against her skin, making her tingle all over.

“Even though we will be hundreds of miles apart,” he whispered in her ear, “you now have something from me, and Sweden, that can be with you always.”

Keira turned to him, beyond touched. “I’ll treasure it,” she said, gazing into his eyes. “Thank you for making this the best Christmas ever.”

“No, thank you,” Milo said with deep meaning.

Then he laughed and pulled her into his arms as the family continued their present opening around them.

*

The rest of the day was a busy and joyous affair, though it was with a pang of relief that Keira found herself on the porch late at night, with the entirety of Milo’s family in bed, and just Milo for company. As much as she adored his family, having a few more precious moments just the two of them felt necessary.

They sat side by side, silently sharing a bottle of warming spirits, overlooking the mountains for what would be, for Keira, the last time. How sad that their first moment alone all day would also be their last moment alone for an undetermined time.

The North Star was shining brightly above them, and thanks to the thickness of the snow, it appeared as if all the cottages dotted around the mountains were nestled into it. At the edge of the forest Keira saw the dark fir trees, looking majestic in their most natural habitat of deep, deep snow.

Milo reached for Keira’s hand then. She looked over at him, the sight of his face just as breathtakingly beautiful as the scene she’d just torn her eyes from. She felt his warm fingers squeezing hers.

“I never thought I could fall in love with someone so quickly,” he said, in his usual open way. “Honestly, I thought the whole love at first sight thing was a myth. That people were confusing love and lust.”

Keira blushed. She had certainly been guilty of that. But she’d also, in her journey of self-discovery, accepted that lust at first sight was just as valid an experience as its cousin love. Not every relationship was meant to last, but that wasn’t a reason in itself to turn your back on the opportunities life presented you with.

“You’ve proved that wrong,” Milo continued. “It is real. It has happened to me.”

She smiled at him tenderly, and nodded in agreement. Not to mean that he’d changed her mind about falling in love – she knew very well that she’d fallen in love very easily in the past – but in agreement with his assessment that love at first sight was indeed real.

The thought reminded her, suddenly, that even though she felt like Milo was the one, in this moment, experience had taught that that could easily be proven to be wrong. And that thought leapfrogged her to another one. For the first time, Keira was actually looking forward to going home, to being independent in her new apartment. As much as she had loved being in Sweden and being with Milo, she knew this moment in her life needed to come to an end.

Just then, Keira realized Milo was looking at her expectantly. She’d been silent for too long. He’d confessed his love for her and all she’d done was nod!

“What are you thinking?” he asked, his expression a little crestfallen.

“Honestly, I’m thinking about tomorrow,” she admitted. “About the fact I’m leaving.”

He exhaled. “I thought you might be.”

She squeezed his fingers, which were still entwined with hers. “I’m sorry if that disappoints you.”

“No,” Milo said rather quickly, looking intently into her eyes. “I would never try and make you feel guilty for leaving, or for wanting to. I know this must end too. It’s just that it’s been such a magical experience. You’ve taught me so much about love, about myself.”

Keira leaned in and kissed him tenderly. “I feel the exact same way.”