“Ally!” she screams as she barrels into me. She’s hugging me so tightly and turning me around and around I’m getting dizzy, but I don’t care.

We stand there, hugging each other for what seems like an eternity.

“Good to see you again, Marian,” Paula says. “How was the flight?”

“It got me here,” Marian replies as she finally pulls away and gets a good look at me. “Look at you! So Florida with your open-toed sandals and tan.”

I look down at my pale white arms. “I’m not tan.”

“I know. You do realize that the sun is good for you, right? Vitamin D and all that.” She peels off her bulky winter jacket. “Guess I don’t need this anymore. It was so nice to carry on, since I don’t need fourteen layers to step outside here.”

Paula starts walking. “I checked with the airline, and we have to get Baxter at the special services desk in baggage claim.”

Poor Baxter. Not only did he have to fly for the first time, but he’s also too big to fit under the seat, so we had to put him in a crate. He’s never really spent a lot of time in a crate before. Hopefully seeing me will make up for it. It would literally rip my heart out if he doesn’t recognize me.

And then I’m making him stay in a weird place. I have to keep him in the backyard or Craig’s man cave thanks to Paula’s and Sarah’s allergies. They’re both taking an antihistamine, but I’m hoping if I keep everything really clean and they don’t have any issues that I can keep him here.

“Oh, I also brought some Wisconsin cheese!” Marian holds up a plastic bag from Gleason’s Grocer.

Score another point for why Wisconsin is better than Florida: the cheese.

“Yum! I can’t wait to eat all of that.” My stomach growls to prove my point.

We get to baggage claim, and I hear Baxter before I see him. He’s straining his leash, barking at me, his tail wagging a thousand miles an hour.

I run to him. I fall to my knees, and Baxter starts licking my face. “Hey, boy.” I try to hug him, but he’s too excited to see me. I just pet him and let his kisses fall on me, finding comfort in another part of my home.

Marian’s laugh cuts through all the slobbering.

“Ahem,” comes from above. It’s the person who has Baxter by the leash. It’s then that I notice the shoes are familiar: green-and-white Vans.

I look up and there he is.

Christmas wishes do come true.

“Hey,” Neil says with a wide grin on his face.