by L B Pavlov
“OK, we have all the bad stuff behind us. Can we please just start getting excited about Christmas?” I said, smiling.
Lenora turned the Christmas music on, and the mood in the house seemed to change.
chapter 9
it’s finally christmas
The next few days flew by. Daniel and I did some last-minute shopping for little things. I was so excited for Christmas this year because I loved the gifts that I had picked out for everyone.
Our house was festive with decorations. Lenora and I had really done well. The inside looked like a Christmas wonderland. Dad hired a company to do the outside every year. They had covered all of our trees in white, twinkling lights as well as the perimeter of the house. We also had a giant Santa Claus that lit up in our front yard, and three large reindeers twinkled as well. I loved it.
Our neighborhood was also decked out; all of the houses were bright with holiday spirit. The Hollingsworth family always decorated their house with bright-colored lights, and they had a big Santa riding in a sleigh on their roof. They had talked about not doing it this year, but I begged Tom to put it all up. I think Grace secretly wanted him to do it again too. Grace decorated the inside with cute snowmen everywhere. It was very jolly, and they had a giant tree in their front room as well.
Daniel and I always decorated both trees together; we had started that back when we were in kindergarten. My brothers and Daniel’s brothers had slowly stopped joining in, but I would never let this tradition go. I loved it. Daniel would just laugh as I sorted all of the ornaments for us and talk about the memories associated with each one.
Christmas Eve was the next day, and I was giddy. I helped Lenora wrap a few final presents, and we were both excited. My face was almost healed. The cut on my cheek was barely noticeable, and my lip was almost completely whole. I was looking and feeling like myself again.
Packages were arriving on our front doorstep each day. Both sets of grandparents had shipped our presents, and other relatives and friends who lived out of town had done the same. I loved unloading the boxes and placing each gift under the tree. The stockings were all hung, and Lenora and I were going over to Grace’s to see if she needed help setting up for Christmas Eve dinner the next day.
Grace was hosting the big dinner, and Christmas morning would be spent with our own families. Daniel and I would exchange our gifts on our own. I had my gifts for him hidden under my bed in the hopes that I could give them to him first thing in the morning. I always made Daniel a stocking, and I had it loaded with his favorite candy, gum, socks, pajamas, sports magazines, and little chocolate footballs, et cetera. The scrapbook had turned out just how I had imagined it. It was packed full of every clipping and photo taken of him on the football field over the last four years. It was perfect. I had also ordered him a Notre Dame sweatshirt and baseball cap. I had picked up a copy of Charlotte’s Web, and I inscribed it:
Daniel,
If you get lonely when we are apart, read “our book” and I will be with you.
I love you,
Charlotte
I was proud of the gifts that I had gotten for him this year. I thought he would like them a lot, and I couldn’t wait to give them to him. I heard Daniel come through our front door, and he was laughing with Eric. When he saw me, he grabbed me and spun me around. Eric ran upstairs to find James.
Daniel put me down and smiled at me. “I see you’re biting your lip again. This must mean you’re almost healed,” he said, leaning close and speaking in my ear.
I felt a tingle run through my entire body. I turned toward him, and he kissed me. I had missed his lips against mine.
He pulled away quickly, though, and said, “You are not completely healed, and I’m not risking tearing your lip open again, so we are taking it slowly.” He gently stroked my face.
“OK fine. I will take what I can get.” I smiled.
“Come on, I’m taking you out for dinner. Just you and me,” he said, hugging me tightly.
“OK. Should I change?” I asked.
“It depends. Where do you want to go?” he asked playfully.
“Pizza and hot chocolate!” I said excitedly. “And maybe I will beat you at pool!” I added, teasing him.
“OK, let’s go,” he said, and he grasped my hand.
When we walked outside, the sky was dumping snow. I was so excited. It would make for a perfect Christmas.
