Bluebonnet Love

Chapter 45

Gavin
Waking up Christmas morning with Bryn in my arms, I smile brightly as I my mind wanders to future Christmas' with her, waking up with her, our kids running in to wake us up, we open up gifts with smiling faces. My future looks amazing in my mind and I'm going to everything I can to make it come true. Looking down at her sleeping form I try to slip my arm out from under her head so I can take a quick shower. As I slip out of the bed she rolls over and pulls my pillow into her face while taking a big breath, as she hums I smile at her while digging through my bag getting my clothes out. After my shower I return to the room to see her in the same spot I left her in. Shaking my head at her, I get her present out of my bag and head to the living room to out it under the tree. Walking into the living room I see Chloe asleep on the couch and her dad sitting at the table in the kitchen sipping on his cup of coffee. Sitting the gift on the floor behind another one of her gifts, I turn and make my way into the kitchen for a cup of coffee as well. Sitting across from her dad he gives me a nod good morning, "Good morning" I say to him quietly not wanting to wake the house. "Morning, can we talk?" He asks me, freaking out I slowly nod my head at him. "I  just wanted to stay thank you. I see how Bryn is with you, every since.. her mom, she's just been a shell but with you, you brought out my little girl who is happy and wants to live" he says with a hint of happiness in his eyes. Want to live? What does he mean? Was she suicidal before? No, she would've told me, right? As my mind is throwing out horrible images of her, her dad slides his hand over mine and squeezes it. Sensing my uneasiness at his words he goes to reassure me "Oh no, not like that. I just mean she has motivation now before she didn't really do anything but school and home. Now she's going out more living her life, being a teenager. Since she met you I see a change in her, a good change. So thank you." Releasing a breathe I was holding while he explained, I slump my shoulders down in relief. "Your welcome, she's brought out the will in me to live too. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life making her happy" I tell him matter-of-factly. "I know you will" he says with a smile.

Sitting around the tree as Bing Crosby plays in the background, Cutter sits in the chair in front of the tree with a Santa hat on his head. We drew straws at who would be Santa and hand out the gifts and Cutter drew the short straw. After all the gifts her passed out we started opening them up, I had a couple from Bryn, her dad and Cutter. My family will be over later for dinner to open more gifts from them as well. Bryn opens her gift from me and I stop my movements as I watch her face as she opens it. Pulling out the bracelet she eyes the charms I've already put on there for her. A flower: representing how we met at the Bluebonnet festival, a Ferris wheel: for our first double date, a B&G: for our names and a L for her mom. Her eyes shoot up to me as tears are flowing form them she jumps into my lap wrapping her arms around my neck, "Thank you, baby. I love it!" She whispers in my ear as I press her more into my chest, feeling her heartbeat race. Kissing her temple I whisper back "Your welcome, angel. I'm glad you like it" as I explained each charm and told her we could go pick out more if she wanted or whenever for the plenty of life's milestones we will endure together. Smiling back at me she sits back down as I she holds her wrist out to me for me to put it on her. Clasping it she gives it a shake as she continues to open her gifts. I got a $100 gift card from her dad's shop from her dad and a 'World's Best Brother-in law' shirt from Cutter. Laughing at his antics, I'm glad they see us together in the future like I do. My last gift is an envelope from Bryn, I look to her to see her already looking at me nipping at her nails with a nervous look. Opening it I pull out two plane tickets to NEW YORK! What! I look to her with wide eyes as I shake the tickets in front of her. "So, Merry Christmas, my gift to you is a week long trip to New York. We leave the day after tomorrow until next Saturday. Also Rhys and Chloe will join us on our trip a couple days in until we leave. Do you like it?" She asks me, do I like it? I love it! "Oh baby, are you serious I love it!" I shout out as I jump up and pull her to me and spin her around. She laughs and grips unto my arms as to not fall. I give her the biggest, sloppiest kiss I could muster. "How did you pull this off?" I ask her as I put her back on the floor. "Well, my grandmother usually gives us money for Christmas but this year I told her I wanted a gift instead. And she travels to New York yearly so she got me a discount at the Hilton with her Gold card. I planned it all out from where we're staying to our first night's dinner. I love you and I wanted to give you something you would remember." God, she is too much, anything she does I will remember. This though I will remember for the rest of my life our first trip together. Pulling her back into my arms I whisper "I love you too. I can't wait to go on many more trips with you."

5 o'clock rolled around and my family came thundering through the door. Mom, Lee, Rhys, Aunt Cora and Uncle Axton all came with gifts tucked under their arms. After all the welcoming was done we all sat in the living room while Bryn and Chloe finished up in the kitchen. She wouldn't let me help her, she told me it's something her and her mom used to do but haven't done it since she died. She wanted to do it with Chloe because she wanted practice for when we move into our house next summer for college. How is she always so thoughtful, she's always thinking ahead. Everyday I swear I fall more in love with her, just the little things she does has my heart thumping out of my chest. We decided we would eat dinner then open presents seeing as how they just had a long drive and the girls have been in the kitchen for half the day getting it all ready, we didn't want to wait when those smells have been wafting throughout the house all day. I know I'm ready to chow down. "Dinner's ready" Bryn yells from the kitchen, now they don't have a big dinner table like we do just a small four seater so the food is all laid out on the counters. We all line up to grab a plate and make our way through the make shift buffet line, first up is a golden glazed honey ham, my mouth is watering just looking at it, next is the sides: twice baked potatoes, spinach, Mac and cheese, yams, pasta salad, pea salad, chefs salad with rolls on the side. For dessert Bryn made her grandpas banana pudding, and Chloe made her moms double fudge with peanut butter glaze cake. After everyone's plate is filled to the brim of food we all take our seat as her dad says grace. We sit anywhere we can find, the table, couch with the coffee table, this is what family is everyone gathered around not caring about anything else's. After dinner we all sat around the tree again as we opened presents again, the music and laughter flowed freely as the night went on. With Bryn sitting between my outstretched legs on the floor, I look around and a content smile makes its way onto my face, nothing can make me happier than how I feel now, looking down at Bryn I see the same smile. Kissing her temple, she laid her arms on top of mine that are wrapped around her body that's pressed into me. This is the best Christmas I've had in a while.