Alone in Marriage

Chapter Fourteen

Everyone started gathering at the living room at noon after finished their brunch. They had went to the church before that.

They brought bags of present with them. Everyone sat around the Christmas tree and gave away their gifts to each other.

"Anthony, Aubrey, here you go!" Erica gave a big red present to a boy around four or five years old, Alfred's son.

"May I open it?" that kid asked sweetly.

"Yes, you may." Erica replied with a warm smile.

"Tony, did you forget something?" Stacy asked her son.

"Ah!" He realized, "Thank you, Aunt Erica, Uncle Arnold!" He gave them both a kiss on the cheek and sat down to open his present carefully.

Erica and Arnold took out the other presents one by one and gave it to the receivers. It's finally Grandma's present to be handed over. Erica sat down by her right side and Arnold at left.

"Grandma, we hoped you like it." She gave it to her.

She opened it. "Oh, it's lovely. Thank you, Erica, Arnold!" She gave them both a hug. She then put down the box and grabbed a hold of Erica's both hands and said, with tears in her eyes "Thank you for accepting us!" her eyes was fixed on Erica's necklace.

Erica didn't know how to reply so she just nodded her head, she was also got teary herself.

"Come on! It's Christmas, can you women not crying in this celebration day?" Arthur said while standing in front of them.

His remark gained him a glare from Arnold. "You are really not cut out to be a lawyer."

"Where is your smart mouth when you are around family, Arthur? You are like an insensitive person who can't read the situation!" his Grandma snapped at him.

"Grandma...! I keep using it at work can't I be free while I am off work. Beside, we are family, no matter what I said, we will still remain family. So, what's the point to sugarcoat my words?!" he shrugged. "By the way, I want to give Grandma my present, can you two move aside?" He cued with both hands to chase Arnold and Erica away.

Since the mood had been ruined, both Erica and Arnold sighed and went back to their original seats. Once they had sat down, Erica had a disappointed face. Arnold knew what was bothering her, he grabbed her hand and whispered, "It's okay! I will make sure we got it next year."

She turned her head to look at him. Her mood was brighter, she nodded twice with a smile.

He let her hand go, and grabbed something from the bag under his seat. Erica also put her bag on her lap and took something out.

"Merry Christmas!" they said to each other at the same time while holding out their presents.

They exchanged them. Erica took out a cutter from her purse and cut the tape carefully without cutting the paper. Mean while Arnold just loosened the ribbon and gentle opened the wrapping paper which didn't have tape on it at all. It was a wooden box inside, when he opened it, he saw a set of sapphire cuff links. His eyes went wide by surprised because the color and design matched the suit he was going to wear tonight at Christmas party. He kept looking at the cuff links and Erica back and forth.