The actor's wife

Chapter 46

"A wreath for my sweet. Happy Christmas." Jack greeted charmingly, before gifting her a Christmas wreath made from fresh flowers. "Thanks. Happy Christmas to ya too, Jack." she returned his greeting, blushingly.  "So...what're we watchin? " he asked, making himself comfy on the couch. "Movies starrin Meg Ryan an' Tom Hanks...startin with my all time fav- You've got mail! " she squealed in delight, gesturing to a box set of romcoms next to the DVD player. "Bollocks!" the romcom hater muttered under his breath! "Ah! The things we do for love, eh, dad? " his sarcastic daughter teased, on hearing his lament. "How bout somethin to drink? I'm exhausted from that snowball fight! " Rose requested for a drink. "How bout a sherry? Or Scotch, if ya have it." Jack seconded, licking his lips at the thought of Scotch! "Oh...No! I'm not takin any chances after last night! Liquor's off limits, mister! How bout some hot chocolate?" she replied, widening her eyes with caution at his request. "Yay! You've gotta try mum's hot chocolate....It's delish! " Rose exclaimed, smacking her lips. "Who d'you think gave er the recipe for it? It's an O'Donnell family recipe, passed on to my mum by her ancestors, then to me, then I passed it on to er when we got married. Though, she messed it up on er first try! Kitchen smelt like burnt chocolate for a week! " he recounted with a chuckle. "OMG, mum! Seriously, who burns hot chocolate?! " their daughter chortled. "Silly goose couldn't even put the kettle on to prepare tea! " he teased. "Really?!" she exclaimed in an intrigued manner on hearing her dad's revelation. "D'you two want the hot chocolate or not? " an embarrassed Ruth threatened jokingly from the kitchen, on overhearing them. "Aye, we do! " the mischievous duo cried out in unison.
The popcorn and hot chocolate were getting cold, Jack was bored outta his mind, Rose continued to sulk and Miller still hadn't shown up. Ruth refused to start the moviethon without him. "Oh, c'mon! It's gettin late. It's only a movie. Just put it on already! " an impatient Rose ordered. "I can't! He's never watched You've got mail before, kay? The first time's always special, yeah? " she stood by her decision to wait, eliciting a mischievous snicker from Jack. "What? Why're ya snickerin? " she demanded to know. "Just thinkin o' our first time together....if ya know what I mean! " he teased, saucily. "Eww, dad! Too much info! " his disgusted daughter interrupted, while Ruth couldn't stop blushing! "Besides, he'll have the brilliant opportunity to watch it at least another 16 times, won't he? That's what ya made me do the whole time we were married, didn't ya? We spent many a Christmas, Valentine's day an' anniversary watchin it, cuz ya insisted on it! " he recounted further. "Fine! Let's watch it then! But, this time, keep yer trap shut for the entirety o' the movie! " she made him promise, before popping in the CD.
Of course, halfway through the movie, he'd already begun with his criticism of the movie's plot and with his snarky comments! "If I was Frank, I'd probably break up with Kathleen then an' there! I mean, who in their right mind leaves a movie theatre just before the movie's about to start?! An' what's with all the whisperin?! Yer there to watch a movie, not to figure out where yer bloody relationship's headin, for chrissakes!" Ruth rolled her eyes as he began to criticize. "Spoilers, but she's gonna end up with ol Tommy anyway! " he muttered, giving away the ending to hopeless romantic Ruth's annoyance! She finally shut him up by tossing a handful of popcorn at him! Unfortunately, it quickly turned into a popcorn fight with the buttery treat flying everywhere!