*1990*
'Wonderful Christmastime' by the Beatles has played again for the 15th time. Mum is in the kitchen burning Christmas cookies and daddy is on standby with the fire extinguisher. Mum is good at many things but baking isn't one of them.
"What's my little love up to?" Daddy asks, kneeling by me with the big red extinguisher still in his hand.
"Just finishing up my Christmas card for Tommy." I mumble. I maneuver my arms so daddy can't see what I've drawn. This is for Tommy only and I don't want anyone else to see it.
"Okay, pumpkin. Finish up quickly. Tommy will stop by soon before he goes to his grandparents for Christmas."
It's Christmas Eve and like always, Tommy leaves tonight to drive to see his mum's mum. He loves to go there for the holidays but hates all the cheek pinching he gets from his grandmum. There is a small ache inside my chest that I don't yet understand. I'm sad when Tommy goes away. Mum says that I'll understand when I'm older but she's a grownup and what do grown ups know?
I finish putting the red glitter on the front of my card and tuck it into an envelope, placing it on top of Tommy's gift. I made him a picture of the two of us playing out of macaroni and mum helped me frame it. Butterflies are flying around my tummy from the nervousness that he won't like it.
Before I have too long to think about it, the doorbell rings. I hop up quickly, yelling to mum and dad that I'll get it. It's for me anyway. I pull open the door that is adorned with a bright red and green Christmas wreath to see a little boy standing there. His cheeks and nose are flushed from the cold and his breath is coming out in puffs. He's run over here. I can see his mum and sisters loading up the car already.
"Merry Christmas, Lennon." he says with a smile. He's wearing a red Christmas sweater and he looks just like the boys in all those Christmas movies mum and I watch.
"Merry Christmas, Tommy."
I give him his gift and he tears into eagerly. When he sees the artwork I made, he beams at me. Then a look of concern comes over his face.
"What's wrong?" I ask. "You don't like it?" My heart begins to hammer in my chest. He's older than me. I should've known he would think macaroni art was silly.
"No!" he says defensively. Then he arches a brow, deep in thought again. "I'm just having a hard time choosing whether to hang it in my room where I can see it in the morning when I wake up and when I go to bed at night, or if I should put it in the tree house, our special place."
I can't help but smile. He produces a gift box to me and I take it carefully in my hands. He's wrapped it himself with Snoopy wrapping paper. There is tape everywhere.
"Go on," he urges. "Open it."
I pull the tape and begin the task of ripping off layers upon layers of wrapping paper. Snoopy and Woodstock stare up at me happily, red Santa hats adorning their heads. Under the paper, the gift thoroughly covered at least 5 times, there is a brown box. I pull the tape off and gaze down into the tissue paper. There is a jewelry box with a ceramic teddy bear sitting on top. He is wearing a sailor outfit, the front of his shirt has an anchor on it. He wears a little white and blue hat and a ship wheel is embroidered on his foot.
He's perfect.
I drop the box and paper, clutching the bear to my chest, I pull Tommy into a hug. He laughs and embraces me.
"Merry Christmas, Len."
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Present Day
