A December to Remember

Reindeer Games |Amanda|

Amanda and I have been together for a few years now but this is our first year as a married couple. I'll be the first to admit that I was terribly nervous to tie the knot. I haven't had many good experiences with weddings or marriage as a whole. Before I met Mandy it just felt like some legal agreement on a piece of paper.

If two people love each other, that should be enough. What's the need for all the dramatics and legal stuff? Then I met her... and my entire world changed for the better. She made me realize that I was always afraid of feeling stuck, that's why I never considered such a binding experience with another person.

So I guess, in reality, I just needed to stumble across the right person. When she asked me to marry her, I froze like a possum playing dead. Of course I knew I was going to say yes but I was just in shock that she'd actually asked.

"Merle..." I'm too busy staring at this arrangement she's put together to properly hear her. When she said we'd be having a movie night, I expected to maybe go to the cinema or possibly even movies at home. Instead, she set up a projector in our back yard and turned the gazebo into something out of this world.

She knows I'm not much of a fan to the outdoors but this is incredible! The bench is lined with blankets, snacks of every variety resting in baskets for each of us, and of course the drinks; both sparkling wine and water. "Umm-" she clears her throat and I shake my head to release myself from my trance, "sorry baby I-" I turn around to apologize and find her on one knee.

It was by far the cutest thing I'd ever seen in my life. Both of us were so nervous and she lost her train of thought several times but eventually got it out. I was still a bit hesitant for all the planning and the actual ceremony though. However, after months of dress fittings, cake tastings, and enough color swatches to make me go blind, the day finally came.

Seeing her beautiful smile as she walked down the aisle made everything worth it. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think back on it. Now, I don't remember much in terms of music or people I saw there; but I do recall how happy we both were. Every day I try to make her smile just as big as the first.

"Hey, baby?" I turn from my position on the couch to see her standing behind me, "yes, my love?" I prompt and she smiles softly. For a few seconds we just stare at each other and I end up giggling which makes her blink rapidly. "Sorry... I got distracted" she whispers, a shade of dusty rose gracing her cheeks. "It's ok, honey. What's up?" I ask as I gesture for her to come sit with me.

"I was going to ask if you wanted to watch a movie with me?" I nod happily, never getting enough of spending time next to the blonde. "Perfect! I'll get the snacks and you can pick" she suggests, hopping off my lap and skipping to the kitchen. When I first met her, she was nowhere near as perky. I think there was something hanging over both of us at the time our paths crossed.

I can't speak for her—but from the moment I saw her, it's like the clouds opened up and the sun finally came shining in after so long. Never has there been a time where I've been cold since. She has such a big heart that fills me with warmth every day, and I hope to do the same for her. "Babe" I call out as my mind runs, "yeah?" She answers loudly with the sounds of tinkering almost overpowering her.

What is that woman doing? "Will you make me a hot chocolate, please?" I ask and I'm just about to repeat myself because I don't think she heard me but then her head pops out from around the corner. She smiles mischievously and I narrow my eyes at her as she fully steps from behind the wall. She leans against the counter, crossing her arms, and smiles even wider.

"What?" I giggle, "name all the reindeer and I will" she states. I lick my lips, definitely being up to the challenge. I stand up and cross my own arms, walking over to her slowly as we keep eye contact. "Ok but... because this is such a daunting task... I'll need some other compensation" I tease and she blushes, I know exactly what she's thinking.

"Get your mind out the gutter, Mandy!" I scold and she grins goofily, leaning forward and falling into me. I catch her and pull her close as she giggles softly to which I kiss the top of her head. "I know!" I exclaim, pulling away to hold her by her shoulders so I can look at her. "I'll take one of your famous head massages, please" I use a dramatically formal voice as I close my eyes and tilt my head.

I open my eyes to see her trying to hide her growing smile as she agrees. "Ok... now to fulfill my end of the bargain" I smirk and she nods, once again folding her arms and putting on a serious act. "Well, you know dasher and dancer and prancer and vixen..." I sing and her jaw drops open as she realizes what I'm doing.

"Comet and Cupid and Donner and Blitzen but do you recallll the most famous reindeer of allll?" I grab her hand and she scowls jokingly as I spin her around. I pull her close to me and place a kiss on her lips as she tries so hard not to smile. "Rudolph the red nose reindeer had a very shiny nose and if you ever saw him, you would even say it glows" I place a kiss on the tip of her nose and she giggles.

We continue dancing around the kitchen until we have to stop from laughing too hard. She turns to grab the snacks and I realize she's already made the hot chocolate. "Hey! So I did all that for nothing?!" She simply smiles and hands me the mug with marshmallows hiding the hot drink underneath. "Well, not for nothing..." she whispers, "I quite enjoyed it" she places a kiss on my cheek and I look away shyly.

Even after being together for so many years, such a simple act from her can render me speechless. I know it's just a kiss on the cheek but it's special to me because it's from her. "Come on, silly girl" she chuckles while grabbing a few snacks, I grab the remainder and follow her to the couch.

I go to get cuddled up with her like usual but she pushes me away causing me to frown. "You were promised a head massage, were you not?" She quirks an eyebrow and I nod excitedly as I sit on the floor between her legs. The remote is passed down to me and I don't hesitate before clicking on the one I want. I put on 'Home Alone' and lean back as Amanda's fingers run through my hair.

I close my eyes, her short nails grazing my scalp nicely. "Honey..." she whispers, I tilt my head back and open my eyes that have fallen a bit heavy. "Don't fall asleep" she giggles and I don't reply as I stare up at her. Her fingers have stopped moving but the comfort I feel still remains. "I love you" I tell her and she smiles widely, her hands moving to my cheeks.

She leans down and kisses my forehead, my eyes falling shut. "I love you more" she whispers while staring down into my eyes and I melt like chocolate in a pot. I move to sit beside her, since I will definitely fall asleep at her magical hands if she didn't stop. She crawls into my lap and we feed each other snacks as the movie plays.

I have to say that the movie is great but I mostly watch Amanda, the sight of her being better than anything on earth or beyond. I watch her laugh and smile, never letting go of my waist. As the credits roll, I realize she's fallen asleep; so I carefully turn off the tv. I carry her upstairs, both of us already in pajamas anyway, and lay her gently on the bed.

I make sure everything is off in the house and on my way back upstairs, only the light from the tree illuminates the room. I smile as I look at all the presents underneath, appreciating the little life we've built together. I slip into bed with her and she mumbles something incoherent as she scoots closer and drapes a leg over mine. A very merry Christmas indeed...