by A. m Madden
Frank Sinatra crooned, “Jingle Bells,” through the Bluetooth speaker.
“Hey, you two,” Jude greeted us at the door. He kissed Vanessa on the cheek. “I’m glad you could make it.”
Like we would have a choice. Vanessa reached into her bag and pulled out her gift. At the sight of it again, I snorted.
“What the hell is that?” Brae asked when she approached us.
“If you have to ask, Jude is lacking,” I said when the dildo was placed on the table.
“Vanessa, really? You didn’t even wrap it.” Brae’s nose crinkled in disgust. “A huge dick is sitting on my dining room table.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Jude said with a grin, turning his wife’s face the same shade as the poinsettia.
“Nice one, Jude-alicious.” Vanessa high-fived Jude. “Brae, you said to be creative, and this is the gift that keeps on giving.”
Luca joined us. “Hey, Benedetto.” I shook hands with him before he pulled Vanessa into a hug.
He glanced at the dildo and shook his head. “Well, I know which gift I’m staying away from.”
Desiree and Cassie laughed, but Brae took this all very seriously and scolded Luca. “It doesn’t work that way, Luca.”
Vanessa chimed in, “About this white elephant shit, it’s way too confusing. I vote for a grab bag.”
When everyone started agreeing with my girl, Brae conceded. “Fine.”
A pretty waitress appeared and asked what we wanted to drink, while another one, just as attractive, walked around with a tray of appetizers. The old Kyle would have been flirting up a storm, but I already had the prettiest girl in the room. Luca, however, took the opportunity as being the only single man there. That’s when I noticed they both had wedding rings on, so he was out of luck.
The Sorens didn’t spare any expense—not that Jude ever had. The man went all out with everything he did, a party with just the seven of us didn’t deter him. When Brae walked into the kitchen, Jude rushed over, dipped her as if they were in a dance, and planted a kiss on her mouth.
“Babe, that mistletoe is my favorite decoration.” Jude smiled as he looked up at the greenery hanging from the archway.
Once we all had a drink in hand and food in our stomachs, Vanessa and the ladies walked over to the table. Desiree picked up a box and gave it a small shake. “Are we going to pick gifts now?”
Brae clapped her hands. “Okay, who wants to go first?” She motioned toward the pile of gifts. Without hesitation, Cassie, Des, and Luca all reached in and grabbed one. Brae and Jude shrugged and took the last two remaining gifts leaving Vanessa’s and mine as the only ones left standing.
I snatched up the phallic gift. “Gotta love a good dildo. Looks like I’m the lucky one.” My eyes cut to Vanessa, and I added, “Or you are. There’s nothing hotter than watching a woman using a dildo.”
Vanessa took my contribution and unwrapped it. “Oh, look! Custom lube made by Cleary Laboratories. See! The gift that keeps on giving.”
No one else made any motion to open their gifts and really how could anything follow such a hard act? Brae came to the rescue and said, “Maybe this would be a good time to sing Happy Birthday to Jude.”
All eyes cut to her husband just as he rolled his. “Baby, you promised.”
“There was no way I wasn’t acknowledging your birthday. You should know me by now.” She smiled at one of the waitresses and seconds later, the other appeared with a huge cake lit with the appropriate amount of candles.
Cake led to everyone sitting casually in the living room sharing stories. Most of them revolved around Jude, Luca, and my college days. The girls piped in with some of their own tales. I wasn’t a mushy, emotional kind of guy. That was obvious in the way I chose a non-mushy, emotional kind of girl. But sitting there among our best friends, having her by my side, warmed me like nothing ever had in my life.
I had a lot to be thankful for, and I had no intention of taking any of it for granted. My girl had already lost so much in such a short amount of time. It was my goal to add only great memories, love in spades, and anything else she thought she couldn’t live without.
While staring at her profile, she turned to look at me with a smile. “What?”
“Nothing. I’m just really happy.”
