Love Game

Chapter Thirteen - Christmas

"Merry Christmas, Mallory! I wish you could be here with us, but we know that you and your brothers are having the time of your lives. Dad and I shipped your present to you a couple days ago. Let us know when you get it. We love you very much!"

I smile to myself as I listen to the voice mail my mom had left on my phone. It was my first Christmas away from home, and I was absolutely devastated. I had spent a couple Christmases without Freddie and Dougie in St. Catherine's, but I've never been away from my hometown during the Christmas season. Everything was happening so fast.

I was used to being on Christmas vacation, having almost two weeks off from school to do whatever I wanted with my friends and family. Freddie, Dougie, Karson and I would always go out to the pond every Christmas morning after we all had opened our packages, testing out our new hockey gear. Words couldn't describe how happy I was when I was given my first pair of skates and my first stick by my parents. I was jumping up and down, acting like such a little kid. 

The colors of the Christmas tree were so bright, I can still see them in my mind. Mixtures of red, green, blue, orange, and purple lightened up the living room. The sound of the wood crackling in the fireplace and Christmas music being softly played in the background filled the room. The smell of Christmas dinner that my mom had spent hours slaving over lingered through out the house. Just thinking about it made my mouth water; then it started to make my eyes water. 

I sit on the floor of my bedroom, curled up in a blanket as I look out the window. Storm clouds were moving in and that could only mean one thing: snow! I wiped my eyes clear of my tears, sniffling as I look at the sky, soon seeing millions of tiny, frozen crystals fall down ever so gracefully from the sky. 

I knew I had to emerge from my room sometime today. It was Christmas Eve and Gabe and I were having some of the guys over tonight. I planned out the perfect meal for all of us to consume tonight. I was to prepare a honey glazed ham with all the trimmings; scalped potatoes, biscuits, the works. Luckily during an off day a couple days ago, I was able to make several Christmas cookies. Well, Gabe kept trying to steal all of them, so who knows how many are actually left.  

I finally get enough courage to stand up from the floor, slowly making my way out of my room and into the living room. I sigh to myself as I look around the room, no sign of Christmas cheer present. There was no tree, no lights, no garland. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The only Christmas-y thing visable were the few presents nesseled around the fireplace.

I was welcomed by darkness in the living room; the curtains were closed, giving me an uneasy feeling. I shuffled to the kitchen, clinching on to the blanket wrapped around my practically frozen body. I looked around, not seeing the tall Swede anywhere in sight. Where could he possibly be? 

"Gabe?" I call out, only to be greeted by silence. 

His keys were missing from the kitchen island. He must have been out doing some last minute Christmas shopping. I sigh to myself once again, soon sitting down on the couch and turning on the television. Elf was on, and then I remembered all the times my brothers and I had watched this movie. We would watch it close to ten times every Christmas season. I could recite the whole entire movie if I wanted to. 

A moment later, I hear grunting come from the doorway. I stand up, clinching the blanket around me as I slowly emerge from the couch. I walk to the doorway, seeing a tall muscular man carrying in a tree. I raise my eyebrow as I watch the man closely. He closes the door as he manages to fit the tree through the doorway, then turns to face me. 

"I thought for sure you would still be asleep, baby girl," a husky voice says. 

I walk up to the figure and I see those blue eyes captivate me like they have before. I slowly remove the red scarf wrapped around his face, tossing it over my shoulder. My lips immediately form into a smile.