Chapter 11 - Eve's Christmas Wedding

"You're a miracle worker, Eve."

"Thank you, Kyle. I'm glad you're pleased with everything." Eve smiled her gratitude at the bridegroom. "But I'd hardly call it a miracle." She surveyed the wedding venue with satisfaction. White sand blanketed the auditorium floor. Close to two hundred elves, all wearing Hawaiian shirts specially designed for the occasion, milled around. The majority of them sipped from glasses of slushy iced drinks with paper umbrellas. The dulcet tones of Elvis Presley's version of 'Ke Kali Nei Au' filled the air. Eve knew she'd never hear the Hawaiian wedding song again without thinking of this very odd, but very magical, Hawaiian North Pole Christmas Eve wedding.

"Kris is going to love it. This is exactly what she wanted."

Eve and Kyle shared a quick, knowing grin. They both knew that what Kris Kringle had truly wanted was to be on a real beach on an actual island, but families required compromise. The Claus family was no different.

"You look beautiful," Kyle said. "I'm glad the dress worked out for you."

"Thank you. It's perfect," she said. "A month from now, when I'm back home, buried in snow, and freezing cold, it will be a nice reminder of a special day."

Kyle's face grew serious. "Eve, look, Kris and I were very sorry to hear that Hunter left. If there's anything we can do to help you two find your way back-,"

Eve held up her hand to stop what she knew was coming next. "Oh, Kyle, not now. This is your wedding day. We're here to celebrate the beginning of your and Kris' new life." She willed away the tears welling up inside of her. She was not going to cry today. Not over Hunter Nielson. Not ever again.

The bridegroom nodded. "Okay, but just remember that love triumphs. Always."

She forced herself to smile. "I hope that's true because it's very good for business." It was well past time to switch gears from jilted girlfriend to efficient wedding planner. "Now, you need to track down your best man and get up there under that hibiscus covered arch." She looked down at her clipboard and frowned. "Do we have confirmation on Santa's location?"

Santa Claus, because it was still Christmas Eve, was still out delivering gifts. His return was the last piece of the puzzle they needed in place for the wedding to begin. As much as she trusted what a kind and generous man Santa was, Eve knew she wouldn't fully relax until she saw with her own eyes that he approved of the tropical wedding theme.

"He should be touching down soon." Kyle glanced at his watch. "Do you want me to send Rapz to check with mission control?"

Eve shook her head. "No, please not Rapz. He's better left under my watchful eye."

Kyle laughed. "I'll go find Nick. I'm sure he knows where his dad is."

"Good. Just keep your fingers crossed that Santa's reaction is what we're all hoping for."

* * *

 

Hunter shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, surprised at just how cold the air could be this time of year in Italy. He strolled around the perimeter of St. Peter's Square watching as the crowds gathered to listen to the Pope's annual Christmas speech.

He looked up in the sky, watching for the pickup sign Tinsel had prearranged with him. The elf couldn't return for him soon enough. As amazing as it would be to spend Christmas in Vatican City, Hunter wanted to be where his heart was. With Eve at the North Pole.

His fingers closed around the velvet box in his pocket and he issued a swift and silent prayer that Eve would forgive him for leaving.

* * *

 

"Attention all wedding guests," Santa Claus' voice boomed over the Christmas Central loudspeaker, "This is the uncle of the bride speaking. I've just touched down, and I'll be there in a jiffy to give my lovely niece away. Please alert the orchestra to be ready."

Two hundred elves collectively turned to look at the ukulele that Rapz was strumming. A chorus of moans and groans rippled through the crowd. Eve shared their consternation. Suddenly the idea of surprising Santa with a beach themed wedding didn't seem so much a surprise as a betrayal.

"Eve?" Kris' voice warbled with uncertainty. "I'm not so sure this was a good idea." Her brown eyes were wide. So were her daughter's.

Eve's professional instincts kicked in as she glanced between mother and daughter. An unhappy Santa Claus, she didn't know quite how to deal with, but a nervous bride? This she could handle. She turned her attention first to Kris' daughter. "Noelle, you look beautiful." Eve smiled her most reassuring smile. "Are you excited?"

The little girl nodded. The sparkle in her young eyes assured Eve that Noelle was every bit as happy about the wedding as Kris and Kyle were. Perfect.

At least it would be if Santa approved. Eve glanced toward the double doors leading into the auditorium. It wouldn't be long now.

And it wasn't. The doors flung open. Santa Claus, dressed in his red velvet suit and heavy black boots, stood in the doorway. He surveyed the suddenly silent room, an unreadable expression on his face. Mrs. Claus stood just behind him, her expression every bit as undecipherable as her husband's.

