Will You Love Me Again?

Chapter 5

First Christmas Married

December 25, 2018                                                                                                                                                 

Lucy hears the clock, in the living room, chime which means it is midnight. She wants to shake her snoring love awake just to say Merry Christmas, but she remembers he can be kind of grumpy when shaken awake. Instead of risking yelling to start her favorite holiday, she slips out of bed and goes to the living room to sit in the stillness of the morning. Curling her legs and fuzzy slippers under her, she looks at the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Hers and David's first one for their first Christmas married. As she looked at the front of it, all the ornaments looked pretty, but her favorite one had their wedding picture on it and the date. At this little memory, she smiles. 

Before she can even blink, the clock chimes to signal that an hour has passed. Stifling a yawn and uncurling her stiff legs, Lucy heads back to bed to sleep a bit before Christmas events start up. Quietly tiptoeing down the hallway and slipping back into bed, where David is still heavily snoring.

***

Lucy barely hears the clock chiming as she slowly wakes up. Rolling over to grab her phone off her nightstand, she screams with joy!

"David! David!" She shakes her husband because now it is really time to get up. "It's Christmas! It's eight in the morning, get up!"

Instead of the usual groans, he opens one eye and looks at his wife. He is questioning why on earth she is yelling on his off day. The little lights and other decorations around their room comes into focus along with her bright smile. The realization hits him like a snowball, "Merry Christmas, Darling!"

"We have breakfast at my grandmother's in an hour, we've got to get moving!" Lucy yells from the bathroom doorway.

"We live only fifteen minutes from her, babe. I could still be in my dream world right now." David says through a yawn.

"I didn't want to be rushing around. And anyways Christmas is like the perfect little dream." She smiles at her reflection in their bathroom mirror while combing her hair.

"I guess you're right." He says as he gets out of bed.

***
Lucy's Family Christmas Morning Tradition

Grandparents: Sandra Rogers O'Brien married Jeff Berry O'Brien - Lindsay O'Brien Berry married Alexander Berry - Lucy Berry Lee (23) married David Lee (23) 

Lucy's Uncles, Aunts, and Cousins: William O'Brien married Riley Charleston O'Brien - Meredith (22 [College Senior]), Jason (17 [High School Senior]), Elizabeth (15 [High School Freshman]) Seth O'Brien married Bridget Thompson O'Brien -Molly (16 [High School Sophomore]), Ethan (16 [High School Sophomore]) 

***

Thirty minutes later they are on their way out the door. Lucy looks lovely in her red, ornaments line the bottom hem, flowy dress paired with black legging and red high heel booties. With each step, her jingle bell bracelet jingles. Her hair flows in beautiful curls around her shoulders. David looks sharp in his casual festive green polo with khaki pants and black Chukka Boots. His hair is a tad messy, just how Lucy loves it.

Making the turn off their road, Cherry Lane, onto Highway 172, they make their way to Lucy's side of the family's Christmas morning gathering at her grandmother's house. As long as she can remember, she has always gone here for breakfast with her family, opened presents then spend time talking for hours before heading back home. The delicious smell of eggs, bacon, and biscuits can put anybody in a good mood especially relatives that aren't morning people. Unlike her cousins, uncles, and aunts, sometimes David, Lucy is an early bird. She loves waking up early to watch the sunrise, but Christmas is by far her favorite time to get an early start to her day. Their gathering isn't huge, just her parents, grandparents, two uncles, two aunts, and five cousins, but it is always the best part of the holiday season.