by E. L. Todd
“Damn, this is good.”
“We make the best Dutch apple pie. I know that’s a little cocky but whatever.” She dug in and scooped out enormous chunks.
“It’s not cocky when it’s true.” I only took a few bites because I’d never cared for sweets. “Are we going over to Yaya’s tomorrow?”
“Yep. And I got her the cutest purse. It’s pink and it’s Guess.”
“That’s nice of you.”
“I think she’ll like it. Pink looks good on her.”
“What did you get Axel?”
She ate another bite before she set down her fork. “He loves the Yankees so I got him and Marie tickets.”
“He’ll love that.”
“What did you get him?”
“A basketball.”
She chuckled. “Actually, he’ll love that.”
“What did you get Marie?”
“Well, since she’s married now, I got her a cooking set with her new last name engraved into the dishes.”
It didn’t surprise me how thoughtful she was. “That’s perfect.”
“Well, Marie liked to cook but she wasn’t very good at it. Maybe now she’d be more excited to practice.”
The Christmas tree was in the corner by the window, and the lights flickered. She and I decorated it just like the last time we spent Christmas together. Now that she was mine, the experience was different. It was one of the greatest moments of my life, actually being happy during Christmas time.
My gift for her was under the tree, and I knew she brought mine over the other day. I was relieved when she only got me one present because I did the same for her. Neither one of us cared about the number of gifts we exchanged.
Any gift I got her would never compare to the one she’d already given me. Her journal was a sacred possession, and I still read it when we were apart so I could feel close to her. It kept me company on the loneliest nights of my life.
“Should we exchange gifts with everyone else?” I’d prefer it if it was just the two of us, but we could do whatever she wanted.
“How about we do it tonight—at midnight?”
“That sounds perfect.”
She closed up the box and left the forks inside. Neither one of us were hygienic with our food because we shared everything. “I can’t believe I ate half this pie.”
“I can. I watched you do it.”
“Don’t remind me.”
I tickled her side. “You’re lucky you eat everything in sight but remain so tiny.”
“I’m not tiny. I’ve got an ass and a tummy. Marie is tiny.”
“She’s too skinny.” I grabbed her hip and pulled her into my lap. “You’re just perfect.”
“You’d say that even if I weren’t.”
“In my eyes, you’ll always be, so you never have to worry about that.” I kissed her bare shoulder and squeezed her against me. Her ass was in my crotch, and I loved the way it felt.
“So, what should we do while we wait until midnight?”
“How about we make love in front of the fire?”
“Ooh…that’s romantic.”
I lifted her in my arms and carried her into the living room where my fireplace sat. I hadn’t used it in years but I knew it worked. I set her down on the ground then turned on the gas.
“Now, all we need is a bear rug.”
I got the fire going then turned back to her. “You have your grizzly for that.”
***
We lay naked together on the floor and watched the clock strike midnight.
“Merry Christmas.” She dug her fingers into my hair before she kissed me.
Our lips touched lightly, sending chills down my spine even though we spent the whole evening making love. “Merry Christmas.”
“There’s no one else I’d rather spend it with.”
“Me neither.” I placed kisses down her body, kissing her shoulder and then her flat stomach.
“So, are you ready to open presents?” Her eyes beamed with excitement, and I knew it was because she was anxious to give me her gift, not the other way around.
“Yeah.”
She walked to the tree and fetched the two gifts. Then she set them on the ground beside us. My gift was in a small jewelry box, and hers was much bigger. I didn’t have a clue what she got me.
“Who wants to go first?”
I grabbed the small box and handed it to her. “You go.” I spent a lot of time on her gift, and I knew she would love it.
She didn’t hesitate and ripped the wrapping open. When she uncovered the dark wood of the box, she popped it open. Inside was a platinum necklace with a locket in the shape of a heart.
She lifted it from the box and examined it. On the front was an engraving in small cursive writing. We Are Forever. Her eyes watered as she read it. She sniffed loudly then blinked the tears away. She hadn’t even opened it yet.
Her small fingers found the groove and she popped it open. Inside was a small picture of us. It was taken in South Carolina. I remembered the day perfectly. Francesca just made a new muffin creation, and once they were out of the oven, we got into a small food fight. I snapped a picture of us together on my phone but never showed her. We were just friends at the time, but even then, I knew what she meant to me.
“Hawke…” Tears poured down her cheeks as she held it in her palm.
The sight brought warmth to my heart. Making her happy was a selfish act because it brought me so much joy. She didn’t care about money or jewels. All she cared about was the love underneath. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it? I love it.” She closed the locket then gripped it in her small fingers. “It’s absolutely perfect.”
It took me a while to hunt down the perfect necklace for her. I wanted something nice, something that wouldn’t rust for the rest of her life. I ended up going to Tiffany’s for it, but she didn’t need to know that.
She put the necklace on then felt it dangle around her throat. It fell right above her chest, the perfect location. “Thank you so much.” She moved into my arms and hugged me tightly, the tears from her eyes soaking into my shoulder. “You’re so sweet.”
“Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.”
I continued to hold her, feeling happier than I’d ever been in my life. I’d lost so much and experienced so much sadness, but when Francesca loved me, I forgot about all that baggage entirely. She breathed new life into me.
When she pulled away, her eyes were dry. “Now open mine.” She handed the box over.
I examined it before I ripped the wrapping off. Underneath was a simple cardboard box without any clues to what was inside. I broke through the tape and pulled out a blanket.
At first, I didn’t understand what she was giving to me. While I appreciated anything she wanted me to have, I didn’t understand why she would give me a blanket. When I turned it over, I recognized the fabric. The blanket was constructed of different pieces of fabric, combined together in a collage.
“My old t-shirts…”
“I had a lot of them when you left. I still kept them. It was too hard to throw them away. I thought I would make this, so we can cherish those memories every day.”
I gripped it in my fingertips as I stared at her. “You made this?”
She nodded.
“You know how to sew?”
“It took me a while to figure it out, but I eventually did. Do you like it?” Hesitation was in her eyes, like she wasn’t sure how I felt about it.
“Muffin, I don’t even know what to say… I can’t believe you kept them.”
“I could never throw away anything of yours—no matter what.”
Both of us decided to exchange gifts from our past. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I feared we’d never be able to recover from what happened, but somehow we had. And not only that—we were stronger.
I dropped the blanket onto my lap before I looked her in the eye. The fire glowed dimly in the hearth and the Christma
s ornaments reflected in her eyes. It was absolutely silent with the exception of the crackling flames. My heart thumped with too much blood but I felt oddly calm at the same time. She and I had something so special it couldn’t be described in words. It was supernatural and unbelievable. I had the love of a woman that wouldn’t just last till the rest of my days, but beyond that.
I pulled her into my lap then wrapped the blanket around her naked body, enveloping her inside it. The locket hung from her throat, shining brightly in the light of the flames. Even though she was naked and on top of me, I wasn’t aroused. I felt something a lot deeper than that. The words that left my mouth were ones I hardly ever said. They simply weren’t necessary for the two of us. “I love you.” My arms hooked around her waist, and I rested my face against her chest, right where her locket was located.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head on mine. “I love you too.”
Christmas Day
Francesca
While Hawke and I wanted to see my family for the holidays, we really wanted to continue lying in front of the fire, making love endlessly to the sound of the flames. The blanket would be wrapped around us, enveloping us in warmth.
We walked through the door with pies in our hands and greeted everyone. Axel and Marie were both wearing ugly Christmas sweaters, keeping up a tradition I don’t recall starting.
Marie gave me a hard hug. “I’m so glad I have an excuse to spend the holidays with you.”
“Me too.”
“An excuse?” Axel asked. “Marrying a hunky man is an excuse?”
Marie rolled her eyes then took the pie from my hand. “Yaya is in the kitchen…and she’s not alone.”
“Say what?” I blurted. “That veteran guy is here?”
“How’d you know?”
“They met at the bakery.”
“Yeah, he’s here. And he seems really nice.”
“Awesome.” Yaya deserved a companion that made her happy.
Hawke hugged Axel. “What’s with the sweater?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just…interesting.” Hawke stared at the white unicorn on his shirt and the elves surrounding it.
“It’s supposed to be ugly,” Axel said. “That’s the point.”
Hawke hadn’t attended many Christmas parties in his time so he was clueless to the tradition.
“Nevermind.” Axel brushed it off.
I walked into the kitchen and greeted Yaya. “Merry Christmas.”
She threw her arms up in excitement. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.” She kissed my cheek before she hugged me. “So happy you guys are here.”
“Me too, Yaya.” When I pulled away, I spotted the man from the bakery. He wasn’t wearing his ball cap this time, and surprisingly, he had a full head of hair. He had the same smile on his lips that I’d seen before, and his enthusiasm reminded me of Yaya’s innate spirit. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” He hugged me like we’d known each other forever. “Yaya invited me to spend the holidays with you. My kids are on the west coast, and I’m too tired to fly.”
“Understandable. I’m Francesca, by the way.”
He waved my comment away. “I know who you are. The Muffin Girl.”
I smiled.
“I’m Joe. It’s a pleasure to formerly meet you.”
“You too.” I pulled Hawke to my side. “This is Hawke, my—” Saying boyfriend felt oddly out of place. He didn’t feel like a boyfriend. He was something much deeper than that. But I couldn’t find the right word. “Hawke.”
“It’s nice to meet you, sir.” Hawke shook his hand. “You better treat Yaya right. You got two guys to deal with.”
Axel cracked his knuckles loudly.
“Oh, stop.” Yaya slapped Axel on the wrist.
“I’ve got no reason to be scared,” Joe said. “So continue your threats all you want.”
“Good answer,” Hawke said.
“If everyone is done making threats, dinner is ready.” Yaya removed her apron and set it on the counter.
Joe walked to her side. “You need help setting the table, dear?”
“Sure. Can you carry the turkey?”
“Sure thing.”
