69: Merry Christmas

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Your conversation was cut short by your dad joining breakfast. You hadn’t actually talked to your dad in weeks. He seemed to always be gone which was nothing like when you were a kid and he always made time for his family. You going away to college really seemed to have changed things. It was obvious your mom noticed too but you didn't want to pry.

Mom: “The muffins will take a while so why don’t we go open gifts.”

You gathered around the living room and watched as your mom opened a beautiful bracelet from your dad. There seemed to be just a moment of joy between the two of them where distance had crept in before. You had gifted your mom a cookbook. She loved to bake and you thought of her as soon as you saw it. As she turned the pages and started making elaborate plans to recreate the entire desserts chapter, you knew you'd done the good with the gift.

Your dad handed you an envelope and you opened it to find tickets to an upcoming concert with your favorite artist. You jumped up and hugged them both. 

Dad: “I would say make sure you request off work, but I guess that won't be a problem.”

You started trying to explain to him how hard you’ve been struggling with the job as a way to lead up to telling him the truth but your mom interrupted: “Actually, dear. I have been thinking about making her quit that job. Something about the way Tayler has been acting lately around me just gives me the creeps and I really think it’d be good for her to start over.”

Dad: “With that Josh kid?”

You: “Would that be so bad?”

Your dad didn’t respond because he knew it would just start a fight. Instead he grabbed another gift under the tree and tossed it to you:
“This was delivered yesterday with your name on it and said don’t open until Christmas.”

You were confused because your parents weren’t big on surprises but when you opened it, your jaw hit the floor. Inside were two identical photo frames with a picture of you and Josh inside.

 Inside were two identical photo frames with a picture of you and Josh inside

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Use your imagination. I know this is a Jessa picture but I strategically cropped the image so that none of Nessa really was visible because it's supposed to be Josh and YOU!!

You opened the letter that came with it and read it even though you knew who it was from.

You ran your fingers along the glass and thought about all the implications of what he'd said

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You ran your fingers along the glass and thought about all the implications of what he'd said. He missed you? Sure he hadn't talked to you every day but he HAD warned you before he left that he was focusing on his brother the whole time. Even more important were these frames. One for him? He wanted a photo of you in his room? Specifically to replace the old photo... the one you knew exactly what he'd meant. The old photo he'd been hanging onto of him and his ex.

What are our thoughts on the gift? Did it redeem things a little?

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