Chapter 12: The Real Christmas Eve

Trisha was glad for the little break from the excitement of the holiday. She was getting so wrapped up in the events of the recent past that she felt she was losing touch with reality. She was a single mother. Her responsibility was to her children, first. Did she have a right to be this happy?

Just before the boys finished their packing, their dad showed up at the house with is girlfriend on his arm. Trisha tried to be pleasant, since it was the holidays, after all, but her ex was making it difficult.

"So," he sneered. "I hear you got a boyfriend, or something? You shacking up with him? Who is he? What does he do?"

"I don't have to account to you for anything, Jeff," Trisha replied, curtly. "We're no longer married."

"Yeah, you do," he demanded. "I have a right to know who is in my boys' lives. I'm concerned for their welfare," he finished smugly, puffing out his chest.

"You never told me about Miss "Flavor of the Month", here," Trisha retorted, feeling her blood begin to boil. "I have sole custody, Jeff; you just have visitation rights. If anyone has a right to ask the questions, it's me."

"We'll see about that" was the reply as the couple left to wait in the car. The boys came down quickly, gave their mother hugs, and then left to catch up to their father.

Trisha hated the way he made her feel! One of the reasons she had left him was his domineering nature, which she found out about too late. But, despite it all, she reminded herself that she had once loved him. Loved him enough to marry him and bear his children. She wasn't sorry for that, or for the divorce.

She busied herself around her house for a little while longer so she could try to calm down. While she had brought most of the gifts to Mark's house earlier, there was a couple she left at home. She and Mark had exchanged very nice gifts in front of the family, but she had purchased a few more for him, that were not for "family eyes."

By the time she had returned to Mark's, his family had returned to their house with their booty to prepare for the real Christmas Eve. Not knowing when she would return, Mark waited for her before he started dinner. When he heard her use the garage door opener he had given her as one of her gifts, he moved toward the kitchen in anticipation of her entrance. Trisha sat in her car for a couple of minutes before turning off the ignition and getting out. She was still a little riled from the short confrontation she had had with her ex. She needed to calm down, for Mark's and the holiday's sake, but she knew the best way to calm her down was to be in Mark's arms. With renewed determination, she gathered her bags and entered Mark's kitchen.

As soon as she saw him there, she dropped her bags and almost fell into his warm embrace. Instinctively, Mark knew something was wrong, but had also learned to let Trisha speak when she was ready. Keeping her snug to his body, Mark slowly moved around the kitchen gathering the ingredients for dinner.

"Do you want to butter the bread or stir the soup?"

He could feel her smiling against his chest. "I'll stir the soup."

Over their favorite dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup, Trisha tried to calmly recount her short confrontation with her ex. Mark became a little worried, although he tried not to show it; he could see that Trisha was already visibly concerned.

"Could he make trouble?"

"I'm not sure. I've got sole custody and he's still been non-existent in the boys' lives except when he has to be. He wasn't even at the boys' concert; he was at a poker game! His mother told him about the boys changing their song to include your name. Plus, he's the one with the live-in girlfriend, not me."

"I hope you don't have a live-in girlfriend," Mark quipped, trying to lighten the mood. It worked for a short minute, when he saw a genuine smile cross Trisha's face.

She grew momentarily serious when she decided, "I'll contact my attorney on Monday. I know it's the holidays, and she might not be in the office, but it's better than waiting until after the New Year." The couple finished their dinner in silence.

"Hey," Mark said after finishing his food, "this is Christmas Eve and I don't want to have any more pouting!"

"Why," Trisha chuckled, "are you Santa Claus?"

"I just might be!" Mark answered, making a funny face at Trisha to help lighten her mood even more. "What do you say we get some wine and sit by the tree and relax? The fire's been going for a little while, so the room will be nice and toasty." Without waiting for an answer, Mark cleared the dishes from the table, pulled chilled wine from the refrigerator and retrieved two glasses from the cabinet. Almost as if on autopilot, Trisha rose and followed Mark as he led the way to the living room.

After they had settled down, Mark pulled Trisha in a warm embrace and felt her relax in his arms.

"I'm so glad I've got you in my life." Mark gently placed a kiss on Trisha's forehead and nuzzled her neck. With the wine warming her insides, and the fire and Mark's body warming her outsides, Trisha felt all the tension from her earlier encounter begin to melt away.

After a little bit, Mark decided to carry out more of his planned seduction. While the rest of the family had continued to make plans for when Trisha and her boys were there for the family celebration, Mark formulated his own private plans for when the family celebration was over and he and Trisha were alone. He had begun by asking Greg and Peter for ideas on what their mother liked, and special memories she might have told them about her childhood Christmases.

"Why don't we watch some TV," Mark suggested. Not waiting for an answer, Mark moved to click on the television and DVD player. Trisha's attention was immediately drawn to the television when she realized her favorite Christmas movie was playing! A Christmas Carol from the 1950's. Mark had seen many versions, but never this one. He was a little skeptical when it only came in black and white, but Greg and Peter told him it was their mother's favorite and he would like it if he gave it a shot. At the first sign of Marley's ghost, Mark was hooked.

By the time the movie was over, the wine was gone. As Mark got up to clean up the empty bottle and glasses, Trisha got up to use the restroom. While she was gone, she also retrieved her bags still waiting for her in the hallway. Happily, she returned to the living room before Mark, so she placed the remaining gifts from her bag under the tree. Her curiosity got the better of her when she noticed additional wrapped gifts were already placed under there. As she leaned over to peak at the tags, Mark returned and was rewarded with an enticing view of Trisha's rear end sticking out from under the lit tree.