Chapter 67

Dawn was just breaking when Jessica came into the bedroom and got me up. I have to admit that both of us were just like little children when it came to Christmas. The sooner we could get at those presents, the better.

She wheeled me out. To my surprise, Theresa was up. Then I remembered that she was always up early.

The living room light was turned on, and I gasped. My heart was pounding and I couldn't get a breath.

'What the hell happened?' I thought.

The living room looked bare. The presents were gone, but what was just as bad, was that there was no tree. Stories of the Grinch are just that, stories. This was beyond belief.

I didn't want to look at Jessica. I didn't think I could bear the look of disappointment on her face.

"I don't think I can wait," I heard Jessica say.

'Wait? Wait? Wait for what?' I couldn't understand.

Turning, I looked at Jessica. There was no sign of distress. Nothing was adding up.

"Don't worry, they'll be here soon," Theresa told her daughter.

"Ok," I said. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

That's when I heard Jessica giggle. Oh, she was going to get it for this one.

Theresa answered. "We know that it's been just your Mom, Dad, and you on Christmas. We've always gone over to Jeanie's and even though that's just one more than the three of you, it's with family. This year it's a bit different. Jeanie doesn't have a house to go to. I'm not sure what you would have done, but going to your parents' house isn't a good option for you this year. None of the traditions for any of us are the same, so we took our tree to the rec hall in the complex. We're all going to meet there."

"My parents are coming up?" I asked.

"Yes," Theresa answered.

"Now I know why I haven't heard from my mom in the last week. She has a hard time keeping secrets."

"She told us that," Theresa said.

"My Aunt and Uncle will be there," Jessica added. Then grinned. "Tim, too."

"Wow."

Then it hit me. This was family. Family as I'd never had before.

Family gatherings are full of emotions. Stories are told ... often ones you don't want to hear, again.

Fortunately for me, this was Jessica's family telling them. My parents were late. In a way, worrying about them was good. It kept my mind off the presents that I had been dying to open.

When they showed up, a lot of fuss was made about their arrival. Call me insensitive, but I wanted to get them to sit down, so we could get the show on the road. It was about then that I realized Theresa was delaying things on purpose.

"Ok, Theresa," I said. "What's the big deal? You're stalling."

"She tries this every year," Jessica said. "This year she has extra support from your parents."

I looked at my father.

"Dad, if I find out that traffic wasn't as bad as you say it was..."

My father just grinned.

"Jessica, let's just start," I said. "If they don't want to open presents, that's fine. I can return all the ones I got for them."

Theresa made noises about me taking over, but she was smiling as she grumbled.

We sat in a semi circle. Jessica played 'the elf, ' passing out packages to everyone. Then we took a turn opening them.

She handed me the one she had got for me. Then took the package I had for her.

I was surprised. Shocked actually. It was a sterling ID bracelet. The fact she had got me jewelry was astonishing. I'm not sure why, but it was. The top of the bracelet had my name on it. I always thought those bracelets a bit amusing.

'Are these things for when I've hit my head and can't remember my name?'

Then as I pulled it out of the box I noticed the reverse side.

Engraved in script was, Jessica loves John.

There was a lump in my throat that made it almost impossible for me to say a word. I looked over to Jessica and she looked very pleased with herself. My reaction was just what she had hoped for.

Now it was her turn.

She ripped open the paper, and the box. Giving me a dirty look when she found a smaller box ... and a tube with rocks in it. The smaller box was opened, producing an even smaller box.

Her eyes bulged as she pulled out the ring box. She looked at me and then back at the box. I saw her hands trembling as she lifted the lid. The room got strangely quiet.

Drawing in a big breath, from holding it, she then broke into a big smile. Taking the ring out, she dropped the box.

"Mom, look!" Jessica said as she jumped up and ran over to Theresa. "There are..."

Her face turned a bit puzzled as she looked around the ring.

"Your and my birthstones," I said, hoping that is what she was confused about.

After showing her mom, then slipping it on, she came over to me. Leaning over to me, she gave me a smoldering kiss.

"Ok, you two," Tim said. "Break it up."

I think Jessica turned brighter red than I'd ever seen her. Then thought, 'She could have come back with a comment like that from her mother. Having her father say it carried a different sort of weight.'

The rest of the packages were a blur, except the last one.

"Jessica," Tim said.

"Yes?"

"There's one for your mother, up in the tree, that you've missed."

"In the tree? I don't..." Jessica started. Then looked.

She brought a small package over and handed it to her mother.

Theresa looked at it and then over to Tim. She cautiously opened it.

We were waiting for a reaction. It took its time coming. First the lip, quivering, and then the tears.

"Mom, what is it?" Jessica asked.

Jeanie was a bit more forceful, wondering what Tim had given that caused such a reaction. Jeanie took the pendant box out of Theresa's hand. Jessica and Jeanie looked at it.

"What is it?" my mother asked, as she was just as curious.