“What are you guys doing here? You gave up a warm sandy Christmas to come deal with this white mess outside?” Damion asks as we settle around the kitchen table to dig into the Christmas feast.
“It doesn’t really feel like Christmas when it’s eighty degrees and sunny. Plus, what’s a real Christmas without family?”
Steaming dishes of mashed potatoes and stuffing get passed around, everyone fills their plates high while Damion carves the turkey. Uncle Jax nudges me in the side. “So, who’s your friend Clara?” he says loud enough to draw half the table’s attention.
“Preston, this is my Uncle Jax and my Aunt Maggie. They’re the ones I told you about who live in Florida.”
“Guys, this is Preston, my boyfriend?” The questioning tone slips from the tip of my tongue.
“Are you sure about that?” Jax smiles. My eyes flash to Preston, unsure what we’re even calling ourselves these days. Fake dating, dating, it’s basically the same at this point. Preston pipes in as my mind wanders through the logistic timeline of our relationship.
“Yeah, she’s sure.” His playful wink calms my anxious internal ramblings.
“So, Preston, tell us about yourself.”
“Come on, do we have to do this now?”
“Clara, it’s fine.” He laughs it off and turns toward Jax. “What do you want to know?”
The topic monopolizes the conversation at our end of the table. How’d we meet, how long have we been together, what his family is like? It’s not until the Yule Log makes it to the middle of the table that the inquisition winds down.
“Let’s take dessert into the living room so we can open up a present and I can get the kids to bed,” Nat proclaims.
Preston pulls me down in between his legs where he’s sitting on the floor. I lean back into him and look up into his happy gaze. “Thank you for dealing with them. I know it’s a lot.”
He gives me a gentle kiss on the nose. “You know, we kind of did this whole dating thing backward. But I don’t mind that we skipped forward a year or so to meeting the family; they’re great Clara,” turning serious, “You’re lucky to have them.”
He’s right. Natalie and Damion stepped into parenthood at the same time they essentially adopted me. Having a newborn and a teenager wasn’t always the easiest thing, but never once did they make me feel bad for spending all my time with them in their first tiny apartment. When I finally made the choice to move in with them, you’d think with two barely adults still trying to figure out their way, it would have been a mess. But it was better than trying to make a home with my dad, and Damion knew that better than anyone. They loved me, took care of me, and looked out for me so I could finally relax into the childhood I’d been robbed of when mom had left.
“I’m lucky to have you, too,” I whisper with a kiss.
“You know, I expected this Christmas to be tough. But you’ve made it one of the best, Clara. Thank you.” He kisses me again with a little more passion.
A throat clearing pulls us apart. My cheeks flame, I shove my face into his chest as it bounces from his muffled laughter before turning around to find Damion and Jax’s stares. Damion hands me a small box wrapped in red paper and topped with a silver bow. The larger one in his hands goes to Preston. “Uhh, thank you,” Preston says, taking it shyly.
“Okay, everyone. Open! Open!” Natalie encourages.
Inside the red paper is a small box covered in velvet. Flipping the small gold clasp, I pop it open and gasp. It’s beautiful, a rose gold pendant necklace. The charm itself is a book with the inscription “A Reader Lives a Thousand Lives.”
“Here let me.” Preston unclasps it for me and places it around my neck as I pull my hair to the side. He drops a kiss to the side of my neck that sends shivers down my spine. “Do you like it?”
“It’s from you?”
“I saw it in a small shop downtown when I was out looking for you the other day.”
“I love it. It’s perfect. Thank you, Preston.”
“You’re welcome, stacks.”
“Okay, now it’s your turn.” I place his forgotten box back into his lap, eager to see his reaction.
He pops the tape on the sides of the box and lifts the lid. “How did you even find this?” he asks between snorts of laughter.
“There is a surprising amount of Christmas-themed Hawaiian shirts. Who would have thought?”
“Now I have something to wear next year. Hope you grabbed a matching one.” His blinding smile lights up his eyes.
That’s a bit presumptuous, but I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t admit things are starting to feel different between us. Maybe that possibility isn’t too farfetched at this point. The image of us cuddled up, back here a year from now flashes in my head and I like it a little too much.