Best Christmas Ever

Christmas snuck up on me this year. I know that’s probably how most people feel about it every year, but I’m a pretty good planner – I respect the turkey and all, but I usually have my shopping done before December, and am usually able to really enjoy the season. This year I felt pressure – I was spending most of my time with John or at the shop, helping Sunny with her wedding, the class with Matt… I was staying up too late, cooking, rushing out on lunch breaks to find gifts for people, none of them were wrapped, and I still had nothing for John who was leaving on the 22nd to go home for Christmas – that was three days away.

Tonight, however, was our last class before the kids went out on break. I was lying if I said I wasn’t worried about them – hoping they’d get something for Christmas, and also that they would eat over the break. I had told them all that they were welcome to stop by the shop over break to grab a slice, help out, or even just hang out, and Matt had told them to call and he’d give them a ride, but I didn’t know if any of them would take me up on the offer. I was also giving Matt the coat tonight, and to be honest I was nervous about doing so.

I set up Matt with making the pizza’s with the kids and then told him I was going to be holding mock interviews in my office – really I was having the kids come in and sign the card I had gotten for him. When all the kids had signed, I slipped out the front and left the present with the card on the seat of the van.

When it was time to go, Matt didn’t ask me to ride home with him again – which was fine, I actually didn’t want to see him open the present, and I needed to take advantage of the fact that John was working late and go out and find his gift. I was sitting in my car, waiting for it to warm up and returning a text to John when someone tapped on my window (and I jumped about a mile out of my seat) I rolled down my window.

“Thanks.” He said, crouching down to be able to peer into my window.

“For?” I asked, playing dumb.

He nodded. “Well. I love it. Do you, uh, want to ride home with us?”

I glanced at the clock on my dash. “Sure, but then you have to do something for me.”



“You seem pretty good at gifts, you nailed it with me, why do you need my help?” Matt asked. We were back at the mall, this time in Sharper Image.

“I will not confirm nor deny that I had anything to do with that gift. Some people are just easier to shop for, I’ve known my Mom my whole life and I still struggle to pick out a gift for her. I don’t know, nothing I pick up seems good enough for him.”

“That’s an interesting choice of words.” Matt said.

“Huh?” I said, checking out a massager.

“I was a little confused on why you went back to him, Melanie. A little upset, actually. I know it’s not my place, I don’t know you very well, but I think you deserve better.”

“So that’s why you weren’t talking to me?” I asked.

“It’s complex, Lanie and I don’t really feel like delving into it, but I feel like you’re going to get hurt and I didn’t want to watch it happen.”

“I mean if you don’t want to be here…” I said, trailing off, my feelings hurt.

“Hey, no. If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be here. But if we’re friends, I had to be honest with you, OK?”

“I’m not going to stop with John.” I said.

“I know. Now let’s find him a gift.”

I settled on a soda stream for John. Was it romantic? No. But, he had said once that he thought it was awesome, and really what is a romantic gift for a man? Matt and I hung out a little while long, and we had a good time – I had forgotten how easy he was to get along with. “John!” I giggled. “I thought we were going to dinner, and here you’ve got me in some sort of fifty shades scenario.”

It was the night before John was leaving to go home, and he had come to take me out to dinner, but before I got in the car, he had presented me with a blindfold.

“Maybe a little fifty shades later. Right now I have a surprise for you.”

“I don’t like surprises.” I said, laughing again.

“Everyone likes surprises.” He said.

I was quiet on the drive, trying in vain to figure out where we were going based on the twists and turns in the road. Finally, about twenty minutes later we stopped.

“Sit tight.” He said. I heard him open and shut the door, and the come around to my side to take me out.

“Can I take this off yet?” I said, still giggling, as I trip over what felt like gravel. There was an odd noise in the background – chains jangling maybe?

“Not yet, almost.” He said. Then he stopped. “OK, now.”

I slipped off my blindfold and was surprised to see that we were out at the start of a country road. In front of a horse and carriage.

“What?” I asked, looking at John confused.

“My friend owns this farm – he decorates every year with lights and things. I asked him if we could tour it tonight. Since I won’t be here for Christmas...” He trailed off. “Is this OK?”

“It’s perfect.” I said, turning to hug him. I breathed in his smell on his neck, and wondered how it was that I had gotten so lucky.

We climbed into the carriage, where I hadn’t realized a man was sitting on a bench up front. He turned and nodded his head to me, and handed a blanket to John. We cuddled up on the seat, Johns arm around me, as we slowly watched lights displays as the carriage went up the road.

We reached the end, where there was a big red barn. John jumped down and offered his hand up to me, and then he led me inside the barn, where there was a picnic set out on the blanket in a pile of hay.

“Is this my gift? Because seriously, best present ever.” I said, taking a sip from the bottle of water John handed to me.

“This? Is nothing. And no it’s not your gift, everything was pretty much free except the food, and you know I like to cook.”

“The cost of a gift doesn’t matter, the thought put into it does, and this took a lot of thought. I appreciate it.” I said, suddenly feeling shy, and also stupid. I mean a soda stream compared to this?

“I like seeing you smile.” John said, as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

John served up the food, some sort of chicken and cheese and rice dish, still nice and warm, which was good after the chilly ride we had just had. As we ate, we made small talk, about his trip, my Christmas plans, and then the topic landed on New Years.

“Will you be back for New Years?” I asked, putting my finished plate down on the blanket we sat on.

“Yes, I’ll be home on the 29th.” He said, putting his plate down too.

“Do we have plans, or….” I trailed off. It sounded super dorky, but I really wanted to finally have someone to kiss at midnight, but with John and I not being serious, I didn’t want to assume we had plans.

“I hope you don’t mind…” He said, and I felt my heart crash to the ground. He wasn’t going to be with me. “But I already told Noah we’d go to his party. I shouldn’t have assumed…”

I didn’t let him finish, I flung myself on him and hugged him hard. “I thought you were going to say you made other plans without me!”

He laughed. “No. I want to start the new year off right, and being with you feels right.”

I felt like I might melt into him.

“You ready for your gift?” He asked.

“I didn’t bring yours!” I said.

“Give it to me later, no big deal.” He said, reaching into the picnic basket and handing me a small box wrapped in shiny green paper with a gold bow. “Just a heads up – they wrapped it for me, so any other gifts you might get will probably be in a gift bag because I suck at it.” He said laughing.

He handed it to me, and I hesitated for a moment – I always felt shy opening gifts in front of people – but then I carefully pulled on the bow and ripped the paper. I lifted the lid, and on a cushion of soft white fabric laid a necklace with a star charm on it. In the center of the star was a diamond that twinkled when it caught the light.

John took it from the box and motioned for me to turn around. I held up my hair as he slipped it around my neck, dropping a kiss on the back of my neck after he fastened it.

“I saw this and it reminded me of that night we went and looked at the stars together.”

“It’s beautiful.” I said, turning around to look at him. “So are you.”

And then he wrapped his arms around me, and silently we swayed to music only we could hear. I know it sounds corny, but I promise you it didn't feel that way at the time.