The smile spread even more, lighting up her whole face and those gorgeous green eyes. “So am I, Kyle.”
Epilogue
Kyle
I upshifted, feeling the purr of the engine kicking into gear to swallow up the stretch of highway. If someone told me last Christmas I’d be back home the following year, driving my girlfriend to see the Falls, I would’ve scoffed at the thought. Yet, there I was loving life and loving how excited she was over seeing someplace I took for granted most of my life.
We drove from Manhattan to an adorable inn near the Catskills, spending two romantic nights together before continuing to Canada.
She asked me a million questions along the ride. Making the mistake of explaining how there was a spectacular light show illuminating the Falls caused her curiosity to get the best of her.
“How much further? Are we there yet?” I chuckled at the way her legs bounced with excitement, like a child on her way to Disney World.
“Not far.” The sun hung low in the sky. I purposely timed the trip so we would get there with just enough daylight left to see their magnificence before nightfall hit. This side trip was just the first of several surprises I had waiting for her.
Thirty minutes later, I slowed my rented Lexus as we approached the border. The guards asked to see our passports, the purpose of our visit, and how long we’d be there. Once they were satisfied, we crossed into my homeland and headed to the Falls. “Welcome to Canada, sweetheart.”
I pulled into a lot, jumped out of the car, and jogged around to her side. The clean Canadian air caused the exposed skin on my face and neck to tingle. Her anxiety caused her to open her door before I was able to.
My eyes devoured her body as she unfolded herself from the front seat. In jeans that fit like a second skin, Eskimo fur-lined boots that laced up to her knees, and a new ski jacket that cinched around her waist, we almost didn’t make it out of the hotel.
I offered her my gloved hand, and she took it with an electric smile. Before walking toward our destination, I pushed her up against the closed door, caging her with my arms. “Vanessa Lee Monroe, this is just the beginning of all the places I want to take you to. From here on out, I want to see the world through your eyes.”
“I can’t wait, Kyle Steven Cleary.”
Leaning in, I kissed her passionately until we needed to come up for air. “Let’s go.”
We walked past stunning illuminations of wildlife, holiday adornments, and of course a Canadian flag. My first instinct was to start singing the anthem, but I refrained. A chilled mist filled the air as tourists took in the sight of the most powerful waterfall. Vanessa tugged my arm until we made it to the railing. Just like many others who were there, she stared in awe at the beauty before us.
“I’ve never seen anything like this, Kyle. It’s spectacular. Thank you so much for bringing me here.”
“You’re welcome.” I moved to stand behind her, using my body as a shield against the wind—and the fact that I’d use any opportunity to have her body pressed against mine.
“Can we come back in the summer? I want to go on the Maid of the Mist.”
Her enthusiasm and the fact she mentioned the future trumped my dislike of that boat tour. “Yes, of course.”
She bounced on her toes and chastely kissed my cheek. “Thank you! I can’t wait.”
I smiled back at her. “Me neither. Tomorrow, we have a helicopter tour where they’ll fly us right over them.”
“Really? Oh my God, I’ve never been in a helicopter!”
“That’s just the beginning of things we’ll do that you’ve never done, Nessa.”
She twisted in my arms. “I love you.”
“I�
��ll never get tired of hearing you say that.” I kissed her cold lips, anxious to get her into our warm hotel room to love her properly.
As the night wore on, we didn’t move. Vanessa refused to budge, stating we had a great viewing spot to enjoy the light show. Colorful streams of light danced on the Falls, like the sky on the Fourth of July. The crowd ooo’d and ahh’d as the colors shifted and played on the water.
Even though there were families with children present, this was still one of the most romantic places. Couples and lovers exchanged glances, embraces, and kisses during the show. I knew I’d never forget this moment, but I wanted to capture it. I took off my glove, reached in my pocket, and grabbed my phone.
“Nessa, turn around.” When she did and saw my phone in selfie position, her face lit up just like the waterfall behind us. I stood beside her, angled my phone just right, and clicked the button.
