DANDELIONS! girl meets world

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN, secret santa

A few hours later, Brylee was standing in her bedroom, wrapping the finishing touches on Bennett's gift. She was nervous and anxious as she waited for Bennett to come over so they could exchange gifts. Thanks to Shawn, the gift looked much better than it would have if she'd done it on her own. Shawn was honestly pretty good at wrapping gifts. She glanced around her room, taking in the holiday decorations she had put up. The small Christmas tree in the corner sparkled with lights, and the festive garlands added a touch of cheer. Despite her nerves, she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. She loved Christmas and couldn't wait for Bennett to get here. She left the window unlocked, knowing he would most likely climb in like he always does.

Sure enough, a few moments later, Bennett climbs through the window, grinning. "Merry Christmas!" He greeted her cheerfully, heading over to her with a gift in hands and surprising her by pulling her into a kiss.

Brylee laughs against his lips, pulling away after a few moments. "Merry Christmas." She murmured, her gaze flicking over him. He was wearing a dark green sweater with blue ripped jeans, and his hair was slightly messy, but it just made him look more adorable. She couldn't help but smile at him.

Bennett grins, giving her an affectionate look. "You look beautiful," He comments, his eyes scanning over her outfit. She was wearing a red sweater, her favorite, and black leggings, and her hair was down in loose waves. "As always." He added, his tone teasing.

Brylee laughs softly, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. "Thanks, baby." She glances up at him, her heart fluttering. "You look great, too." She told him, reaching for his hand.

Bennett chuckles, squeezing her hand gently. "Thanks." He says, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "Ready to exchange gifts?" He asked, his expression growing more eager.

Brylee rolls her eyes fondly at his excitement. "So impatient." She teases, her tone affectionate. "But yeah, I'm ready." They both settle on her bed, sitting in front of each other and close enough their legs brush against each other. "Okay, how do we decide who opens the gift first?"

"Flip a coin?" Bennett suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay, works for me." Brylee agrees, getting up to find a quarter in her wallet that was in one of her purses. "Heads or tails?" She asked as she held up the coin.

Bennett thought for a moment before responding with a grin, "Heads."

Brylee flips the coin and caught it, then reveals the result. "Tails. Looks like I'm opening my gift first!" She announced with a playful smirk.

"Aw man, so close." Bennett groaned jokingly. He watched as Brylee started unwrapping the gift, a small smile on his face.

Brylee chuckles and rolls her eyes at his antics, beginning to unwrap the gift. She furrows her eyebrows when she saw what the gift was. She didn't know how to feel. "Why did you get me this?" She couldn't help but ask, her voice quiet. In her hands was a painting set, specifically a Christmas themed one where you could paint snow angels. Painful memories of her dad flashed back in her mind and her heart ached. She had always wanted this painting set and her dad promised that he would get it for her that Christmas and they would paint it together. 

Every Christmas he promised that, she waited, but never received the gift. Then her parents divorced, and things became tense between them and he stopped calling her or seeing her as much. After a while, she gave up and realized her dad didn't want to spend time with her which made her heartbroken. And now, Bennett was giving her the very gift that she had longed for years ago, bringing back all those memories she had tried to bury.

Bennett notices the shift in her expression and immediately grew concerned. "I-I'm sorry...Just when you told me this story the other day when I caught you painting, I wanted to get this for you. I mean, you said you always wanted this."