I smiled while watching their interaction, seeing how well they worked together. “Don’t chase him off,” I whispered to Hawke and Axel. “I really like him.”
“I like him too,” Marie said. “They’re so cute together.”
***
We exchanged gifts after dinner. I made Yaya a custom blanket with pictures of Axel and me from our childhood. She was moved to tears, like she usually was. Marie loved the handwritten letter Axel made of his wedding vows. Marie got me a picture frame of the two of us on her wedding day. Overall, it was truly a great Christmas.
“What did you get Hawke?” Marie asked.
I was a little embarrassed to say it out loud. “I made him a blanket.”
“A blanket?” Axel blurted. “Sorry, Hawke.”
“I made it out of his old t-shirts…” I swallowed the lump in my throat as the awkwardness set in the air.
“And I loved it.” Hawke stuffed the ripped wrapping paper into a garbage bag.
“What did he get you?” Marie asked.
I pointed to the locket at my throat. “It has a picture of us inside.”
“Awe,” Marie said. “That’s so cute.”
“That is cute,” Axel said in agreement.
“What’s the writing on the front?” Yaya squinted her eyes as she tried to get a look.
I didn’t want to say that part out loud. People would probably think it’s cheesy and over-the-top.
Hawke answered before I did. “We are forever.” He didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed by the words he had engraved, even in front of his best friend.
“Awe…” Marie’s eyes watered and she quickly fanned them.
Axel’s happiness died away. “What the hell, Hawke?”
“What?” Hawke asked.
“I gave her a really great gift and you had to stomp all over it with your damn locket.” He grabbed a ball of old wrapping paper and chucked it at Hawke.
“No.” Marie grabbed his wrist. “I loved it, Axel. I’m just happy my best friend is happy.” She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly.
Axel visibly melted the second Marie paid attention to him, like always. He breathed a noticeable sigh and rested his head on hers, like there was no place on earth he’d rather be than in her arms.
***
A blizzard hit Manhattan and shut down most modes of transportation. Snow piled on the streets and the sidewalks, and schools were closed. I loved the winter snow, but I hated being cold. Unfortunately, they went hand in hand.
The alarm went off at five. and I slowly moved out of the warm bed, immediately feeling the cold air against my naked body.
Hawke stirred the moment I left his arms. “What are you doing?” His hair was messy from rolling around the night before, and his eyes were heavy with sleep.
“I’ve got to work.” I crawled over the bed and placed a kiss on his chest. “I’ll see you when I get home.” I moved back to the floor then pulled on the shirt he tossed aside the night before.
“You’re going to work?” He sat up and ran his hand through his hair. “Muffin, there’s a blizzard outside.” His voice was raspy from sleeping all night.
“Yeah, but the show must go on.” I grabbed my work clothes from my bag and began to change.
“You aren’t going to work.” Now his voice was clear, and the anger shined through like the sun on a cloudy day.
I turned around, feeling my skin prickle with irritation. I didn’t respond well to commands. Anyone who tried bossing me around always wasted their time. “Yes, I am.”
“Do you understand how dangerous it is out there right now? The subway is closed.”
“Good thing I’m not taking the subway.” I pulled on my jeans and black t-shirt.
> “Goddammit, Frankie.” He kicked the blankets off and stood at his full height. Naked and chiseled from stone, he was a powerhouse of muscle. “Now isn’t the time to be stubborn. If schools are closed and the subway isn’t operating, do you think there will be many customers?”
“There will always be customers. What do you think people are going to do on a snow day? Sit around and eat muffins.”
“Then let your workers take care of it. You stay here.”
“I have stuff I need to do.” I pulled my hair into a ponytail then grabbed my jacket.
“If you think you’re walking out of here, you’re in for a surprise.” He approached me with tense shoulders, the threat in his eyes.
If this were any other time, I’d crawl on top of him and ride him until I was satisfied. But right now, I was too irritated for that. “I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”
“Against a storm? The wind is thirty miles per hour. Unless you have superpowers, I don’t think you can beat it.”
“The shop is only two blocks away. I’ll be fine.”
He took a deep breath like he was trying to calm himself down. Then he slammed his fist hard into his chest, releasing his pent up frustration.
“Was that supposed to scare me?”
“It should.”
I zipped up my jacket then pulled up my hood. “I’ll see you later.” I turned away and left the bedroom.
“I don’t think so.” He grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me back. “I’m not letting this happen. It’s not safe. My office isn’t even open and money never sleeps.”
I twisted from his grasp. “Because you can work from your computers. I can’t make a birthday cake here.”
“Actually, you can.”
I was tired of arguing so I walked away.
“How can I stop this from happening?” He followed me all the way to the front door.
“You can’t.” I turned around and tried to appear as menacing as possible despite my short stature. “You need to learn that if this is going to last forever, you’ll never be able to boss me around or make decisions for me. While I take your thoughts into consideration, I’ll do whatever the hell I want.” I unlocked the door.
“Whoa, hold on.” He pushed the door shut with his palm. “Let me get dressed.”
“Why?”