A kind woman next to us who was there with her family smiled. “Would you like me to take one of you?”
“That would be great.” I handed her my phone, positioned Vanessa in front of me, and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“Smile,” she said before clicking the button. Before she handed me my phone, she glanced at the screen. “Are you here on your honeymoon? You make a gorgeous couple.”
Before I could offer a reply, Vanessa did. “No, not this time. But maybe one day.”
That was not the response that came to my mind or one I thought Vanessa would say, but it was the best. Not wanting to make too much out of it, I thanked the woman for taking our picture and went back to watching the splendor in front of us.
We stayed until we couldn’t feel our toes and were almost asleep standing up. I made sure our hotel room had a view of the Falls so she wouldn’t miss anything. It was a good thing, too, because just as I suspected, she put on her pajamas, curled up in a chair, and watched the show through the glass.
Her sweet voice was filled with joy. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
With my eyes glued to hers, I said, “It sure is.”
My family pounced.
No warning, no easing her in… just hugs and kisses and squeezes and exaltations the moment we walked through the door.
Throughout, Vanessa smiled and nodded incessantly. The way her hand gripped mine, I worried this was all too much too soon. But to arrive before my entire extended family would have meant we needed to leave our hotel room at the crack of dawn. Having her warm body wrapped around mine in that big luxurious bed, there was no fucking way we’d be leaving it a minute sooner than we had to.
The chaos in my parents’ home went on around us. I leaned in and whispered, “You okay?” I wasn’t convinced at the way she nodded with the same plastered smile on her face.
My aunt Betty emerged, holding out two gift boxes stacked on top of each other. “Welcome! Welcome! You must open these immediately. I worked all night getting them ready. You didn’t give me much notice, Kyle, but now that I see your beautiful girlfriend I think the colors I chose will perfectly complement her.” She thrust the boxes at us, forcing me to grab them in my other arm.
There we stood with about twenty or so relatives circling us, all chattering above my constant pleas of, “Give her space to breathe.”
No one was listening. I craned my neck above the circle of humans searching for my mother. Just before I took control of the situation, she appeared out of nowhere, pulled Vanessa free from my grip, and called over her shoulder, “Leave the poor girl alone!” Not entirely trusting of my mother’s intentions, I followed directly behind them as my mom led her toward my father’s office. “Steven, come with us.”
My father nodded and obeyed, and before I knew what happened, the four of us were safe and alone with the door firmly shutting out the rest of my family and their craziness.
“Oh, lord. I’m so sorry about that, Vanessa. I’m Debra. This is my husband Steve, and we are so thrilled to have you here.” She pulled my girl into a warm embrace before kissing each of her cheeks. “I wanted to deflect them. I hope they didn’t scare the life out of you.”
Vanessa offered a warm smile. “No, no. Kyle warned me before we arrived. I think they’re sweet.”
My father stepped closer and mimicked my mom’s hug and kisses. “They’re a bunch of nuts. Just say the word and I’ll kick them all out,” he said, clearly revealing his patience level with my mother’s family.
“Steven,” she scolded. “They’re excited Kyle finally has a girlfriend.”
Kill me now.
Vanessa met my humiliated gaze, curling her lips between her teeth. All I could think of was if the guys were here, I’d never survive their ball busting.
Through the door we could hear muffled jabbering, and every so often Vanessa’s eyes would widen when one or two intelligible words filtered through the noise.
“Vanessa, darling, they are here just to greet you. Since they didn’t behave themselves, as I warned them to, I’ll send them all away. The four of us will be spending a nice quiet Christmas Eve together. How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” I responded for her.
Vanessa gave me a look before amending, “You don’t need to do that. I’m fine if they all stay.”
“No, we’re not.” I ignored the way Vanessa glared at me and demanded, “Mom, get rid of them, please. Or, I’m taking her back to the hotel.”
