Weightless (H.S. BWWM)

Forever In My Life

Spending a week in a cabin in Big Bear with our combined families didn't seem like a good idea to me initially but by the end of Christmas week I was eating my words. I didn't think the holidays could be so fun. It was a bit of a hassle flying everyone in, but a few days before Christmas we managed to do it.

I would've never guessed our families would have so much in common but everyone got along swimmingly. Harry caught me a few times sitting back in the cut just watching in awe. I genuinely thought it would be a disaster. I'm not sure if it was the holiday spirit keeping everyone cheerful and light or if it was a Christmas miracle but either way I don't see how it could've gone better.

We had snowball fights and tried to build snowmen, Harry and I taught my parents how to ski, my nieces and nephew got to see real snow for the first time, and my brothers behaved themselves the whole week. The men went and picked out a fresh Christmas tree for us – the first my family has ever had - and I caught James and Harry speaking civilly and working together.

When it came time to open gifts it was a madhouse. With so many people in the large living room and anywhere up to ten gifts per person, you couldn't see the wood floors for all of the shredded wrapping paper covering it.

I felt like a proud parent sitting back watching the excitement on everyone's faces as they unwrapped their gifts. My book, Born and Bred, is a best seller and along with that comes best seller money and perks. The gifts had cost me a fortune but seeing the looks on the faces of the people I love and care for made it all worthwhile. Besides it was nothing I wouldn't get back thanks to closing the deal to sell B&B's movie rights.

Harry's mom and sister, Anne and Gemma, loved the Céline bags I got them. Their mouths dropped open when they unwrapped them but they squealed with joy when they realized I'd gotten them the matching wallets. As my siblings scrambled to find their gifts from me, my nieces and nephew were busy playing with the video game set ups I'd gotten them. They ran around with their boxes heavy with XBOX and PlayStation consoles searching for TVs they could play on. James found his gift from me first, ripping the paper roughly, he smiled as he unwrapped a brand new iPhone. Lina's gift was next, she screamed as she unwrapped a new iPad to match the one I'd gotten her husband, Ashton. Mitch Jr. and his fiancé Whitney were last, I'd gotten them both Apple Watches since they had everything else Apple had to offer.

Harry and I got his stepfather, Robin, a gift together since I don't know him super well. He seemed to really love the set of golf clubs we'd special made for him especially when Harry suggested they get together and play a round sometime soon. The ruckus in the house slowly started to die down as everyone got swept away playing with their new gadgets.

My parents, who often wouldn't get gifts for Christmas because they'd given my siblings everything, held content smiles on their faces watching everyone enjoy their new things. Although I'd gotten my mother two purse and wallet combos and my dad a new surround sound system I still didn't feel like it was enough. They've given to me their whole lives, often times doing without, so if I had to do the same and spend every penny I had to spare to make this Christmas the best – I would.

While things wound down, I pulled out two small gifts from beside my seat and handed them to my parents. With confused expressions on their faces, they unwrapped a set of car keys each. With a dip from my savings and my latest advance for my next book I'd splurged and got my dad the pearl white Cadillac CTS he's always wanted and my mom a grey Infiniti QX80 – the car she's been pining over for years. Their eyes widened as they took in the emblems on the keys but when I showed them the pictures of their cars waiting for them back home they really went crazy. My dad's eyes welled up and my mom full on cried. They were both so grateful I knew I'd do it again a thousand times over.