December

December was somehow not the worst month of the year. Katie was chalking that up to patience and lessons well- and painfully learned.

She supposed, in the end, it wasn't the worst year after all.

"Dad invited us over for Christmas dinner," said Ridge over after-dinner drinks, and it was like déjà vu all over again.

"As if Thanksgiving wasn't explosive enough for one year. A house packed with the extended Forrester brood is probably not a great idea."

"Bill might be there."

"Is that supposed to be an incentive?"

"RJ can spend Christmas Eve with his mom and Will with his dad. Aly's bringing Liam; Hope invited the Fullers. Steffy and Thomas might be dropping in. It'll be a full house."

"Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Someone will be dead by dessert." He grabbed her around her waist to kiss the base of her neck.

"We'll leave after the main course."

Katie groused, "I hate it when you get persuasive."

By some scheduling error, it transpired that the Forrester and Spencer Pub Christmas parties were being held at the same time on the same date, therefore Katie and Ridge weren't able to attend either together. Katie thought it was important that her employees had a chance to clear the air after they year they'd had under her leadership. She wanted to go into 2015 free and unencumbered by old insecurities; hopelessness could stay in 2014. But she had to face the music for that to happen. They had to believe that Katie could take the good with the bad; that she was as strong if not as ruthless as Bill had ever been. So here she was, sipping spiked eggnog and debating whether demoting Justin had been a wiser move than firing him outright.

She and Liam had just ended a brief whirl on the dance floor to 'I'll Be Home for Christmas' where they spent more time conferring over gifts for Will and trading observations on employee morale than enjoying the music. She figured they both had people they'd rather be dancing with. They were debating getting mulled cider when a modelesque visage appeared, startling them both. Steffy Forrester was the perfect combination of her mother and father: Ridge's height and her mother's delicate features. His passion and Taylor fiery temper and intellect all rolled into a beautiful package.

When she beckoned Katie was helpless not to go.

The younger woman pulled her aside, though not out of earshot of eavesdropping employees.

"I came as close as I'd like to, to losing my father last year, and I don't know what next year will bring. If you waste what time he has left on an ego trip or a jealousy game against Bill, I'll make losing your job seem like the best thing that could possibly happen to you and certainly the least painful. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly."

"Welcome to the family." Steffy nodded sharply, grabbed Liam's arm in a charming but vicelike grip and disappeared with him in the direction of Sam's corner office.

I'm not even curious. She hadn't invited Steffy to the Spencer Publications Christmas party, which meant someone else must have. Katie washed her hands of the whole affair. She took Steffy's warning to heart and let the rest go; it was out of her control and that was okay. In a distant corner of her mind, she thought Liam may be getting his umpteenth chance. They would all simply have to adjust.

The night of the Forrester Christmas festivities, Katie greeted Danielle and Karen with hugs on the round outside the Forrester manse.

"You don't know how glad I am to see the both of you. I wasn't sure you'd make it with the weather in New York."

Dani swept her hair aside under her scarf. "It was a close call. We just made it out before JFK shut down for a blizzard."

Karen nudged Dani. "Someone was very insistent."

Dani didn't take the bait. "You were! She hasn't stopped talking about Caroline and the baby for weeks. She set up a nursery at our place in case Caroline needs some help."

"I did that for you."

"You did that for you. I, on the other hand, will just get on a plane and take over her guest room until our granddaughter sleeps through the night."

"The motherly prerogative," Katie opined.

"She understands!" Dani exclaimed.

Karen snorted.

"I won't keep you, I have to get Will and Ridge before Will turns him into a six-foot icicle." Ridge looked amused at Will's work ethic but very chilly at the poor excuse for snow being molded up his pant legs. "Caroline texted, she's already here and she's dying to see the two of you."

They exchanged another round of hugs with promises to catch up later in the evening before Karen and Dani made their way inside with all due haste.

"If we were a little farther east, you'd be risking frostbite letting him do that to you."

"I don't mind it. I have clothes in my room upstairs. You've gotta admire his determination."

"That's the Spencer spirit."

"Another thing the Logans and Spencers have in common: you don't quit." He lifted Will off his feet to hoist the toddler over his shoulder. "Though maybe you should now and again." He shook out a slushy pant leg.

Tutting in sympathy, she led the two of them into the house. The reception was much warmer than for Thanksgiving and the crowd much more personal. These weren't merely colleagues and acquaintances, this house was full of family and dear friends. There were hugs to go around from Hope and Caroline. She even hugged Brooke when she appeared, brief as it was. Kisses were exchanged. There was exclaiming done over how wonderfully Will was growing. He was a big boy, strong and loved. He had the best shot of all of them.