Knowing that threat would strike a chord, my mom immediately stood and said, “Don’t move.” She stalked out the door and we heard her say, “Everyone out. Come back tomorrow for Christmas dinner.”
My dad’s sigh of relief was obvious in the way his body sagged. He looked me in the eye and said, “Thank you.”
Vanessa
Meeting Kyle’s entire family in one shot was not only overwhelming, but in a weird way, comforting. Knowing he came from so much love made me love him even more than I had. Marriage, kids, happily ever after were not things I considered for myself. Now with Kyle, I wanted it all. I wanted the chaos, the overwhelming family that got into your face, the love.
It hadn’t occurred to me how much I had missed out on being loved during my life. I had it in spades from my friends, but now having a reference of what a loving family looked like forced me to admit so much had been missing. And now having had a fairly large dose of it while in Canada, I decided I wanted more.
Kyle had been awesome in making sure I was comfortable during our stay, as did his parents. His physical traits were very similar to his father’s. The same color hair, same smile, even the same crystal blue eyes made it easy to see how well Kyle would age over the years. But his personality was strictly his mother’s. Where his father was a quiet, reserved man, his mother was a firecracker.
She and Kyle had the same devious spark within them, the same humor. So many times the two of them had me in stitches with stories they recounted of Kyle’s childhood.
When it was just the four of us, we had a lovely time getting to know each other. Mrs. Cleary, or Debra as she insisted I call her, was everything my mother wasn’t. I’d never met a woman more kindhearted and giving as she was… well, maybe except for Brae’s mother, Ellen.
It hadn’t taken long for me to lose the nerves and relax among the clan of Canadians related to my man. Bouncing between a quiet, intimate holiday and a loud family reunion, I was able to get a taste of both worlds and loved each equally.
At Christmas dinner, the smile on Aunt Betty’s face when she saw us wearing her sweaters, was adorable. I loved every part of that over the top, gaudy declaration of the holiday memorialized in wool.
When everyone left an hour earlier, Kyle and I retreated to his corner of the house to exchange our gifts for each other in private.
Being an only child, his parents converted two of the guest rooms, as well as the bathroom, into a huge suite for him. It took up the entire right side of their palatial home. Windows framed two sides of his room, affording a magnificent view of the snow-covered forest that su
rrounded their property.
I smiled when two strong arms circled my waist. He kissed the side of my neck and asked, “Penny for your thoughts?”
“I love it here,” I admitted with a sigh. His hold tightened, and through the reflection in the window I could see the joy on his face. I twisted around, bringing us nose to nose. “Thank you. This has been the best Christmas I’ve ever had.” His expression instantly changed at my declaration. He parted his lips to say something, and I pressed my fingers to his mouth to stop him. “Don’t look sad. I truly believe every year I spent wishing I could skip over the holidays had to happen for me to appreciate what I have now with you.”
“Baby, this is just the beginning. I want to make all your dreams come true, together.”
“Well, we’re off to a great start. Your country is stunning.”
“You only saw a tiny bit of it, but with time you’ll see so much more.” He kissed me chastely. “Are you ready to exchange gifts?”
I grinned and nodded like a five-year-old. As it was, I needed another suitcase to get all my gifts from his family back to New York, but I’d been anxiously waiting to exchange with Kyle, specifically to give him my surprise.
“I’ll go first!” As I dashed out of his hold toward my bag, he moved to sit on the small couch with a chuckle. I pulled out several boxes from my suitcase and carried them over to where he sat. “Okay, this one is last,” I said, holding the one I was most excited for in my hands after handing him the others.
First he opened the monogramed flogger I ordered online. While turning it in his hand, he bounced it a few times testing its weight. “Nice one. I love the personalization, nice touch. But, is this for me or you?” he asked, grinning.
“Both. Keep going.” One by one he opened and laughed at the little things I picked up that were so Kyle—a ceramic syrup dispenser in the shape of a beaver, a silk bow tie that matched his eye color perfectly, and a Catwoman figurine sporting the exact costume I had on for Halloween.
