Work Text:
One of the things Sara had realized since her return from Japan, was that she had a new outlook on certain things in her life. Especially at Christmastime. Things like decorating her tree, shopping for presents, and spending time with her twin sister, Jess, and her boyfriend, Jacob, took on a new, more delightful air about them. And she was loving it.
Jacob was as well. In fact, he had made plans to surprise her that evening. And Sara was excited.
“So do you have any idea what Jacob’s got planned for you guys tonight?” Jess asked her sister as the two of them wandered the stall at the Bryant Park Winter Village, looking at all the booths.
“I dunno,” Sara replied. “He just said to be ready by five o’clock. He didn’t say what we’re doing or where we’re going.”
“Are you nervous?” asked Jess.
Sara paused, thinking. “No. I mean, I’m wondering what he’s got planned but I’m not worried it’ll be horrible or whatever. I trust him.”
“Good,” Jess simply said. “I trust him too. I like him much better than Rob. He was a jerk to you for cheating on you.”
Sara laughed at her twin. She knew Jess had quite the opinion about her ex-finance ever since she found out he had started dating someone new so quickly following her ordeal in Japan(for lack of better terms). Jacob, however, had not only gone through it with her, he had been there when she came home and was still working through things. He had helped her, understood her, supported her. The only person who had come close to doing that was Jess.
Jess picked up a pair of red drop earrings and held them against Sara’s ears. She smiled and handed them to the cashier. Once they were paid for, she handed them to Sara. “An early Christmas present. You can wear them tonight.”
Sara looked at them, stunned, yet she took them. “Wow, thanks, Jess. I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Just enjoy yourself tonight with Jacob, alright?”
Sara had to wonder if her twin knew something she didn’t.
*************
As per Jacob’s instructions, Sara was ready at 5 pm sharp. She had decided on a simple black off-the-shoulder dress with a red sash and red kitten pumps. It was simple yet elegant. As she was putting her new earrings in, the buzzer to her Chelsea studio apartment rang out. It was Jacob. She smiled to herself and buzzed him in.
“Hey,” he greeted her as he let himself in. “Wow, you look amazing.”
“Thanks, so do you,” she replied. He really did. He was dressed in a white dress shirt, black slacks, and a blue blazer. He looked handsome.
“So what’s this big secret surprise you’ve got planned for us?” she asked as they headed down the stairs.
“If I told you that, it wouldn’t be a surprise,” he responded with a mischievous grin.
“Can I at least get a hint?”
He shook his head. “Nope. Not until after dinner.”
The couple made their way to a quaint yet fancy Italian restaurant. Sara marveled at the décor as they were seated. “This place is nice. Where’s you find it?”
“A guy at work told me about it,” Jacob said. “The food sounded good so I thought we’d give it a try.”
She smiled as the waiter came to their table. They ordered some wine and looked over the menu. Sara did have to agree with him, everything sounded really tasty; she almost couldn’t decide. Eventually, she decided on the penne vodka with a salad; Jacob decided on the chicken parmigiana.
“So, how was your day with Jess?” Jacob asked as he picked up a piece of bread.
“Good,” she replied. “Got a lot of my Christmas shopping done.”
“Really? That’s great to hear.”
Sara nodded, her curled blonde hair bouncing. “Oh, yeah, I was surprised at all they had. And they had a booth there that had amazing hot chocolate. I’ll have to take you some time.”
“Sometime,” he said with a smile as he picked his water glass up. “Tonight, I have something special planned.
“And no hints?”
He shook his head. “None.”
The waiter soon brought them their food. Although the two of them took their time savoring the taste, which was exquisite, Jacob did say they had to be somewhere by 7. Once they were done, they headed towards the pier.
“Alright, close your eyes,” Jacob told her. Sara closed her eyes and he took her hand. He led her a little ways and stopped. “Open them.”
She opened her eyes to the sight of a small ship decked with lights. “Is that… is that for us?” she asked.
Jacob nodded. “Just us. I got us a private light tour of the harbor.”
Sara looked at him in shock. “You didn’t. A private light tour! Oh, babe!” She threw her arms around him.
He hugged her back. He was nervous she wouldn’t have liked it but decided to do it anyway. He took her hand and led her onto the ship.
“Welcome aboard,” the captain greeted them as the steward showed them to their seats in the front of the boat. The built-in couch was decorated with several pillows and a table with a plate of cookies and two empty mugs sitting in front of it. The couple got comfortable as the boat set off into the water. Jacob put a blanket over their laps as the steward brought out a carafe of hot chocolate; he poured them each a mug and handed them their drinks.
Sara snuggled up to her boyfriend. They may have faced death and survived but that didn’t matter. She was where she was meant to be. And she couldn’t be more blessed this Christmas.