Eric and Ridge hugged, and it was like no time was lost at all. Father and son reunited because love was enough. Katie wanted love to be enough for all of them. She missed her mother suddenly and wished she and her father hadn't chosen this year to go on a cruise and leave the sisters to their own devices. They needed their parents to run interference, to knock all their hard heads together.

Katie retreated to the drinks table to get mulled cider for both of them. RJ and his younger cousins had toddled off with and Pam to get at the Christmas cookies Aunt Pam had made for them. Please let him run off that sugar high. She didn't envy Brooke having to putting a hyper preteen to sleep after a night like tonight.

A smiling Ridge appeared behind her to pluck a tumbler of cider out of her hand to drink.

"Good so far?" she asked him.

"It's a good night for starting again, don't you think?"

"Feels like it."

Ridge looked around. "Where's the little guy gone off to?"

"Bill wanted some Spencer male bonding time." She inclined her chin toward the Christmas tree where her ex-husband and former stepsons were gathered together in a huddle with her little boy. Will seemed to be listening intently, expression as pensive as his father's save for Katie's bright blue eyes.

"Bill may make a show pony out of him yet."

"No more stallion jokes, I think I've developed a phobia. My son is not going to grow up to be a stud horse. He'll be a workhouse, an honest one. He'll be a good man."

"He'll be his mother's son."

"You don't have to flatter me, I love you already."

"I know, I just like hearing you say it."

They kissed.

Katie dipped onto the sofa beside Caroline where she was using her protruding stomach as a table for the plate of Christmas-themed sugar cookies she was devouring like a scourge.

"Good cookies?"

She swallowed her latest mouthful. "Carbs have never tasted this good. What is this baby doing to me?"

"Making you glow from the inside out. You look great. Your hair, your skin, your smile; you're glowing from head to toe."

Caroline fingered her hair self-consciously. "You think so? I'm the size of Mercedes."

"I've never seen a Mercedes wear Elie Saab like you do. I didn't know they did maternity wear."

Caroline smirked. "They don't. I altered it myself. What do you think?" She preened.

"You look radiant. You'll have to talk to Rick about heading up a maternity line at Forrester."

Caroline screeched to a halt mid-cookie. "I could so do that."

"Yup. Or even a Mommy & Me collection." Caroline squeaked and dragged Katie into a tight sideways hug.

"Oh my god! That's perfect! Ridge Forrester, marry this woman! She's brilliant."

Ridge excused himself from a conversation with Thomas and Eric to join Katie and Caroline on the couch. Katie smoothed her skirt in an attempt to disregard everyone else discreetly listening in. "What's this about me marrying Katie?"

Caroline was finishing off another of Pam's delectable desserts. "She just pitched a maternity and Mommy & Me collection for Forrester. We have to do it."

"You throwing your hat in the fashion ring?"

Katie raised her hands. "It was just an idea."

"It's not unfeasible. Let me have my assistant do some market research and we can talk about it more after the New Year."

"Sounds great. I wanna get some ideas down before I get too big to hold a sketchpad. I've gotta tell Rick and the moms." Caroline rose from the couch with some difficulty to find her husband. Katie envied the spring in her step that followed. I wasn't that energetic when I was carrying Will.

"Making your mark on the company a little bit at a time."

"It was just a thought."

"I don't mind, I like it. Just 'cause you're my muse doesn't mean you can't be anybody else's inspiration. I'm not that greedy."

"You're a little greedy."

"I've got you. Who wouldn't be?"

"You're laying it on thick. Am I going to open my Christmas gift and find socks?"

"Cashmere socks are no laughing matter."

"Please be joking."

"I never joke about fashion."

Katie laid her head on his shoulder. They stayed on the couch until it was time for carols, when they stood side by side holding hands.

Later that night, Katie reached out for the warm body that usually slept beside her, only to find an empty space cooling. She cracked an eye to verify her findings. No Ridge.

She peeked into each of the boys' rooms to find their beds empty as well but messy as though they'd just risen to get a drink of water and not yet returned.

"Okay, where have my boys gotten to?"

Katie crept downstairs. The lights in the front room were still dim, yet the fireplace glowed where a fire lit and warmed the house.

She could hear commotion from the kitchen, a deep baritone she'd know in her sleep and a softer, younger voice she loved as much entwined with a giggle that made her smile instantly.

Will was seated in his booster chair, RJ was manning his stool, and Ridge was holding court over the stovetop where a quartet of pots and pans sizzled and hissed, and enticing smell rose to mingle in the air. This was her Christmas morning.

"What have we here?"

Ridge did a double-take upon finding her at the door.