The next day went by so fast that I couldn’t believe the following day was Christmas. I had a fun-filled Christmas Eve day. Daniel, Jack, Eric, James, Preston, Devon, and I all had a big snowball fight. The snow had fallen all night and throughout the day. Grace and Lenora were cooking all day at the Hollingsworths’ house. After we finished up our Christmas Eve dinner, everyone was full and happy.
Tomorrow was Christmas. I couldn’t believe how fast the year was going. I wished I could press pause at that moment in my life because I was beyond happy.
Everyone had already left the Hollingsworths’, but Daniel and I were playing Monopoly with Tom and Grace. When we finished the game, Daniel walked me home. He bundled me up in my coat, gloves, a scarf, and a hat. I laughed and reminded him that I only lived across the street.
When we got to my door, he turned and kissed me. “I will see you later,” he said, and he winked at me.
I told him I was worried about him climbing the tree because of the snow. He laughed and reminded me that he had climbed that tree way too many times for me to worry about it. “I promise, we will wake up together on Christmas morning,” he said sweetly.
I hugged him tightly.
“Get inside. It’s cold,” he said firmly, and he turned and jogged across the street.
I said good-night to the boys; they were still awake in the game room playing pool. Lenora and Dad had gone to bed already. I peeked at the Christmas tree before I went upstairs. I loved to look at all the ornaments sparkling in the twinkling lights.
I went upstairs and ran a bath. I soaked in the tub and thought about how much had happened in the last few months. I thought about how Daniel had been there through everything. I couldn’t wait to give him his presents. I finished up and brushed through my hair, looking in the mirror. My face practically looked like its old self. My lip was almost completely healed, and my cheek had healed.
I put on my lavender lotion and debated over what pajamas to wear. It was very cold out, and I decided to wear my long-john pajamas. I had the TV on, and I was starting to doze off when I heard the window open slowly. Daniel was climbing in, and he had a backpack on his back.
“It’s almost Christmas, Charlotte,” he whispered.
I was euphoric. “What’s in the backpack?” I asked, bouncing on the bed.
“You’ll see in the morning,” he said, laughing.
He looked gorgeous. He was wearing baggy jeans with a warm, cream-colored, knit sweater and a black knit cap on his head. When he pulled his cap off, his wavy, brown hair fell out perfectly. His cheeks were all rosy from the cold air, and his lips were red and plump. He stopped and caught me staring, and he looked at me with his unbelievable green eyes.
He pulled off his sweater and he had on a thin, white T-shirt. I couldn’t wait to slide my hands underneath it and touch his warm, soft skin. I lifted the covers and patted the bed, waiting for him to insist on sleeping on top of the covers, but he didn’t. He climbed under the covers and rolled on his side to look at me.
“I don’t want to be separated by a blanket tonight. I just want to hold you close to me,” he said affectionately.
I felt my heart skip a beat. I never wanted the blanket between us either. He was stroking my face so gently, and I could feel his warm breath on my skin.
“I hope you get everything you want for Christmas,” he said softly.
“I already have everything that I want,” I replied and leaned forward and kissed him.
He wrapped his arms around me and he kissed me passionately. I pulled away for a moment, and he asked with concer
n, “Are you OK? Did I hurt you?”
“No. But I want to talk to you about something,” I said nervously.
“OK, what is it?”
“Is it hard for you, um, that we don’t have sex?” I said, whispering.
“Why do you think that?” he asked while stroking my cheek softly.
“I think, um, that, um, when Blane was acting like a crazy person that night in Sean’s room, he um, said some things about me being a prude and a virgin. He said that maybe you would, um, go elsewhere? And I just don’t know if I’m ready, but I really want you to be happy too,” I said self-consciously, staring down at the bed.
Daniel put his hand gently under my chin and lifted my eyes to his. Their greenness blazed through me. “Charlotte, first off, you should have told me that he said that to you. He is a complete prick. He knows nothing about you or me. He is the last person that you should listen to. If you’re worried, you need to come to me.” He paused and gently stroked my cheek. “Let me explain a few things to you. Will you hear me out?” he asked sweetly.
“Of course,” I said shyly.
