“The weather outside is frightful…But the fire is so delightful...”
“Much better,” I say, watching the Bluetooth speaker play songs from my phone. Connor lent it to me yesterday, and it’s going to make today the best Christmas Eve yet. Last night, while Mom, Max and I were watching a DVD on the family laptop, we’d had a knock on the front door. The older woman who lives a few apartments down asked if we’d like to have her old artificial Christmas tree. She said she was getting too old and didn’t want the hassle with putting it up and taking it down anymore.
I couldn’t help but smile as Max and I went to her apartment and carried it back home. It’s as if the universe is working its magic to make everything come together at the last minute. We might not have a real tree, but this will do.
Now, it’s officially Christmas Eve and Mom is in such a great mood. She got the phone call yesterday saying she’s getting the job, and it pays more than her old salary did. She starts on January third. She decided to bake more Christmas cookies, and now we’re setting up the new Christmas tree. I play the music louder and join my family in the living room while we dance and decorate. The smell of the sugar cookies baking in the oven fills up the room.
I can’t stop smiling. Everything feels better now.
Max is wearing his too-small Christmas pajamas and standing on a chair to hang an ornament up high on the tree. “Mommy,” he says, turning around. “My new dog can sleep in my room, right?”
“What new dog?” Mom says, putting a hand on her hip. She knows about the dog we adopted since I told her privately last night, but she’s still putting on the charade that she has no idea what Santa has in store this year.
“The dog that Santa is bringing me!” Max says. “He’s bringing me a dog and I want him to sleep in my room, Mama. Is that okay?”
“I don’t know about that,” Mom says, winking at me as she reaches for more ornaments. “Santa probably can’t bring you a dog this year. That’s a bit much to ask, don’t you think?”
Max shakes his head. “No. I’ve been really good. Santa even told me so.”
“We’ll see about that,” Mom says, playfully ruffling his hair.
When the tree is decorated and the cookies are iced and half eaten, we set out a plate for Santa and then Mom tucks Max into bed. I’m so happy that she’s back to her normal self again. She’s not sad anymore, and those lines in her forehead have lessened since she got the news about her job. After she goes to shower, I sneak my present for her under the tree. I used the eighty dollars I earned at the Christmas tree farm last weekend and bought her a new handbag that can replace the beat up ugly one she has now. That way she’ll feel confident when she goes to her new job.
It’s just after midnight when I do another check to make sure Max and my mom are asleep. Then I tiptoe to the front door and pull it open slowly.
Connor is there, a sly grin on his gorgeous lips. “Ready?” he whispers, holding up two large black trash bags.
“Ready,” I whisper. “Come on in.”
I expect him to follow me inside, but he doesn’t. I turn around and see him standing there, his cargo dropped on the ground. “What is it?” I whisper.
“Come here,” he says, nodding his head.
I step out onto the cold porch. Connor’s hands touch my waist, and his forehead presses to mine. “I don’t want to wait any longer,” he says, his breath minty like a candy cane. “It’s after midnight, so that means it’s Christmas.”
My breath catches in my throat. Before I can say anything, Connor kisses me. His lips are warm and soft and taste like candy. My heart pounds and my toes go numb, but I don’t think it’s from the cold. My hands find their way around his neck and I pull him close, feeling my chest beating against his. His kiss is soft and sweet, and his lips move against mine, but they don’t push for more. They don’t ask for anything I’m not ready to give.
We break apart a few seconds later, and I find myself gasping for breath. The cool air sends a shiver down my spine and Connor’s adorable smile warms me back up again. “Will you be my girlfriend, Jayda?” he whispers, his lips just inches from mine.
My need to kiss him again overwhelms my ability to do anything else. I nod quickly, answering his question as fast as possible. And then I lift up on my toes and kiss him again.
Just because I can.
Chapter Fifteen
I barely sleep at all. But unlike the past few weeks of misery and worrying, this time I can’t sleep because I’m too excited. Connor had gone home just a few minutes after he helped me set everything up, and then he texted me goodnight just after one in the morning.
I think I drift off around four a.m., and then I’m up right at seven, eagerly waiting for my brother and mom to wake up. I put on a pot of coffee and play some Christmas music through my borrowed Bluetooth speaker to encourage them. Soon, my brother’s bedroom door opens and he shuffles out, all sleepily, until he sees me.
“Jayda!” he squeals as if he’s suddenly remembered what day it is. “It’s Christmas! Did Santa come?”
I nod toward the Christmas tree. “Why don’t you find out?”
My little brother’s eyes get big as he gazes at the tree in the living room. Last night there wasn’t a single gift under the tree. Now, with the help of the donations from Mrs. Harris’ Christmas fund, there’s ten gifts under there, all with Max’s name on it. The eleventh present is to my mom.
It turns out that Mom had agreed to let Connor use some of the Christmas present money on Max, so long as she makes a donation herself next year when she has money from her new job. Together, Connor and I had put the money to good use this past week. We bought presents for every kid on the under privileged list, and got some for Max, too.
Max’s little hands pump the air and he jumps up and down. “Santa came! He came! Which one is my dog?” he says, looking at the presents but not touching them.
