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Pretty much everyone in the entire organization ends up at my place at some point or another over the next few days. Rizzo hardly leaves, in fact, and I overhear him and Nat talking quietly at one point when they both think I’m asleep and Hattie’s in the shower.
“It makes you think about how quickly things can change, doesn’t it?” Nat whispers.
“It does,” Rizz agrees, his voice tight. I crack my eyes just enough that I can see them at the kitchen table from the couch. Nat reaches over and places a hand on Rizz’s forearm.
“Rizz, I…I mean, we…”
“Not right now, Nat. Please,” Rizz adds quietly, pulling his arm away and running a hand through his hair. “I don’t want a pity fuck and I don’t want you making a decision based on this insane situation that’s got everyone all keyed up.”
Nat blinks several times in surprise or confusion or both, but then she looks at Rizz and it’s like she’s really seeing him, maybe for the first time. He looks up and holds her gaze for a long moment and whatever she sees there makes her nod. She doesn’t look offended or upset that he rebuffed her, but instead with respect and…interest.
“Alright,” she says, nodding.
Hattie comes back from the shower then, hair wrapped up in a towel and dressed in one of my old jerseys and leggings. The jersey is damn near a dress on her, but she looks adorable. And sexy. And beautiful. How does she manage to pull off all three at once? My lips curl upward and I almost forget I’m supposed to be asleep.
Christmas Eve finally arrives, and after leaving cookies, milk, and potato chips for Santa (Hattie questioned whether Santa would need something salty to go with all his sweets, barely keeping her face straight), watchingElf, and readingThe Night Before Christmas, Ollie finally falls asleep.
"And now the little elves come out to play?" Hattie asks with a grin. We get everything set out and happily munch on Santa's goodies while we work. Well, Hattie honestly does most of the work, insisting that I take it easy and not move my arm too much. I usually hate being taken care of, but I’ll admit, it’s kind of nice watching Hattie fret over me so much. Plus, she’d gotten this ridiculous sexy nurse’s outfit from the costume shop…
After that, Hattie and I stay up, sipping whiskey on the couch. The only light in the room glows from the fireplace and the tree, and it's just about the most perfect night I've ever had. Hattie's hair is pulled half up in a messy bun, the rest falling in soft curls, her sweater slouching off of one shoulder. I reach over and run my fingers lightly over her bare skin and she shivers. I grin, leaning in and planting a soft kiss there and she moans lightly.
A little breathless, she asks, "So, I'm not clear on all of the Christmas rules exactly, but are we allowed to exchange gifts tonight?"
I pull back, surprised by the question. She turns to face me, brow arched in question. I scrub my jaw and pretend to think it over. "Wellll, IguessI could allow that, since it's your first real Christmas and all." She swats my thigh and bounds to the tree, pulling out a medium-sized package wrapped in deep green and gold paper. "Grab the red one over on the other side," I tell her, nodding towards the side of the tree facing the windows. She smiles, bringing both packages over to the couch. Hattie had already given our little group a gift: custom made t-shirts with “Proud Member of the Vipers’ Sin Bin” across the front. They’d gone over like gangbusters and Jules even vowed to wear his beneath his jersey to every game for the rest of the season.
So, I’m insanely curious as to what else she has up her sleeve in the gift-giving department.
"You go first," she says, handing me my gift. It's a big rectangle, obviously a box, and I shake it experimentally. One solid thump.
"Hmmm, not Legos then." She laughs and motions for me to go on. I take the bow off first and stick it on my shirt, and then tear into the package like a rabid squirrel, tossing bits of paper and ribbon all over the place. Hattie giggles.
"You are an overgrown child, you do know that right?"
"Of course. It's one of my best qualities, honestly."
Inside the wrapping is a plain white box and when I open it and part the tissue paper, my brows draw down in confusion. It's an old photograph in a beautiful mahogany frame. I study it for a moment, trying to figure out what it is and why Hattie would give it to me. There's a frozen pond, thick trees and mountains in the distance covered in white. A man and little boy stand on the ice, a little girl in the man’s arms…
Then it hits me harder than that last dogpile in the goal, and my throat feels very, very thick. I run one finger gently over the glass.
"This was the Christmas I got my first pair of blades This is…this is my dad teaching me to skate for the first time. That’s Hannah in his arms."
I look up from the picture and stare at Hattie, in awe and confusion. She bites her lip, looking nervous.
"How…?" I whisper.
It's all I can manage. Memories flood back in a rush and on their heels, that heavy feeling of grief that makes it hard to breathe.God, I miss them. Dad, mom, Hannah—they’re all gone now. I’m the only one left.
"Sara found an old box of Chris's things—or what theythoughtwere his things. Turns out, some of Hannah's stuff was in there too at the bottom, including some old family pictures. She told me about it when we went for drinks one night and I got the idea and asked her to keep it a secret." She stares at me as she fiddles with the package in her lap. "It was a smaller print and a bit faded, but I found a place that restores photos and had it printed bigger for you and…Do you like it?"
My nose burns and my eyes water as I stare at the photo. I've never even seen it before. Mom was always snapping pictures—we found boxes and boxes full in the attic after she passed—so I guess it isn't surprising that I haven't seen this one, but it's like stepping back in time. I can remember the day so vividly: opening the box and being speechless; dad helping me lace up my skates for the first time; him helping me onto the ice and me being terrified and elated at the same time; me busting my ass repeatedly and mom fretting on the side while dad reassured her that I was fine.He’s gonna be a star, Vivi, just you wait and see, he’d told her, smiling and winking and…and…fuck I can’t breathe. I rub the heel of my hand in the center of my chest, trying to ease the beautiful ache there. A tear slips free and I quickly wipe it away with my good shoulder.
"Hattie, I…" I clear my throat. "God, this is amazing. You have no idea…" I close my eyes and shake my head. "You've given me something so incredibly special and irreplaceable and I can never ever thank you enough for it."
She smiles, her own eyes looking glassy.
"I made the frame myself you know," she says after a minute.
"What??" My eyebrows shoot upward. "You did?"
