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"Merry Christmas."
We continued sitting together in front of the fire while it crackled and burned, holding each other and letting the magic settle over us.
* * *
Christmas morning was upon us.It was much earlier than I usually got up during the week, but the smell of fresh baked cinnamon rolls filled the air, and my stomach rumbled. For as long as I could remember, every Christmas morning, my mom would get up at before the crack of dawn and make homemade cinnamon rolls with icing.
This year, I was looking forward to seeing Livvie’s expression while she opened the gifts. I wasn’t sure what my parents had got her, but I was sure she’d love them. I rolled out of bed and tugged on a tee-shirt, a pair of fleece sleep pants, and my wool socks. Then, I headed down the hall and softly knocked on Livvie’s door.
Within a minute, she opened it, looking absolutely adorable with her hair piled on top of her head, her eyes bleary with sleep, and a grumpy frown on her face. She was not a morning person. "Good morning, sunshine."
She snarled at me. "What in god’s name time is it?"
"You are so adorable when you’re cranky in the morning."
She flashed me a death stare.
"Come on, it’s Christmas morning. Let’s go see what Santa brought us." I bounced up and down with only a minimal of feigned excitement. Anything to get Livvie on board. I did my job well, because a reluctant smile crossed her face.
"Fine, fine. Let me at least brush my teeth first."
"Hurry up. You don’t want the cinnamon rolls getting cold, do you?"
She perked up at that. "Cinnamon rolls, you say? You know I can’t resist them."
"Then it’s a good thing I had my mom make extra. Go, get your teeth brushed and come on." I left her and headed downstairs to find my mom in the kitchen drizzling the icing.
"Good morning," she greeted me with a kiss on the cheek. "Where’s Livvie?"
"Morning. She’ll be down in a few minutes. She is not a morning person." I laughed.
"But, it’s Christmas," my mom exclaimed.
"I don’t think she’s had any great Christmases to get her enthused. To her, this is really just another day."
My mother’s expression softened.
"Morning," Livvie greeted us, dragging herself into the kitchen wearing fleece pajamas. "It smells delicious in here."
"Those are my famous cinnamon rolls. I’ve been making them for twenty-five years. Ever since Gareth was born. It’s become our tradition."
"Well, that’s most definitely a tradition I can get behind," she laughed. "They’re one of my favorite treats."
"I hope mine live up to your expectations then."
Livvie smiled. "I have no doubt they’re going to be amazing." She gazed out the window. "Oh my gosh, it’s snowing again. Or still. I don’t know if I ever remember having a white Christmas before. Wow, it really is beautiful."
The back door opened, and my dad stepped through wearing his blue puffy jacket and a beanie on his head covered in the white stuff, stomping his snow boots on the door frame of the mud room. His nose was bright red. Once he’d slipped off his coat and hat and hung them on the peg on the wall, he unlaced his boots and left them sitting next to the door. He went straight for my mother and wrapped his arms around her waist, nuzzling her neck.
"Mmm, you smell good enough to eat," he whispered loud enough for Livvie and I to hear. We exchanged glances and her cheeks flushed.
"Come on guys, at least wait until we’re out of the room before you start doing that," I joked with an exaggerated groan.
My dad just laughed and spun my mom around to drop a swift kiss on her lips. A devious thought came to mind. Turn around was fair play. I grabbed Livvie’s hand and pulled her to me, plastering a loud, but chaste kiss on her lips. She leaned into me and played along until finally I pulled back. Her cheeks turned bright pink, but my parents only laughed.
"Oh, honey, do you remember when we were that young and in love?" My dad asked my mom, his hand wrapped around her hip, holding her against his side. They both had smiles on their face.
"I’m still in love with you as much now as I was then," my mom replied.