"You weren't supposed to be up for another hour."

"Nobody told me the schedule or I might have waited."

Will was licking his fingers.

"What ya got there, sweetie?" Katie swept her finger through the mixture to give the batter a taste. "Pancake batter." She raised an eyebrow at Ridge. "You'll ruin his teeth."

"I'll brush them later."

"Better you than me." Will was a bear about getting his teeth brushed. She helped RJ with his stirring and fed Will a steady stream of blueberries while taking a few raspberries for himself. "Thank you, by the way," she directed at Ridge.

He cocked his head. "What for?"

"You could have blown me off on that point and you didn't. I like a man who listens."

She pulled him down to kiss his prickly cheek.

"I aim to please, Trouble."

"I am not trouble."

The pan gave a pronounced hissss. The pancake had sat too long while they talked and it had burned.

Ridge pointed his spatula accusingly.

"This is what I'm talking about. Quit kissing the cook or we're going to have to eat out for Christmas breakfast."

She obeyed in deference to her hungry stomach.

Mostly.

Their Christmas morning consisted of an indulgent breakfast of pancakes and all kinds of sausage and eggs. They all had more sweets than they should have and neither parent complained. Katie spent too long laughing at her boys' antics to worry who would be doing all the cleaning.

Which, as it turned out, was part of her gift. Ridge shooed her out of the kitchen with a cup of hot, sweet café while he and their sons made quick work of the mess they'd made.

Ridge woke her on the couch with a kiss so they could exchange gifts at sunrise.

Will was enamored with his new rainbow xylophone. Katie wasn't. Ridge has to move in fulltime, if for no other reason than he should suffer with me.

RJ pulled an oversized Red Wings jersey from his gift box. "Awesome!"

"That's probably going to clash with the Blackhawks cap I got you."

Ridge's scandalized expression would live on in her memory for the rest of their lives.

"Kidding!"

RJ made a serious face. "Dad doesn't kid about hockey."

"I've noticed."

RJ fetched a large box from under the ornately decorated tree. "This is from Dad, I helped pick it out."

Katie tore the wrapping paper form the large flat box. A dress, maybe? He's given me two now. The weight didn't feel right for clothing, the box was sturdy, its contents solid. She freed the tucked flap and swept the top back.

It was a framed map.

A map.

"It's a world map." She could see all the continents. Along the bottom it read 'A Map of Love: a Robinson Projection'.

"The most famous poets and writers, all the romanticists listed by the country they came from." He pointed to England. "That's Horsham, England. Read what it says."

'Percy B. Shelley' was listed right underneath Shakespeare. The list they were part of was long and storied.

"You live in my heart," Ridge said. "That's just the path it took to get you there."

She kissed him five times, noisily and lingering. RJ pretended to retch. Will reached for her till she gave him a hug and kissed him too right on the nose.

Kati presented her gift to Ridge in a white envelope.

"Season tickets for the Blackhawks. All the games you want, box seats."

"I like other stuff besides hockey."

"Such as?"

"Soccer. Fashion. Food. Poetry, maybe you remember that from how I fell in love with you."

"I'll keep that in mind for Valentine's Day."

"Speaking of treating my Valentine-"

"Were we speaking of that?"

"We were!" He produced another flat white box knotted in ribbon. She wasted no time opening it.

"What is this sweater?" The thing was downy soft grey cashmere. What it wasn't was in her size. Ridge knows sizing.

"It's the one you like wearing when I'm not here. It keeps disappearing from my closet and reappearing at the end of your bed. Must be the magic sweater faeries."

"That sounds like a reasonable explanation to me."

"Uh huh. That's your key. Anything of mine you wanna wear, wear it. I love seeing you in my clothes."

Katie hugged the sweater to her chest. It smells like him. "I like it."

"You were gonna do it anyway, weren't you?"

"No." Not totally believable. She was a scholar, not an actress.

They made quick work of clearing away the trash. Recycling in the recycling bin and disposables in the trash. They had many other plans for the day before relatives began pouring in with well wishes.

Ridge sent RJ off to dress for the weather while Katie handled Willy. They squared themselves away last of all.

Katie was lacing up of snow boots when Ridge espied her in her faux fur parka with grey cashmere underneath.

"I know that sweater."

"Do you? Can't imagine how." Katie swept her hair up into a bun. "Let's go ice skating."

After a full morning of snowball wars and a brief stopover of gingerbread cookies, gossip, and mulled cider with Donna and her son, Katie and Ridge were taking a rare reprieve from the holiday to scan their respective mail and email in front of the fireplace. The boys were napping. RJ would be leaving the spend the rest of the day with Brooke and they were enjoying the time together while they had it.

