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TUCKER
Dinner with the Ellis family was a serious eye-opener. They’re all loud, hilarious, and have a bond with each other I won’t ever understand. Even when they’re arguing, there’s still an undercurrent of love passing between them. I’ve enjoyed getting to see how a normal family functions during the holidays, and I hope I’ll get to be a part of many more gatherings.
We finished up dinner a bit ago and now we’re all jammed in the living room opening presents.
When I was little, I’d go over to Uncle Jack’s house where they usually had a small present for me, but that was about it. As an adult, I usually spend Christmas at the station so the other guys can be home with their families. Being surrounded by loads of people right now is a little overwhelming, but I’m pretty sure this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.
“Okay, Tucker! It’s your turn!” Kathrine says, clapping her hands.
I look at my pile of gifts and clear my throat, not prepared to be the center of attention, even if everyone else is busy unwrapping their own gifts. I pick up Kathrine’s gift first and open it, revealing an etched whiskey glass set.
“Thanks, Kathrine. This is really cool.” I smile at her.
“Open the next one.” She grins at me. I have a guess as to what it is, and when I open it, I find I’m right. It’s a bottle of my favorite whiskey to go with my glasses.
“I couldn’t get you the kit without also getting you something to put in it.” She winks at me and I just smile. The next gift I have is from Natalie, so I quickly open it, not wanting to wait.
It’s covered by white tissue paper, and when I move it out of the way, a framed picture is revealed. The picture is of us when we were laying in bed. She wanted to take a selfie, and at the last moment, I turned and kissed her on the cheek, making her smile grow wider. It’s my favorite picture of us.
The simple grey frame surrounding it enhances the photo, making it the perfect gift. I swallow hard so my emotions don’t get the best of me as I look up at Natalie. She’s grinning at me, which naturally makes me grin back.
“I thought you might want to put it in your office at the station.”
“Great idea.” I lean over to kiss her, grateful everyone else in the room is busy opening their own presents and not paying attention to us.
“Open yours.” My knee bounces as I wait for her to open her gift. I’m nervous about her reaction because while it’s meaningful, it’s not exactly the most expensive gift I could’ve gotten her.
She rips off the paper, revealing the small box. As she opens it, I watch her eyes grow wide, her hand coming up to cover her mouth in surprise. She looks at me with tears swimming in her eyes.
“Is this the necklace you got me when we were little?” she whispers, her fingers lightly tracing the thin gold chain and the bold letter N sitting in the middle.
“Almost. The chain on your old one broke and would've been too small anyway, so I replaced it with a new one, but the letter is the same. I went back to our meeting spot a few days after we kissed and found it on the ground. I almost gave it back to you several times over the years but decided to keep it instead as a way to stay close to you.”
“Tucker, I don’t know what to say. This is... It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.” She grabs my hand and leans in for a kiss. “Thank you so much.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” I say as she hands me the necklace to help her put on.
It fits just like I thought it would, sitting right at the base of her throat.
“That looks like the necklace you used to wear when we were little!” Sara says, making everyone turn to see what we’re doing.
Natalie brings her hand up and starts touching the necklace. “It is the same necklace. Tucker found it on the ground and saved it for me.” She turns and beams at me. I swear I’ve never felt more happiness radiating from another person than I have right now. Her green eyes are shining with love and tears, and even though everyone is staring, I pull her to me and kiss her again.
“I love you,” she says, looking up at me.
“I love you too. Merry Christmas.”
* * *
“Oh,fuck you, man! That’s not fair!” Nolan yells at Matthew, who just laughs in return.
We started playing a video game, and it turned into a serious competition between the five of us. Playing with these guys gives me a small glimpse into what it would’ve been like having brothers growing up. I’m a little sad I missed out on the experience.
“All right, Tucker, you’re up against the champion,” Adam says, handing me the controller. With a little beginner's luck, I’ve somehow managed to beat Adam, Carter, and Nolan. Now, I have to try and beat Matthew, who is crazy good at this game.
“Think you’ve got what it takes?” Matthew taunts.
“I’m going to give it a go,” I say, grinning. These guys have continuously tried to get a rise out of me, but having been around the guys at the station for so long, I don’t get riled easily. It’s been hilarious watching them attempt to piss me off.