Eve could only imagine what Santa was thinking. Instead of white wooden chairs, the floor was covered in imported white sand. Doubtless Santa expected to see the elves in their holiday finest, but instead they wore Hawaiian print shirts, shorts, and flip-flop sandals. The orchestra was out, the ukulele was in. The smell of coconut permeated the air. Christmas spirit had been edged aside by the aloha spirit.

Knowing that it was her job to act as a buffer, Eve whispered a word of reassurance to the bride and then made her way over to where the Claus' stood. "Hello Santa, Mrs. Claus," she smiled brightly and plowed ahead, "I trust the deliveries went well?"

Santa's blue eyes met hers. Eve thought she detected the slightest hint of a sparkle, but it could be anger as easily as it could be amusement. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "I can explain."

Santa held up a white gloved hand. "I'll do the talking, Eve."

She clutched her clipboard to her chest. "Of course."

"You can imagine the confusion my wife and I feel right now. We always head out to Maui the day after Christmas but unless I'm mistaken, it's still Christmas Eve." He checked his watch. "Yes, just as I thought."

Eve waited. More was coming. Santa was a man of many words. If she'd learned anything this week, it was that.

"My lovely wife and I were delighted when Kyle asked for our dear niece's hand in marriage. We adore Kris and Noelle, and only ever wanted the best for them. Which, to our way of thinking, was a traditional Christmas Eve wedding." He surveyed the room, shaking his head at what he saw. "It appears that you all thought otherwise."

Eve watched Kris and Kyle exchange worried looks across the auditorium. The majority of the elves shifted guiltily from foot to foot. This wasn't right. Everyone had worked too hard to allow the whole wedding to be ruined. "Santa, please, I need you to understand-"

But again Santa cut her off. "I only have one thing to say to all of you." He strode toward the center of the room and took off his jacket to reveal a short-sleeve Hawaiian style shirt. He threw his arms open wide. "Mele Kalikimaka everyone!"

Eve's eyes grew as wide as everyone else's but within a few heartbeats, her shock gave way to laughter. A cheer went up and she joined in the applause.

Santa strode over and enveloped her in a warm hug. "Mahalo, Eve, for everything."

Tears of gratitude filled Eve's eyes. She was the one who owed Santa and his family thanks but that could wait. It was time for a wedding.

* * *

 

"I can't remember when I've enjoyed an evening more." Eve sank to the sand, slipped off her sandals, and dug her toes in the sand. "Oh, that feels so good."

"Tell me about it," Jolly agreed. She handed Eve a glass of white wine and sat beside her. "There was some pretty stiff competition in that limbo line."

Eve laughed. "Oh, Jolly, I'm going to miss you all so much when I leave."

Rapz, who was laying on his back in the sand making the tropical version of snow angels, lifted his head and looked over at her. "Does that include me too, Eve?"

"Most definitely." And she meant it too. "I can't believe that I ever doubted that Santa and the North Pole existed."

Jolly laughed. "We don't take it personally. It isn't always easy to believe and trust in something that you can't see and hold."

"Like love," Rapz said, his voice sounding far more serious than it normally was. "Sometimes I think that's the hardest bridge to cross."

"I hear you." She didn't want to think about Hunter tonight but he'd been on her mind all throughout the wedding and reception. As happy as she'd been for Kris and Kyle as they exchanged vows, hearing their pledges of eternal love had hurt. She sighed.

Jolly's smile was sympathetic. "It's not too late, you know. For you and Hunter."

Oh, but it was. And it hurt too much to talk about. A life without Hunter, she realized, was going to require a strategy. The only plan she could think of was to white knuckle it, one day at a time, for as long as it took.

* * *

 

Hunter made his way through the throng of elves waiting outside the arrivals and departures area. Despite the advantage of height, he was outnumbered and heading in the opposite direction of the crowd. His sleigh had landed just as the newlyweds were boarding their sleigh headed down below for their honeymoon.

The festive mood was palpable, but this didn't surprise him. He could easily attribute part of the upbeat energy to it being Christmas Eve, but he also knew that Eve was responsible in no small part. All of her hard work pulling together a last minute wedding had no doubt paid off in an amazing ceremony and insanely fun reception. He hated having missed it but he was here now. Now he needed to make it to Eve's side and plead his case.

A horrible thought struck him for the first time. What if Eve had already left? He stopped an elderly elf. "Excuse me, do you know if Eve Bennington is still here?"

The elf flashed a toothy grin. "Last time I saw her she was enjoying a glass of wine. Hey, that was some wedding, huh?"

"I don't doubt it," he said. With a nod of thanks, he headed towards Eve's room. So his luck was holding out thus far, but he knew the hardest part was yet to come. He didn't deserve her forgiveness, or her love, but he had to make one last try.

