Author’s Note: I’m labeling this NSFW even though it is only one pic near the end and there is no nudity involved. Better safe than sorry.
Welcome to Christmas in September! LOL
Dear Diary, I send you greetings from the Christmas Cottage I rented for our honeymoon! At last, we are here and there’s lots of snow just like my Ellie wished for! There was so much of the powdery white stuff, in fact, I carried her across the unshoveled front walk so she wouldn’t get her feet wet. She giggled the entire way and thanked me with a huge kiss that sent electricity right down my spine.
It was early evening and the drive from the airport was cold, so we were keen to get inside.
It was a small, two bedroom house with a great room and combined kitchen and dining. I liked the layout a lot, not to mention how cheerily it was decorated. Everywhere I looked, there were twinkle lights, Christmas trees, and comfy pillows. The way the rooms were lit made me want to snuggle right in with Ellie in my arms.
“C’mon on!” Ellie said, gesturing for me to join her.
Breathless and holding hands, we ran from room to cozy room, laughing just like two kids at, well, Christmas.
“I can’t believe we get to stay here for an entire week!” she enthused.
It made me feel so proud that I’d found a place she already loved so much.
I still had to bring our groceries in so we could stock the kitchen but I definitely approved of the rustic layout. There were lots of cabinets and a newer stove. Both Ellie and I liked to pad around the kitchen, improving on each other’s recipes. She took a lot of pride in her cooking skills and I could see in her eyes that she liked this kitchen, too.
“Oh, this is so charming,” Ellie murmured as we crossed back into the great room.
The windows were frosting over which reminded me that I should get a fire going soon. Quickly, I checked the thermostat and bumped it up a little. I didn’t want her to get a chill.
The bedrooms were situated off the great room with a Jack and Jill bathroom in between. I’d never been attracted to the country or primitive style of decor but I couldn’t picture this little cottage adorned any other way. It was fitting and added to the feeling of comfort that was resting in my chest.
Looking at my bride, I could tell she was completely enchanted by our surroundings.
Ellie gasped when she saw the bathtub. “Well, I’ll be…”
Tickling her side a little bit, I said, “Room for two!”
She blushed prettily, her face glowing. “Plenty of room.”
That immediately got me going but she was already off in the other bedroom.
“Let’s stay in this one!”
“Okay,” I easily agreed, pulling her into my arms. “Wanna take a nap?”
I playfully bit her earlobe and she squealed, then, turned so she was in my arms, facing me.
“I would love to, however, we need to bring everything inside and put it away.”
Brushing my lips against hers, I murmured, “Are you sure?”
She sighed, melting against me. I kissed the top of her head, my fingers gently lacing through her soft hair.
“I guess all of that could wait. I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
It was a drag having to put our winter gear back on to bring our luggage and groceries inside. Ellie resisted my attempts to make things easier for her. I’d insisted she sit by the fire and rest because I could handle the lifting. She’d insisted right back that she wasn’t an invalid just because she was pregnant and that she could handle the lighter grocery bags just fine.
I knew better than to try and argue with this little spitfire. Ellie did what Ellie wanted. When I think about it, I wouldn’t ask her act any other way. Who was I to try to change her, anyway? That would be a horrible thing to do. Besides, her independence and self-confidence were two reasons I was so in love with her. All I could do was keep a reasonable eye on her and make sure I gave her the lightest things to carry.
“This feels so good.” She bent near the fire, her hands still gloved and outstretched toward the heat.
“All I can feel is my empty stomach.”
“Let’s make something simple tonight.”
Her back was to me, but I could hear the tiredness in her voice. Knowing she would never tell me she was too exhausted to cook, I put a simple plan in place.
First, I couldn’t resist dipping her for a romantic kiss. As she giggled, I enjoyed the fact that she never feared I would drop her. I figured because she wasn’t a dancer, this sort of thing might make her nervous. Yet, it never seemed to. She simply took all my shenanigans in stride.
