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Buck is bursting with excitement, he has Taylor by his side and he’s finally, after everything that happened this last year ready to get in the holiday spirit.
After everything that happened with Taylor’s dad, their communication has only been strengthened. Finally, it’s more than just a physical connection. They have had a record number of nights lately where they sit up in bed till the wee hours of the morning just talking, supporting each other, and okay yes having some pretty incredible sex.
Today isn’t about talking or sex, it’s about enjoying this experience with each other. Taylor is rightly so, not very excited about the holidays, Buck is here to change that. She has no idea where he’s taking them, but he hopes that when they get there she’ll be just as excited as him.
“Okay, Tay, close your eyes,” Buck says, a few blocks away from their final destination.
“Really?” she asks incredulously.
“Yes really, I have a surprise for you.” Buck can’t contain his excitement, and when he glances over he sees that her eyes are closed, he notices the corners of her lips are curled up in a smile.
Before long they are pulling into a parking lot that is taken over by rows and rows of evergreen trees.
Buck guides Taylor out of the Jeep and positions her so that she has the best view of the lot. He waits until he’s positioned just behind her, his arms draped over her shoulders, to tell her to open her eyes.
There’s an audible gasp when she does, and Buck can only hope that it’s positive. When she turns around there’s clear emotion on her face. They are still getting used to each other and being vulnerable, so this open display of vulnerability knocks him off balance for a moment.
“Oh honey, are you okay,” Buck asks, pushing her auburn hair to the side.
“Yeah,” she laughs through the tears, “this is just-- I haven’t been to one of these markets since, well since before my mom died.”
Buck can’t help but pull her in close, encapsulating her tiny frame.
“These are happy tears though,” Taylor says into his jacket, “it’s nice to be able to do something we used to do together.”
Buck pulls back just enough to pull her into a soft, chaste kiss. “I love you Taylor Kelly, even if that’s not your last name.”
“I love you too Evan “Buck” Buckley.”
“Do you wanna go in?”
“Yeah.” She nods, her smile brightening up the world around her.
They spend the afternoon walking the rows, comparing douglas fir to pine, and playing hide and seek amongst the trees. They share a hot chocolate from the stand in the corner of the lot and they share enough laughs to last a lifetime.
Buck realizes, as he loads the tree onto the top of his jeep, that memories are snapshots of the life you’ve lived. He’s spent so much of his life trying to forget everything, trying to just race through life to the next best thing. He never realized the power that these types of memories hold. He’s ready though, he’s ready to savour every moment with the woman he loves.