* * *

 

Eve snapped the lid of her suitcase shut. She'd had to borrow it from Jolly to fit in all of the mementos that her new friends had given her, not to mention all of the baby gifts the elves had made for Staci's baby. Eve looked around the empty room and realized that if she was ever going to go, now was the time. During the reception, Santa and his family had relentlessly pressured her to accompany them to Maui. Kind as the offer was, she knew she wasn't going to be fit company for quite awhile. The best thing she could do, she'd decided, was to go back to Manhattan and throw herself into her work. Valentine's Day was right around the corner and with it, a good number of weddings to micromanage.

She heaved the suitcase onto the floor and reached into the closet for her coat. It was then that she saw her unopened gift from Santa. Hesitating only for a moment, she carried it to the bed. She stared at it for a long moment. Despite not knowing what was within it, she'd come to know Santa well enough to understand that he didn't give gifts without great thought. Which meant whatever was tucked in the box, was something special. She resisted the temptation to leave it in the closet unopened. Santa deserved better.

She untied the pink silk bow and lifted the lid from the box. She gingerly moved several layers of silver flecked tissue paper aside. A white shantung silk dress lay neatly folded, and Eve recognized it at once. Her eyes grew moist as she reverently lifted it out of the box and held it up against her.

"Oh, Santa," she whispered aloud. "How did you know?"

She turned to look at her reflection in the full length mirror. The dress was strapless, with a wide ballerina pink satin sash at the empire waistline. With one hand, she reverently traced the seed pearls and crystals hand sewn just below the bust line. She knew every detail without having to look at it because this was her dress. The dress she'd designed when she was twelve years old. Back when she'd been young enough to believe in fairy tales and happily ever afters.

When she heard a knock on her door, she wasn't surprised. It stood to reason that Santa would come to see if she had opened her gift. "Come in," she called over her shoulder, her attention still riveted on her dream dress.

"Hello Eve."

She whirled around. "Hunter?" Her heart began to hammer in her chest. "What are you doing here?"

He took a few tentative steps into the room. He gazed at the dress she was still holding up against her, before his eyes met hers. "I've come for you."

"For me?" She barely recognized her own voice for the uncertainty she heard in it. Hunter looked slightly disheveled and exhausted, but a trip to Italy and back would do that. Even so, the sight of him nearly took her breath away. "Why aren't you in Vatican City?"

"Because you're not there." His half-smile was tentative. "I did go, but as soon as I got there, I realized the mistake I've made."

Her deep desire to shield her heart from any further damage went to war with hope. "I don't understand. Did you see the Pope?"

"I did."

His words were like a bucket of cold water thrown over her. Nothing had changed. Hunter had gone on assignment, conducted his interview, and came back to her. Until the next time he got a call. But she wasn't going to do this.

She lowered the dress and, with one last look at it, she folded it carefully and held it cradled in her arms. "I don't know why you came back here, Hunter, but I'm leaving. I need to get back to Manhattan."

"We'll go together."

She heard the question in his voice.

"No." She willed herself to look away from him but she couldn't. It was as if a magnetic attraction tethered them together. "You made your choice when you chose to interview the Pope."

Hunter took several steps toward her. "I didn't interview him, Eve. I chose you."

She frowned. "But you just said you saw him, didn't you?"

"I did see him, but it wasn't for an interview. It was an audience."

"An audience?" she repeated.

He nodded. "That's right, I knew before I arrived in Italy that I'd made the worst mistake in the world leaving you. I apologized to His Holiness for wasting his time, and I told him that I needed to get back to the woman I loved."

Eve stared. "You chose me over the Pope?"

Hunter's voice was gentle, but strong and assured at the same time. "I chose you. I choose you. Over everything. If you'll have me."

Eve fought back against the sob that rose in her throat. "But you had an audience?" she persisted. Her heart was on the line, and she needed to make sure she understood.

In answer, Hunter reached in his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. "I asked the Pope to bless this." He opened the box and held it out to her.

Transfixed, Eve could only stare at his offering. A heart shaped ruby stone was surrounded by diamonds. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Please, Eve, take it. As a token of my love and devotion to you, I'm giving you my heart."

She began to reach for it and then realized that she was still holding the dress Santa had given her. She turned to lay it back in the box, and as she did so, her hand touched an envelope she hadn't noticed earlier. Her name was scrawled in bold letters on the front. Without hesitating, she opened the card and quickly read the message inside.

My dear Eve,

Every desire which is most precious to us must begin with a dream, and a belief, before it can become real. Dream, Eve, and believe. Your heart knows what it wants. Listen carefully to it.

With love,

Santa Claus

Eve closed her eyes. Her heart did know it wanted. Dream and believe, she could hear the words as if Santa himself were whispering them to her. He was right. Her heart did know what it wanted. It wanted forever. With Hunter.

She lovingly folded the wedding dress her dreams had created before turning back to face him. "Yes."

His face broke into a smile. "Yes?"

"Yes." Eve moved into his arms. "Yes to forever." She reached up and brushed a kiss across Hunter's lips. "Yes to us."