“I love you. I want your first time to be special. And the first time that we make love shouldn’t be because you think it’s too hard for me to wait. Nor should it be because you want to make me happy. It should be because we are both ready. You seem to think that because I’ve had sex before I’m unable to wait. That’s just not how it is.” He paused to gauge my reaction.
“What do you mean?” I asked quietly.
“I mean that being here with you is so much better than anything I’ve ever had with anyone else. Ever. Nothing has ever come close. You are the only girl that I have ever or will ever love. Period. I only want you. I want to be your first, but I want to be your last too. I don’t want your first time to be with me sneaking in your window and making love to you in your childhood bedroom with your father home. That’s not romantic. I think we should both be living on our own. Not worrying about who is home, or who is going to hear us. And not because you think I can’t wait. I’ve never been happier. Ever. There is no rush here, Charlotte. I plan on ‘us’ being forever. We can take our time. OK?” He gazed into my eyes, and I realized my eyes had filled with tears.
“I want it to be forever too, but I don’t want to lose you when we leave for school,” I said, and I leaned forward and hugged him tightly.
He pulled back to look at me. “Charlotte, I need to know that you trust me. I’m not going anywhere. I have complete faith in you, and I hope you have faith in me as well. We don’t need this to happen before we go to school or because we will be separated. You don’t need to put pressure on yourself about a timeline. Does that make sense?” he asked, gently wiping away my tears.
“Yes, but making you happy is important to me too, and I’m afraid if I’m not ready that may be frustrating for you,” I said, looking into his eyes again.
“Do I seem frustrated at all? I’m so happy. Being with you makes me happy. It has nothing to do with when we make love. Do I think about making love to you? Of course. I think about it a lot,” he said, laughing, “but I see it in our future, and I’m not worried about when it’s going to happen. It’s important to me that we don’t rush this and that we do this right for you. It’s very important to me that you don’t feel pressured about when it happens, Charlotte.” He leaned forward and gently kissed me on the lips, and then he pulled back and smiled at me. “But that doesn’t mean that I am not going to kiss you from now until Christmas morning,” he teased.
That was exactly what he did. He tipped me back on the bed, pulled me close to him, and kissed me. He kissed me and held me the entire night, and I was more in love with him than ever.
It was only 5:00 a.m., but technically that counted as morning, I thought. I sprung up and ran to the edge of the bed.
Daniel sat up. “What are you doing?” he asked softly.
“It’s Christmas. I want to give you your present,” I said eagerly as I dropped my head down to look under the bed.
I grabbed hold of the packages and pulled them up on the bed. I reached for his stocking and for the Santa hats I had hidden under there as well. I sat up and looked at him. How was it possible that he looked just as handsome as always at five o’clock in the morning? After being momentarily distracted by his mesmerizing eyes, I handed him a Santa hat and slipped one atop my head as well.
He cocked his head. “You just happen to have a set of Santa hats under your bed, huh?” I felt goose bumps spread across my arms just in response to the way he looked at me.
“I want to give you yours first, OK?” I smiled, and I couldn’t hold back my excitement. I handed him his stocking. Daniel was one of those people that everyone loves to give gifts. I had noticed it since I was five years old. It didn’t matter if you gave him a piece of paper with a note on it or a large gift, he was a genuinely grateful person. He appreciated sentiment and kindness, and I always loved that about him. As he went through his stocking, he stopped and acknowledged each little gift. He laughed at the football chocolates and wondered where I found those special little treats. The socks, the magazines…he just loved everything that I had tucked into the stocking.
I was bursting with excitement because that wasn’t even my best gift. He opened his Notre Dame sweatshirt and baseball cap, and he beamed at me. “Very thoughtful, Charlotte,” he said, and he leaned forward and kissed me.
It was a short and sweet kiss, but it took all my strength not to fall back on the bed and collapse in response to it. He pulled his new sweatshirt over his head and took off the Santa hat to try on the baseball cap. My God, he was almost too adorable for me to look at that morning.
