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Honey and Dani get to work on unloading the delicious pastries. And before long, we have everything set up on the kitchen counters, island, breakfast table and the dining room table for people to grab their food.
I hear the kitchen door open but my back is to it, but the second I hear boots against the tile I know it’s him. His hands grip my hips as he leans down to my ear so only I can hear him. “Looking good there, darlin’.”
I was never one for public displays of affection, but his small touches are exactly what I want and need. The added bonus is that it doesn’t make anyone upset to see the little touches. I thought for sure my brothers or my dad would give him a glare, but they just look away with a smirk. However, my mom just watches and smiles every time, her heart happy at what she sees.
I turn to the side and he loosens his hold, giving me access as I lean up and give him a quick kiss on his check. He looks good in his new jeans and button up. It’s the only rule for Mom’s get together. Everyone dresses nicely. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, just nice.
Hearing more people come in from the front of the house, I know it’s time for me to go change out of what I’m wearing and into the dress that I picked solely for tonight. I was so in love with the elf dress I wore last week that I found a similar one online in a deep green, and thanks to Amazon’s two day shipping it arrived yesterday.
“I’ll be back. Let me go change. I’ll see you in a minute,” I tell him as I step away. “Dani, you gonna help me?” She nods and follows me up the stairs to my childhood bedroom. With a few twists and turns, I’m in the dress as she zips me up. I go to the bathroom to fix my hair and apply a light dusting of makeup. Nothing major since I can barely do anything, but just a little highlight here and there.
I head down the stairs into the living room and see that more people have arrived, and the gathering is just getting started. Ellie and Honey are in the corner talking, so I make my way over to them.
Ellie is such a sweet girl and I feel for her, with the mother that she has. I know she’s had a rough time. But I know James is trying to take care of as much as he can now that he is able. And when it comes to the things he can’t do, there’s always mom or me. I know it’s hard on both of them, but they stick together. She’s fortunate that James has a place for her and a huge surprise coming her way.
Ellie wants her independence, but at seventeen she still has a year to go. I know she wishes she could do some things that others her age are doing, but she just doesn’t have the means to do so. She’s working on that with her part-time job, saving money for a car. But what she doesn’t know is that James has been working hard to get that for her. He was able to buy her a used car and fix up some things on it so that it’s safe and drivable for her. It’ll be his Christmas gift to her this year and I cannot wait to see her receive it.
“Hey, sweet girl. How you doing?” I ask her as I come up to her side. She looks over and beams at me. Just seeing the smile on her lips and the excitement in her eyes makes my heart full. I’m so proud of how much she’s grown in the last few years that James has been there for her. I know he beats himself up that he left her there with their mom, but he had to get out and make something of himself so that he could make a better life for her.
“Hey, Holls. I’m good. You look real pretty in that dress.”
“Yes, she does,” James replies walking up behind me. He wraps his arm around my back, with his hand resting on my hip, and pulls me close to him.
I melt into him and look up. He gives me his smile and a quick kiss on my forehead. “Did you get some food yet?” I ask him. I nibbled here and there while we prepared the food, but I ready to dig in.
“Was watin’ on you,” he tells me before looking at Ellie and Honey. “What about y’all?”
“We were headed that way,” Honey replies as she turns and walks off, the three of us following her.
The night progresses with laughter, good food, and gifts. Mom always has a gift handpicked for every guest. They’re small things, but each one matches the person who receives it. James and Mom worked together on her gift to Ellie. We usually go around the room, each person taking a turn, so Mom made sure that she started the gift opening so that Ellie was the last to open her gift.
James stands behind her while she unwraps the gift from Mom. When she pulls out a self-defense wristlet, her brows bunch in confusion, but the set of car fresheners has them bunching more. Before she can say thank you, James is holding a set of keys in front of her.
Her screech of excitement has everyone laughing, some of us with tears in our eyes.
“Is this for real?” She asks James as she looks up at him.
“It is. You wanna take a look?”
“Yes…yes…let’s go,” she replies while constantly nodding her head up and down.
We all follow Ellie and James out of the house. The weather has gotten a lot colder as the sun set for the day, but the excitement of watching Ellie takes precedence. She’s ecstatic as she hops in and cranks over the engine. James hops in the passenger seat and after talking to her for a moment, she rolls down the window. “We’re gonna drive down by the rentals,” she calls out.
We all give her a wave and watch her drive down to the fork in the drive. When she makes the turn to the rental drive, I turn back and head into the house, noticing that there are only a few people still outside. Mom waits for me on the porch and we head in.
It’s getting late and the guest gather their things and say their goodbyes. By the time that James and Ellie return about ten minutes later, the house is clearing out.
Dani comes over and wraps me in a hug. “Merry Christmas, Holly. I put your bag in your car.” James doesn’t know it, but I’m staying with him tonight. Nothing has to happen, but I want to wake up on Christmas morning and his face is the first thing I see.
“Thanks, girl. Merry Christmas, I’ll see you in a day or two,” I tell her as she walks down the porch stairs.
“Or three or four,” she replies with a chuckle.
I just shake my head at her as James and Ellie come outside. She gives me a hug, her smile huge. “Best Christmas ever,” she exclaims as she hops down the stairs. “I’ll see you at the house,” she calls out to James.
He gives her a wave and then pulls me close. “Have I told you that you look amazin’ in this dress?”
“A time or two.” I tell him. “So Ellie is staying over tonight?”
