A Christmas Meeting ✨
Hello, winter! ❄️ NYC woke up to its first snowfall this morning.
It covered the trees, house roofs, main roads, and sidewalks. For a hot minute, it was looking like winter wonderland. Then it snowed some more before it started freezing and creating unwanted ice skating opportunities. It’s just a good day to stay inside, drink some warm beverages and perhaps write Christmas fairy tales.
We’re ten days away from the season’s magic, if you believe in one. Hope you enjoy some literary Christmas musings I was called to create, enchanted by the falling snow outside.
A Christmas Meeting ✨
Snow drifted in soft spirals outside the little bookshop off the bustling main avenue, settling against the windows like powdered sugar. Inside, the air smelled of pine, old pages, and cinnamon—thanks to the shop’s ancient heater, which seemed to warm the cinnamon-scented candles more than the room itself.
She pushed to open the door, brushing snow flakes from her auburn hair. Just barely catching her breath and looking rushed, still in her work clothes covered by a fashionable winter coat, she had ducked inside searching for a last-minute gift that wouldn’t look like too last-minute.
She didn’t expect to find him.
Near the classics section stood a man with silver-streaked hair, tall and quietly elegant, maybe mid-fifties. He wore a black coat and a red scarf dusted with snow and held a copy of A Christmas Carol as though it were an old friend. When he glanced up, his eyes were warm and unexpectedly kind.
“Evening,” he said, offering a gentle smile. “Best night of the year to hide from the cold in a place like this.”
She laughed. “And to pretend you’re shopping when you’re really just here for the atmosphere.”
His smile deepened, amused. “Guilty.”
They ended up standing side by side, looking through holiday classics, trading small comments that felt strangely natural—as if they’d known each other longer than a handful of minutes. She teased him about choosing the same book every year; he admitted he gifted it to different people but reread the opening lines each time because they reminded him of his childhood.
The shop’s old radio hummed out a soft carol, and for a moment, the busy world outside disappeared.
When she reached for a novel on the top shelf, it wobbled dangerously. Before she could react, the gentleman steadied it with one hand—and steadied her with the other, fingers brushing her sleeve.
“Careful,” he murmured.
Her cheeks warmed, and not from the heater. “Thank you.”
He hesitated then, as though choosing his next words carefully. “If it isn’t too forward… perhaps you’d join me for a cup of mulled wine? There’s a café across the street that makes it properly—with fresh spices.”
She felt a flutter she hadn’t felt in a long time. Something about him—his calmness, his quiet humor, the thoughtful way he looked at her—felt both unexpected and comforting.
“I’d like that,” she said.
They stepped back into the snowy evening together, the little bookshop’s bell chiming behind them like a blessing. As they crossed the street, the snow thickened, settling in their hair, glowing under the string lights that lined the city streets.
It wasn’t dramatic or sweeping, or the sugary stuff from the movies.
But it was warm.
It was enticing.
And as they walked side by side, both of them knew—without saying a word—that this Christmas would be a chance meeting that neither of them had been expecting… but both of them will remember for a long time.
If you liked my Christmas story, perhaps you’d like a recipe for mulled wine too. Make it this holiday season and dream up your own enchanting stories.
Cranberry Mulled Wine
- Combine wine and cranberry juice. In a large saucepan, add the red wine, cranberry juice and water if using.
- Add fruit and spices. Add the orange slices, fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise and ginger. Stir gently to combine.
- Sweeten and heat gently. Stir in 1/4 cup honey, maple syrup or sugar. Warm over low heat until steaming, about 15 to 20 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil or the alcohol will cook off and the wine can taste harsh.
- Add brandy or orange liqueur. Remove from the heat and stir in the brandy or orange liqueur if using. Taste and adjust sweetness, adding more sweetener if you prefer.
- Ladle the mulled wine into mugs. Garnish each serving with a cinnamon stick, a few cranberries and an orange slice. Keep the remaining mulled wine warm over very low heat or in a slow cooker set to warm.