“Which hat would you like me to wear?” He smiled, and his green eyes looked right into mine.
“I actually think I prefer the baseball cap. You look like a college boy,” I said proudly.
“If you ever want to be able to open your presents, I wouldn’t bite your lip right now,” he said, chuckling while his eyes blazed through me.
“OK, just a few more for you to open,” I said.
“You don’t want to open a few of yours in between?” he offered.
“Nope! I want you to open all of yours first because I’m too excited to wait!” I said confidently.
He opened the Charlotte’s Web book, and when he turned the cover and read the inscription, I actually saw him shudder a little bit. He set it down, leaned forward, and kissed me slowly, and I could feel his heart racing and his warm breath on my face. He pulled his lips from mine and placed them against my ear. “Thank you. I love the book. And now I have my own copy,” he whispered.
Wow. The book wasn’t even my best gift either. I loved how happy he was about it. Good job, Charlotte, I thought. Now for the big gift. I couldn’t wait! I started bouncing and clapping, and Daniel laughed at how excited I was about the next gift.
The book weighed about ten pounds because it had so much stuff in it. I handed the package to him, and he looked puzzled, as if he was trying to figure out what it was. He unwrapped it, and he just stared at the cover in amazement. On the cover was a picture of Daniel holding the game ball and standing next to the huge state championship trophy from his senior year state game. It had big, cut-out letters that spelled his name out on the cover. He turned each page slowly and thoughtfully, looking at every detail.
“Oh my gosh, was this freshman year?” he asked excitedly. “Oh wait, I see you have the dates labeled on each page. This is absolutely unbelievable,” he said appreciatively.
He was laughing at the pictures as he turned the pages and commenting on different emotions and memories that he would recall from each game. There were photos with his coaches, his parents, his grandparents, his teammates, his friends, his brothers, my brothers, and with me.
The book had ended up being over one hundred pages, and I was so glad that I had done it. Daniel had worked really hard, and he was one of the best high school quarterbacks in the country. He deserved
to have all of his high school moments recorded. I had been collecting his photos and clippings since our freshman year, and I was happy I had written the dates on the back of all of the photos. It made it much easier. Grace had also contributed copies of all of her photos. I couldn’t wait to show her the finished book.
“Charlotte, I don’t even know what to say. This is the greatest gift that I have ever been given. Thank you,” he said softly.
Yahoo! I loved how happy he was with the book. Giving him this gift was the best part of Christmas for me. I had been thinking about making it for a long time. We hugged each other, and he quickly pulled away. “OK, it’s your turn now. Are you ready?” he said, teasing.
“Yes, please!” I said as I clapped my hands together, bouncing excitedly once again. The first gift was very grand. He gave me an iPhone, and he had completely programmed it for me. “It has Stanford and Notre Dame news updates sent directly to your phone,” he said proudly.
I was always reading the updates on both schools’ websites, watching for runners, and seeing what was happening at my brothers’ school. Now it would be sent directly to me through e-mail that I could get on my phone. This was great. He had put everyone’s numbers in for me that he could. He had programmed the phone to get Runners World updates and daily weather reports in both Northern California and Indiana. He said that way we would know how the weather was for one another when we were apart because he did it on his phone as well. It was so thoughtful, and I loved it.
“Thank you so much. This is incredible, Daniel!” I said happily.
The next gift he gave me was wrapped in cute reindeer paper. I was trying to save the paper as I unwrapped it, but he was growing impatient watching me, so I tore it open. It was a lovely silver box with a rhinestone “C” on top of it. It looked like a jewelry box or something to hold keepsakes. “Open it,” he said coyly.
I lifted the lid, and inside was a little square, silver picture frame rimmed in clear rhinestones. I loved anything with rhinestones, so I immediately squealed at the sight of the frame and the box. I lifted the frame out of the box to examine the black-and-white photo in it. It was Daniel and I asleep in the hammock out back with Charlotte’s Web resting on his chest. I gasped. It was a beautiful photo. Lenora must have taken it when we were both asleep.