Ridge made a speculative noise.

"What?"

He tilted his tablet towards her. "Forrester's having a New Year's party."

"Ridge, no, no more parties. I feel like I've done more celebrating than anything else this year. We did the holidays and that was weird enough. Let's just stay home with the boys and celebrate as a family."

"I propose a compromise."

"I hate you."

"And I love you. How about this? Let's go to the Spencer Pub shindig instead. We'll make an appearance, make nice with the employees. It'll give the boys a chance to play with the other kids and wear themselves out; then, it's just you and me all night."

"Are you planning a seduction, Mr. Forrester?"

He tugged her against him. "Every single day."

"This is just one of the many reasons I'm in love with you."

"Care to make a list?"

"Kiss first, list later."

"Where have you been all my life?"

"Making my way to you very slowly."

They returned to office drudgery after getting waylaid by each other. That happened a lot.

He handed her one of his ubiquitous fashion magazines. "Look at the Year in Review for Vogue."

Fashion magazines weren't particularly Katie's thing despite being in love with a fashion designer, but she looked because he asked. "Looking now."

"Tell me what you see."

Katie went still. The centerfold extending from page fifty to page fifty-one was a collection of photos featuring her and Ridge. 'The Couple that Shook Fashion'?

"From 'Frump to Fashionista'? They act like I was incapable of dressing myself before we got together. Don't tell me you agree with them."

"I don't, no. Leave it to La Wintour to overstate. You've always had a way about you. They were too blind to see it—their loss. But I like the spread, I like the acknowledgement that together you and I are a force to be reckoned with. That will matter in the long run."

"What are you planning?"

"I am a man of many plans."

"If you're plotting some kind of hostile takeover of Forrester…" Again, went without saying.

"Nothing that treacherous. It won't be soon. This is the life and job I have. It's perfect. I won't jeopardize that."

"I'm sure your father would be happy to hear that."

"He came to me before we came home last night, he wanted to talk about the way things have been between us."

"Did you discuss Massimo?"

"That was unavoidable. He was upset that I'd turned to the Marones for support rather than the family I'd been brought up in. I couldn't really give him a straight answer."

"Dying change everything."

"Almost dying, too. I've gotta value what I have even as I search for the other things I need. You taught me that."

-x-December 31, 2014-x-

Ridge gathered Katie into his arms to watch as the clock struck midnight.

"Not too bad a year, eh?"

Katie settled into his embrace, a content smile lighting her face. The boys were sound asleep upstairs, having tired themselves out early in the night playing with the other children at the Spencer Publishing New Year's bash. Unlike there, she and Ridge were the only ones invited to this party. Logan and Forrester, party of two, but this time it was the right two.

"Not too bad at all. And you know what I just realized?"

"Tell me."

"They say that what you're doing at midnight on New Year's Eve is what you'll be doing all year. Last year, this time, you were holding me, and look where we are."

"We'd better make this a tradition, because I never wanna let you go."

"I like the sound of that."

"Tell me how you like the sound of this:

"Then grudge me not my fond endeavor,
To hold you in my sight forever;
Let none, not even you, disparage
Such a valid reason for a marriage."

"And you're a Nash fan. How did I miss that? Is this your way of proposing?"

Ridge looked at her sidelong. She nearly bought his ploy; she would have if his fidgeting hands didn't give him away.

"I was just wondering how you liked it."

She stilled his hands with hers. "Ridge, be serious."

"About us, always."

"Then you should know, I think it's a very valid reason for marriage."

"I'm glad to hear that. I might have had to have an embarrassing talk with Quinn Fuller had you disagreed." Ridge reached between the sofa cushions to unearth a green velvet box. "This is yours."

He opened the box and Katie couldn't quite catch her breath.

The ring was rose gold inlaid with flawless diamonds. Bill's had been a showier affair. This one dwarfed the mother lode Bill had left her for meaning.

"Read the inscription."

"To my difference, just as fair."

Katie struggled for a moment to think of where the words came from. She hadn't had much occasion to read her poetry when her life had become an epic in itself, but she reached and on the edge of memory she found the words.

"Frost."

"I butchered him a little to make it fit, but I think you get my meaning. You are no less fair than the road I've already traveled. You're the one I'm travelling from here on and you've made all the difference to me."

Ridge took the ring and slipped it on her finger. No audience. No family. Nothing else that need said. Just the two people who mattered most underneath it all.

At 12:02 on the first day of 2015, Katie kissed the man who would be her next husband and, she hoped, her last.

"Happy New Year, Ridge."

"Happy New Year, Katie."

…

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-From The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost