Chapter 9: The Shopping Trip

"Morning, sweet, sleep well?" Mark greeted the sleeping figure lying next to him.

"It's morning, already? Do I have to get up?" Trisha groused, trying to snuggle deeper into Mark's side. Under other circumstances, Trisha enjoyed getting up early and starting her day. However, she was comfortable and too wrapped up in her memories of last night to want to plunge into the present.

"The family should be here shortly, so, yes, we need to get up or take the chance on giving someone a show." Mark paused as he took a deep breath. "Shit! They're here! I can smell the coffee which means that if I don't come down soon, someone will come up to get me — probably my dad or Joe. Why don't you use the master bathroom and shower and get dressed and I'll go down to stall them."

"But my clothes are in my car. I never brought my bag in last night." Trisha panicked. She really needed a shower, and did not think it wise to walk around Mark's family in her current state.

"Your wish is my command," Mark gleamed as he placed a quick kiss on her lips. "If it were any closer it would bite you! I saw the bag in your car last night and brought it up here. It's on the floor at the end of the bed." With that, Mark placed another kiss on her forehead and got out of bed. After quickly dressing in his sweatpants and robe, he was headed downstairs. Trisha got out of bed and made her way to the shower.

In the shower, as her hands soaped up her body, Trisha smiled as she remembered Mark's touch. She could almost imagine him there, with her, touching her just like he had done the night before. The more she recounted her relationship with Mark, the more she began to feel like Ebenezer Scrooge. She was happy; through every bone and nerve ending in her body, she was happy. However, she knew that she didn't have a right to be. And, she wouldn't be, if Mark knew everything. She knew she should tell him, but she hadn't found the right time, yet. She would need to find it soon, she resolved.

Dressed and awake, Trisha entered the kitchen and was bombarded with a mixture of sights, sounds and smells that gave her pause. Mark's mother and sister-in-law were bustling around the kitchen making breakfast while the men were sitting at the table drinking their coffee and listening to the hopeful chatter of the teenage boys. Trisha couldn't help but smile; this is the way she had wished it had been when she was married. Once she was noticed, there was a chorus of greetings and offers of coffee and breakfast. Soon after the food was eaten, the three women left for their shopping, leaving the clean-up to the men.

All in all, the shopping went well. Trisha had to stop Margie a couple of times from buying expensive gifts for her boys. Margie tried to explain that she enjoyed being generous with her grandchildren, but she, ultimately, respected Trisha's wishes and left the high-priced items on the shelf. When the trio stopped for lunch, Trisha learned more about Mark's first marriage. She had heard rumors about Mark's break-up, but, finding out that he had caught her cheating on him, she hated Mark's ex-wife even more.

When the women arrived back at Mark's house, they entered through the garage. The ladies helped Trisha load her car up with her treasures and then Trisha watched as the other packages were placed in a cabinet.

"The boys are all real curious types," explained Margie, after seeing the quizzical look on Trisha's face. "Phil included. So, since Mark lives alone, he gave me this cabinet so I can lock up the gifts."

"She even does this for birthdays!" Jessie interjected.

"While he's at work," Margie continued, "Jessie and I will come back and wrap everyone's gifts and lock them back up. Then, as I do more shopping for Jessie, and, now, you, I'll wrap them and lock them up, too! We've been doing Christmas at Mark's since his divorce, so keeping the gifts here just makes more sense."

"Good planning," chuckled Trisha. Margie knew her family well and had it all together, she thought!

"What are your plans for Christmas, dear?" asked Margie, as she finished loading up the cabinet and re-locked it.

"My boys are with their dad from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day, so we'll open presents on New Year's, I guess. Otherwise, I'm going to see if they need me to fill in at the Call Center. I quit working there a while back, when I realized how much work my full-time was, but I told the manager that I'd come and fill-in at times when he thought he might need extra help." Trisha was resigned to her boys being away at Christmas time. She figured she'd work the time away and take more advantage of the after Christmas sales and the extra money to give her boys more gifts that way.

As soon as the women entered the house, they were greeted by their men. Each one was embraced by their mate in a warm and loving greeting, as if they had been gone for days instead of hours. The women were then barraged with questions about what they and the others had purchased, trying to gather information about the now-hidden treasures. The women just smiled and excused themselves so they could freshen up after their excursion. When Trisha returned to the living room, the family looked like they had been in an involved discussion; she was almost afraid to intrude.

"Trisha, dear, you're right on time. Come, join us," Margie invited, waving her hand to the empty spot on the sofa next to Mark. "What time do the boys need to be at their dad's on Christmas Eve?"

"His holiday starts at 6:30 on Christmas Eve night," Trisha answered automatically.

"Okay, that'll give us plenty of time," Margie assured the rest. "We've been talking about it, Trisha, and we don't like the idea of you having to wait until New Year's Day to have Christmas with your boys. Not to mention the fact that I don't like the idea of having presents for the boys that I won't see them open; Phil and I will be down south by New Year's. So, here's what I propose." Margie paused for a moment looking around the room. All eyes were on her. She was worried at how Trisha might take this intrusion, but Margie was going to plow ahead and see what happens. "Why don't we have our Christmas on Christmas Eve? We do everything we have done in years past, just a day early?"

"What does that mean?" Trisha choked out, looking around the room for unspoken answers.

"Usually," Joe offered, "we have dinner here on Christmas Eve and spend the night. Christmas morning, Mom and Dad get to have Christmas with Mark and us and the kids. Then, after we have a big luncheon, Jessie, the boys and I go to her family's celebration for the afternoon and evening. Mom and Dad either go back to our house, stay here with Mark, or go visit other friends they have in the area."

"But," Mark continued, "if I understand Mom correctly, she wants us to do everything here on Christmas Eve. So, Trisha and her boys will be here for presents and, in theory, you and the family could be with Jessie's family earlier on Christmas Day for presents."

"Basically, that's right!" Margie beamed, clapping her hands together as they seemed to understand. "We'll all come over on the 23rd. And, we'll open our presents on the 24th, just as if it were the 25th. That way, Trisha, you'll get to have Christmas with your boys before sending them to their dad's. What do you think?"

All eyes were now on Trisha, anxiously waiting her answer. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This family, whom she had just met, was talking about re-arranging their family holiday so that she and her boys could join them!

"You're willing to do that?" Trisha could barely hold in the emotion in her voice, as she scanned all the faces in the room.

"In a New York minute," Phil answered succinctly, as the rest of the family nodded enthusiastically.

As tears started to fall from Trisha's eyes, all she could do was nod in agreement. Mark quickly pulled her into a strong embrace while the planning took place. What time would they meet at Mark's? Who was going to sleep where? Would her boys be fine "camping out" with Kyle and Mike in the basement family room? Pretty soon the logistics were ironed out and plans were made for Christmas!

"Well, we better get going," suggested Jessie. "We need to get dinner and then make sure the boys are ready for when school starts on Monday. If I know those boys, they have something that's due." The adults chuckled in knowing agreement. Soon, everyone was packed up and heading home, leaving Mark and Trisha alone for the first time since they woke up.

"Are you really okay with Christmas?" Mark asked as he snaked his arms around her waist after they had said good-bye to the others at the door. He knew that his family could sometimes be over-powering to others; he had seen it happen with John and Denise a couple of times. He didn't want Trisha to feel obligated to agree just because it was his family.