His loving touch and tender care heals a part of me I thought was always going to be broken. I know the pain will never go away, but at least I have a family now of my own to create new memories. My mother wouldn’t want me stuck in the past; she would want me to live my life and move forward.
After Asmodeus finished cleaning me off and rinsing off my body, he grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the shower, using a warm, fluffy towel to dry me off. I loved the gentle way he took care of me. Not only my body, but also my heart and soul. It was kind of funny and ironic seeing that he had such a big heart for being a demon.
“You know.. You’re awfully sweet for being a demon.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?” he huffs in mock offense, even though he is smiling. “Has someone said that demons can’t have a heart? Are we supposed to be soulless and cruel beings?!” I lift my arms as he pulls one of his hoodies over my head, covering me down to my thighs. I pull the fabric up to sniff, his scent saturating the garment.
Even though he can’t see it, he makes me smile with his words. “Yeah, pretty much! That’s exactly how demons are portrayed. It’s a good thing you aren’t. I love how caring and thoughtful you are. Please don’t change.” Admitting how much I appreciate him. He bends down and gives me a peckon the lips.
“I promise. It’s all because of you. I found my heart. Now let’s go get you and the baby some food.” My stomach growled right after he said that, almost proving his point that he was right. Busting out laughing, I follow him to the kitchen, where he makes me lunch.
After that moment, I promised myself that this year was going to be different. We were going all out this year, and the first step was to find a Christmas tree farm where we could go and cut down our own tree. When Asmodeus asked me about how my family celebrated Christmas when I was younger, I was able to show him pictures my mother or father took of the three of us. When I explained that it was a tradition of ours to go to a Christmas tree farm and get a real Christmas tree, he was absolutely on board with us getting one.
When I had done the research, I was amazed to learn how many farms there were in Connecticut. There was one that stood out to me the most. It was named Maple Lane Farms, which was about one hour away from us. It had a similar name to the tree farm my family and I went to when I was younger, Velvet Lane Farms. I remember going there every year until they shut down when I was 21. It was always smart not to get the tree too early or else it would be dead come Christmas. We decided to go the second weekend in December to ensure the tree would still be alive and looking nice on Christmas day.
Being around the holiday season made me think of Heath. He was the last one I celebrated with, and I wondered how he was doing. I haven’t texted him in a while, but I missed him; something suddenly had me worrying about him, taking out my phone to text him.
Me: Hey Heath! I know I haven't talked to you lately, but wanted to see how you were doing. I was overthinking like usual, and my head thought it would be weird to text you. Thinking you might want some space.
Heath: Hi Blair. I'm doing okay. I actually have some things that are changing in my life, so we will see how that goes. You don't have to give me space, I'm always here for you as a friend.
Me: I have some big news to share.
Heath: What's that?
Me: Well I'm pregnant! But also I have someone in my life now. I think you would like them.
Heath: Congrats! I'm happy for you. Hope I can meet them soon.
Me: Me too. I miss you and I hope you have a happy holiday!
27
Chapter 27 - Asmodeus
When I first arrived on earth, I went around the world traveling. I experienced all the different holidays and the religious celebrations. Europe had some of the best Christmas celebrations. The Christmas markets were truly magical without magic being involved. The Krampus parade in Austria was another favorite of mine. Happy to see humans still celebrating the true Christmas traditions.
Since the only tradition demons had was to celebrate Krampus night, and we had no children yet, I let Blair take the lead on planning for the Christmas holiday. I made sure I was available to help in whatever way I could, especially with any heavy lifting or moving. I knew Christmas was important to her and wanted to make new memories with her and soon our children.
She had told me that she wanted a real Christmas tree, and gave me the information on where we could go to get one. We hadn’t gone on a date since October, giving me an this opportunity to plan another date for us.
I was going to take her to the Christmas farm, but I also planned for us to go get some hot cider or maybe tea, and then a horse-drawn sleigh through the forest. Even though it was only December, we had already started getting snow this year. I had found a farm near the tree farm that did traditional sleigh rides. It was by appointment only, making sure to have everything planned a week in advance.
The week flew by too fast, but I was thankful because it was hard to keep a secret from Blair, and I wanted to surprise her. I planned everything for Saturday. That morning I woke up before her to make her breakfast. I made her some eggs and toast with a fruit smoothie.
Before we left the house, I made sure that she was bundled up and had the proper layers on. I didn’t want her to get cold or get sick out in this weather. She had the cutest beanie on her head, black knitting with bees all over it.
When we left the house, snow was drifting gently from the sky. It added to the ambiance of the day, although I was a bit concerned, hoping it didn’t start to snow heavily. I hated driving in thick, heavy snow. It only took us about 45 minutes to get to the Christmas tree farm. It wasn’t too busy for a Saturday morning.
All the trees were covered with a light dusting of snow. It looked magical, it was surreal. We walked down the rows together, holding hands as we looked at the trees. The scent of fir coats the air. She kept trying to get us a tree that was small, but we had the space for a bigger one.
We talked about her family and what they used to do for Christmas and holidays, as I was scanning for the perfect tree. It seemed like her family was very close and did everything together. It was really sweet, and I hoped we would have arelationship and family like that.
It took about 45 minutes until I spotted the perfect tree. It was in the far back corner of the lot where not many people had ventured. Most people were grabbing trees near the front. I led her over to the tree I found, and she gasped when she saw it. The tree was a solid twelve feet tall; the branches were vibrant green, extremely fluffy, and full. It was a beautiful tree, and would look perfect near the fireplace.
“This one?” she asks, awe in her voice.
I nod, “what do you think?”
