Kris twisted the antique brass kaleidoscope, peering into the eyepiece as a dazzling pattern of vibrant blue and silver snowflakes danced before her eyes. She smiled, enchanted by the timeless beauty of the Victorian-era toy.

As the owner of Kaleido’s Antiques, the kaleidoscope was one of hundreds of vintage treasures filling the shelves of her cozy Manhattan shop. Kris had turned her lifelong love of history and eye for lost gems into a successful business. But as rewarding as it was, the long hours left little time for dating, especially during the busy holiday season. At thirty-two, Kris was starting to wonder if her dream of falling madly in love would remain as elusive as some of the antiques she hunted for.

The bells on the shop door jingled and Kris glanced up to greet her customer. She froze, nearly dropping the precious kaleidoscope. The tall, dark-haired man brushing snowflakes from his coat was none other than Nicholas Winthorpe, her high school crush and the one who got away. Kris’s heart raced as their eyes met.

“Kris? Wow, it’s been ages! How have you been?” Nick flashed the dreamy smile that still made her melt after all these years.

“Hey Nick, what a surprise! I’m great, just running the shop,” she gestured around, trying to play it cool despite the flip-flops in her stomach. “What brings you here? Doing some Christmas shopping?”

“Actually, I was hoping you could help me find a gift for my mom,” Nick explained. “She collects antique music boxes and I thought I remembered you opened a shop that sells vintage stuff.”

“Music boxes are a specialty of mine,” Kris grinned, leading him to a display. “I’ve got some beauties in stock. Have a look and let me know if any catch your eye.”

As Nick examined the music boxes, they caught up on the past fifteen years since graduation. Kris was amazed to learn Nick had gotten divorced last year. They quickly fell into their old rhythm, laughing and chatting like no time had passed. Kris’s long-dormant crush came rushing back to the surface.

Nick selected an exquisite cherrywood music box inlaid with mother-of-pearl songbirds for his mom. “I can’t thank you enough, Kris. You’re a lifesaver! I’d love to catch up more. Any chance you’re free for dinner this week?”

“I’d like that,” Kris fought to contain her excitement as they made plans to meet at her favorite bistro that Friday.

Over dinner, their rekindled connection deepened as they bonded over shared memories and discovered new common interests. By the time they finished the bottle of Merlot, Kris felt more than friendship blossoming between them. They began seeing each other regularly, fitting dates into their busy schedules.

Two weeks before Christmas, Kris stopped by Nick’s marketing office to bring him lunch between client meetings. She paused outside his door, overhearing him on a call.

“No, I haven’t asked her yet. I know, I know, you want to meet Kris! But it’s still new, Mom. I don’t want to jinx it by inviting her home for the holidays. What if she thinks it’s too soon? Maybe next Christmas…”

Kris’s heart sank. From the sound of it, Nick didn’t see her as part of his future yet, despite how close they’d grown. Suddenly insecure, she left the lunch on his assistant’s desk and texted Nick that a work emergency came up.

Back at her shop, Kris tried to lose herself in the familiar comfort of organizing inventory. But her mind kept replaying Nick’s words. Was she getting ahead of herself, dreaming of happily-ever-after too soon? They hadn’t even said “I love you” yet.

To her surprise, Nick showed up at closing time, looking concerned. “Hey, is everything okay? Sandy said you dropped off lunch but had to run. I tried calling but it went to voicemail.”

“Sorry, got pulled into a bidding war over a rare Tiffany lamp,” Kris fibbed, not meeting his eyes as she moved a box of crystals to a shelf.

“Kris, what’s really going on?” Nick touched her arm, his green eyes searching her face. “Did I do something to upset you?”

Kris hesitated, then confessed in a rush. “I overheard you on the phone earlier, telling your mom you didn’t want to jinx things between us by bringing me home for Christmas. I get it, I do. We’ve only been dating a few weeks. I shouldn’t expect-“

“Whoa, hang on!” Nick cut in, pulling her close. “Kris, I’m crazy about you. You’re the best thing to happen to me in forever. I just didn’t want to assume you’d want to spend the holidays with my zany family when we’re still a new couple. But believe me, I absolutely see you in my future. I’m falling hard for you, Kristina James. I love you.”

Tears sparkled in Kris’s blue eyes. “I love you too, Nicholas Winthorpe. I think I always have.”

They sealed it with a long, tender kiss. When they parted, Nick picked up the antique kaleidoscope from the counter. “Let’s make a new Christmas tradition, just for us. We take turns looking in this kaleidoscope, then describing the future we see for ourselves. I’ll go first.”

He peered into the eyepiece, then handed it to Kris with a cryptic smile. She looked, gasping at the red and green pattern. In the center, the crystals had arranged into the unmistakable shape of a heart!

“It’s beautiful! What do you see in our future?” she asked.

“I see us, wildly in love, surrounded by both our families and dearest friends on a magical Christmas day,” Nick said, slipping his arm around her. “What do you see?”

Kris looked deep into his adoring eyes and replied. “The same. A perfect, shining future together.”

They kissed once more as snow began to fall outside the shop window, lost in visions of many happy Christmases to come.