“My darling,” I purred, “you shall have a gourmet meal prepared for you of the finest ingredients.”
She was laughing now, her blue eye sparkling. “What are we having, Monsieur?”
“Tacos!”
“Perfect! And it isn’t even Tuesday!”
“We can have tacos then, too,” I grinned.
She laughed, poking me in the chest. “Every night should be tacos.”
Ever since she found out she was pregnant, she’s wanted tacos. All. The. Time. Still, I was happy if she was happy.
Later, when dinner and dishes were done, and the sun began to set, turning the sky the most awesome purplish-pink hues, I tucked Ellie into bed and slid next to her, holding her in my arms. The indoor lights were off and the house was quiet except for the sound of our breathing. It lulled me into an easy, uninterrupted sleep.
Ellie had never built a snowman before, so that was on the agenda during our week away. I made sure she understood that I alone would be lifting the heavy balls of snow to stack them. She conceded and not very reluctantly. I was hoping this was a sign that she was more open to letting me do the heavy work.
Every once in a while, she would throw a little snow at me and I would get her back. I didn’t think it would be a very good idea to get into an all-out snowball fight with her, so I tried to keep it low key.
“It’s looking good!”
“I’m having so much fun, Holden.”
As I was lifting the snowball that would be the snowman’s head, I thought I heard the noise of twigs snapping to my right.
“Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
Ellie continued packing the snow on the bottom of the snowman while I hovered there, very still, straining to listen.
“I thought I heard footsteps… branches or twigs breaking like someone stepped on them.”
She stood up and paused to listen as I rested the snowman’s head on his body.
“I don’t hear anything,” Ellie said.
“I don’t hear it anymore. It gave me the creeps, though.”
She smiled patiently at me, her hands on her hips. “We’re in a cabin in the woods. It was probably an animal. Or maybe the heavy snow broke a tree limb.”
The last thing I wanted to do was to worry her, so I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. I guess it just startled me.”
“What now?” she asked as she appraised the man we’d made.
“Uh… typically, it’s coal for eyes and the mouth, a carrot nose, maybe a hat or something. Oh, and twig arms.”
Her baby blues lit up and she ordered me to remain where I was as she dashed into the house.
Emerging from the house within minutes, her arms full, she brightly said, “I saw these in our closet last night when I was hanging up our clothes.”
As we fashioned his face and set his arms in place, I couldn’t get over how content Ellie seemed. It didn’t take much to please her. This simple act of snowman building – something I’d done all my life since childhood – put her on cloud nine. We stood back and appraised our work.
“It’s little Holden playing hockey,” she laughed.
“Little Holden?” I smirked, an eyebrow raised. “Do you think we’re having a boy?”
“Well, it would be nice if the first one was a boy, but I’m not set on it.”
“Maybe this is little Ellie, the first girl on the boy’s hockey team.”
She beamed at this. “Yes, if we have a girl, she can be whatever she wants.”
“I agree, but if any of those little boys hurt her – ”
” – We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Who knows? Maybe the little boys will be too scared of her to do anything bad?”
I liked that idea but then visions of a little Rosetta flashed through my mind and I became worried. I loved my twin. Other than Ellie, Rosetta was the one I love the most. Even though she could be extremely bossy and difficult… even then, I loved her. All at once, I couldn’t get it out of my head. What if our child is like Rosetta? I didn’t know how I would handle that. As much as I loved my parents, I didn’t really think they did a good job with her. My dad even seemed to appreciate her behavior and mindset.
“Penny for your thoughts.”
Shaking away the negativity that had been welling up in me, I smiled at my bride. “Oh, nothing. It’s nothing.”
“Let’s have some leftover tacos!”
Laughing, I nodded and took her hand. “Let’s.”
That night, I struggled to get my cell phone a decent signal. It was snowing again, a little heavier, and I wanted to look up the weather forecast. I’d been told prior to renting the cottage that a cell phone signal would be spotty at best. After a half hour of walking around with my arm outstretched, my phone in the air, I finally gave up. Maybe the weather was making it harder than usual.
Or, maybe the travel agent hadn’t known what she was talking about and a signal was next to impossible to find. That made sense, seeing as how we were pretty isolated and surrounded by forests.
A naggy, nervous feeling penetrated my stomach, making it feel like it was full of butterflies. I couldn’t put a finger on what was really bothering me except that I’d never been so isolated before.
Over the next couple of days, I vainly continued my attempts to find a signal on both our phones. It just wasn’t going to happen. In the meantime, I did my best to push the unease I felt into the back of my mind. It wouldn’t do to make Ellie concerned. It wasn’t like we were stuck here, we had the car we’d rented sitting outside. We could leave anytime we wanted to and we had plenty of supplies. Who cared if we got snowed in for a few more days when we were planning on being here anyway?
I kept reminding myself that this was supposed to be the best trip ever.
Then, it snowed even harder. I couldn’t sleep as I watched it drift to the ground. The flakes were fat and heavy looking making it difficult to see the lights on the outdoor Christmas trees.
The next day, the sky was bright and blue. Ellie suggested we take a walk since we’d been stuck inside during the past day. There was a crisp top layer that crunched under our boots as we trudged through the snow.
Ellie’s face was full of color and it pleased me that she looked like the picture of health. Whenever I asked her how she was feeling, she beamed radiantly, telling me she never felt better. The cold weather and pregnancy seemed to agree with her.
“I was thinking it might be a good idea to head to town and stay in a hotel.”
Her jaw dropped slightly and her eyebrows knitted together. “You want to leave? It’s our honeymoon.”
Taking her hands as I faced her, I squeezed them through our heavy gloves. “The weather seems to be getting worse. We have more and more snow every night and I don’t think it would be a good idea to get stuck here.”
She seemed to think about this for a moment. “We only have three days left. We can’t stay?”
I should have insisted and gone with my gut feeling on this. At times, my intuition was strong and I found that I’d made my biggest mistakes in life when I ignored it. Yet, looking into her innocent eyes, I didn’t feel I should disappoint her. It was true, she didn’t know how bad a winter season could be. I was more experienced in that. But there were those pleading eyes, looking into mine with such strong emotions. It would crush me to make her unhappy.
Sighing, I pulled her into my arms. “I’m probably just overreacting. Of course, I don’t want to ruin our honeymoon.”
She smiled at me, then kissed me, her lips warm against mine.
Much to my consternation, it snowed harder that night.
Ellie did an excellent job distracting me, though.
As we cuddled in the large bed, Ellie’s head resting on my chest, it was easy to forget the howling wind and quickly lowering temperature outside.
Just as I was drifting off, I heard a scrape or tap on the window. My eyes bolted open and I half sat up, trying to see outside. The windows were frosted over from the cold, so this was impossible.
“Did you hear that?”
Ellie yawned, stretching, her foot sliding down my leg. “Mmm… yeah, it just sounded like a branch against the window. Go to sleep, Mon Amour.”
Did I ever mention that I love it when she speaks to me in French? It completely unravels me, and it did in this instance, too. I watched her as she drifted to sleep and I pulled the covers up around her to keep her warm.
It was to be a sleepless night for me as I couldn’t help but watch the window. It definitely could have been one of the tree branches scraping across the window. It was windy outside and there were a lot of trees close to the house. Still, I couldn’t chase the ominous feeling out of my gut that something was about to happen.
Author’s Note: The darling Christmas Home by Aquarhiene was used as the Christmas Cottage. I love this house a lot and I haven’t put it on my CC Credits page yet, so I thought I’d put it here in the meantime.
Don’t miss Wednesday when an interview with Socallucyfan (Once Upon a Legacy) will be published!
Thank you, as always, for reading, liking, lurking, and commenting,
That cottage is so freaking adorable! I totally want it for my game and will be putting it in there. What a great honeymoon for them!
It’s a great honeymoon, like I said, but I’m a little worried about what’s going to happen. There’s a lot of foreshadowing here and I don’t like the fact that Holden keeps hearing things outside. I have a feeling that I’m not going to like what’s coming up. Let’s hope they can get home safe and sound after all this is over.
I loved that Christmas cottage so much! It’s on my list of fave builds. Well, my mental list of fave builds. haha
You’re right to be worried. That’s all I can say, but I bet you already know what’s going on.
The cottage is so cozy and marvellous place to spend Christmas ! I would love to be for a week off the town.
I am so happy Holden and Ellie are becoming parents ,I am sure their baby will be wonderful.
Oh, my goodness, I would love that, too! I can’t wait for you to see their baby. 🙂
Me too I hate living downtown and I love Nature. I am sure their baby will be a good mix of the two.
A beautiful cottage to match a beautiful couple! I really do love reading their light-hearted conversations.
Erm Holden… did his parents not raise him and Rosetta the same way? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with her workaholic mindset, but her insensitive attitude definitely does hurt people and I’m wondering how she became that way under kind Marty and Xalen.
There is an impeding sense of doom with Holden’s feeling of danger and all those suspicious noises. Something horrible is about to happen gah… 🙁 The isolation of the cottage in the snow would be a lovely place for a honeymoon, I’m sure, but not a great place if there’s someone who wants to hurt you.
Nice chapter <3
Thank you, Lila. 🙂 LOL Such a good point about how the twins were raised. I laughed when I read that because, yeah, Holden! haha You are definitely right about the aspects of an isolated honeymoon not faring well if someone is out to get you.
Who could complain about tacos? Not Holden, and I think he’s actually really lucky there, at least with that craving they can both eat it.
I’m afraid of what could be going on here. And I’m suspicious that whoever/whatever is outside their house is also what’s blocking Holden’s phone signal. D:
Thank you, Heather. 😀 Tacos are life! LOL Holden did luck out with that one. She could have been craving some really weird stuff. 😛
Oh, my, what a good point you bring up. 😀 I don’t blame you for being suspicious in the least.
The first part of the chapter really made me think of Ed Sheeran’s :
“Perfect”, I could practically hear that song in the background.
I worry, though. Being isolated, with no phone contact, is scary. And I just know someone’s spying on them. I have some guesses as to who it is, but I’ll sit on them for now.
Thank you 🙂 Oh, I really love that song! I can totally see that. I wonder who you think is spying? You just never know. 🙂 I agree that it’s a scary situation to be so cut off from the world.
This chapter was so adorable!!! I think I would react much like Ellie has to the snow since I live in Texas where it never snows. When it does there is hardly any of it, and it never sticks for long. There is something so magical about it, and now I have Christmas on the brain thanks to the cozy atmosphere of their winter honeymoon. 🙂
I hope nothing horrible is about to happen! Please be safe Holden and Ellie. Ellie is too pure and precious for anything bad to happen to her. 🙁
Thank you so much 🙂 Haha Welcome to Christmas in September! I was thinking this was a weird thing to post now, but I figured everyone would understand I’m following the game’s seasons, not ours. 😛
I love Texas but haven’t been there in a long while. I think I would have to be in Michigan at least for Christmas, even if I moved somewhere else because the snow just means to much to me during that time. <3
Let’s hope nothing happens to either of them… but no promises, I’m afraid. 🙁
Your Christmas sets are gorgeous!!
Thank you so much, Jay! 😉 I appreciate it!
These cottage pictures were so beautiful! I love how Ellie was acting like a little kid around all that snow <3 This chapter was so lovely all around! ^_^
I liked the insight it gave us about Holden’s opinions about his sister; I think I would have the same opinion myself if I were him, lol!
But uh oh… that ending has me so worried now..! I hope both of them will be safe! 😥 (I loved the chapter nonetheless though 😉💕)
Thank you so much! 🙂 I think Ellie and Winter were meant to be. LOL
Holden really loves Rosetta and he couldn’t live without her, but yeah, he has stronger opinions about her than he’s let on. I’m glad you don’t blame him. lol
Thank you again. I’m so glad you liked it!
OK the cottage is gorgeous but you are freaking me out! They need to leave!
Thank you, Lisa! 😀 I agree with you one hundred percent!
eeeek!
LOL! 😀
““Perfect! And it isn’t even Tuesday!”” Ellie is such a joyful human being ^.^
That cottage is gorgeous X_X heart eyes!
Oh nooooo what’s going on! I don’t like this foreshadowing ;_; also, I live in a little cottage alone in the middle of nowhere so, uh, I might put a chair in front of my door tonight.
LOL Thank you so much! 😉 It’s nice writing a character that is easy to please instead of one that is out to get something or has ulterior motives. Ellie, I think, is what Holden needed. 😀
Oh, my goodness! I want to stay in the cottage myself! lol I don’t blame you about the chair in front of the door. LOL 😀
MAN that cottage! I want to stay there!
I didn’t know Holden was so jumpy LOL. Hopefully his desire to please Ellie is just something that is happening in this honeymoon phase. I mean, I want him to make her happy, of course, but if he keeps overriding his gut all in the name of pleasing her, I can see trouble rising in the future.
Thank you, Jess 😀 I have an explanation for Holden’s jumpiness and unease. More to come on that later. 😀 I totally see your point in trying to make Ellie happy and I definitely think he should pay more attention to that gut feeling.
Oooh! Cool.
I’ve been trying to work it in for a while now. LOL Still working on it. 😛
Now I’m super intrigued.
Woot! That is awesome! Hopefully, it will be good. 😀
I’m sure!
Beautiful imagery in this chapter! I’m worried about that rustling though, I hope nothing happens to them….
Thank you so much 🙂 I really appreciate your kind words.
I can see why you’re worried. Let’s hope it’s nothing.
I’ve used that Christmas house before and I love it! It’s so cheery and warm. But agh, Holden, you should’ve listened to your gut…. I really hope nothing horrible happens to Ellie, Holden, or their unborn baby
Thank you so much! 🙂 You have? That is awesome! So, you know how great it is. 😀
You said it, too bad Holden isn’t listening. Hopefully, everything will be all right.
The cottage is beautiful. Winter is my favorite season in The Sims. Everything looks so pretty, like from an old painting or from your favorite Christmas carol.
But I can’t enjoy the winter with this fear that something really really bad is about to happen!
Thank you so much, Stephanie! 🙂 I love Winter in the sims, too. It’s so beautiful. In real life, it all needs to leave right after Christmas. lol
I wish I could say I don’t know what you mean about the foreboding. lol :O
I think that is why I love winter in the game. I can enjoy the snow and the beauty without having to deal with the cold (which I hate cold weather!!).
Don’t try to play coy. You know you are the queen of foreshadowing!!
Yes, same here! I enjoy a lot of things in the sims games like that. hahaha
LOL Well, don’t start calling me Your Royal Highness just yet. 😀 In the near future, you mkght be calling me a lot of swear words… or not. 😛
I don’t like the sound of that….
Does that mean that Holden and Ellie are going to have a whole heard of little Rosettas running around?!?! That would be karma’s way of getting back at Holden for calling Rosetta the devil.
Hmm… That is a good question! lol In truth, I hope they don’t have a bunch of Rosetta’s running around. hahaha There can be only one! 😛
That is true. There is only one Rosetta!! 🙂
LOL Right on! 😀
Love the place! It’s like a Christmas card. So warm and comforting. I can hardly wait for next week.
Thank you, Jolie! 🙂 This place just seemed like the perfect thing for them. The person who built it did an amazing job. I can’t wait for next week, too! 😀
Noooo! Nothing bad can happen to the happy couple or the baby!! I love this cottage, it’s absolutely adorable, and so perfect for the two of them. What a lovely chapter, despite the foreboding hints. I hope they come through unscathed, what ever it is! Now the waiting begins………….♥
lol Thank you, Marj! 🙂 Would I do anything to hurt these precious characters? …. Don’t answer that.
I’m glad you love this cottage. I fell in love with it and knew these two had to be there as soon as I saw it.
Foreboding hints? I don’t know what you mean. 😛 lol
You are up to something! I’m betting on it won’t be good……I’m having a mini heart attack at the thought. I have a notion what is about to happen, but I will keep it to myself for now.
That Cottage was a perfect find for this chapter. What a beautiful build! Your pictures were just lovely. Even the NSFW one which was nicely done. I want to see all the romance and love of these two just not in graphic terms. So I applaud you for your the angle of the pic. It gave us just what we need to experience their love with them.
My Ellie looks perfect in the snow! I don’t know if it is the big blue eyes, or the blond hair, or that pale skin with the hint of freckles that make her so endearing to me. And she had better stay perfect for a long time now……..hint hint.
Thank you, Bee 🙂 Me, up to something? Moi? Perhaps… 😀 (Insert evil grin and maniacal laugh lol). No heart attacks allowed, though!
I love this build so much! I’m just glad I remembered where I got it so I could include the link. lol I’m so glad you liked the pics. I don’t really have an interest in doing graphic pics. What you’ve seen is about as far as I’ll go. lol
Ellie is so beautiful, no matter what angle I get a pic of her from. Winter really does seem to agree with her. Your choice of eyes was spot on.
I’ve got your hint and I wish I could calm your nerves… :O
It’s so hard to learn to listen to and trust that inner voice, but Holden really needs to !
Thank you, CT. 🙂 You couldn’t be more right. It’s time to touch on that part of him that used to be more aware of things like when he was a child.
I’m so sorry I’m late to read today, I’ve been preoccupied with poses. Going to hop onto WP and finish the post after commenting! 🙂
This was so adorable… except for all this foreboding. What is this? Something supernatural, connected to The Inheritance or what? I hope nothing bad happens to Holden or Ellie. What if he loses her? Oh no… I don’t want to think about it. Btw, the cottage is gorgeous!
No worries, Jowita. 🙂 I bet your poses are going to be great!
Oh, the foreboding… Would I write anything bad? Naaaah. 😛 Well, maybe. haha
This cottage is so much fun to play! It seems to suit them perfectly. 😀
What a fun honeymoon! The cottage was great. But I have a bad feeling. Ugh….too much foreboding! I hope nothing bad happens….
Thank you so much, Audrey. 🙂 Now, would I have anything bad happen in my story? Oh, wait… lol
I’m glad you liked the cottage. It’s been really great to play. 😀
That cottage is just gorgeous and the pictures you took in it are so perfect. The lighting and everything makes it seem so dreamy <3 It’s such a nice honeymoon for the two of them… though it seems something bad’s about to happen :/ I’m a bit worried now, Kym. Why does it have to be a whole week before we get more?
Oooh, and I’m so glad to see Socallucyfan is doing an interview – love her story and I can’t wait to read what she has to say 🙂
This was lovely as always – the pictures are particularly dreamy 🙂 Can’t wait to find out what’s going on with the sounds Holden keeps hearing!
Thank you so much, Louise. 🙂 I’ve really loved playing this cottage. It’s so cozy and homey. Holden and Ellie love it. <3
You’re worried? Uh oh. 😀 I guess I did my job then. hahaha I’m sorry you have to wait a week. I’m writing as fast as I can. LOL
Thank you so much for your kind words. You are so sweet to say such encouraging things. <3
I’m really looking forward to publishing Socallucyfan’s interview! She really gave some great answers!
Such a cute cottage! 🙂 It’s perfect for those two.
He, he, you’re definitely doing your job well! That was never in question, though 🙂
I’m very excited about all of the nice stuff coming up <3
LOL Thank you. I can’t wait to publish what happens next! <3 😀