The Dark Ice Chronicles - The Magi

Chapter 23 - I've Seen Your Face Before, My Friend

I only realize that Tuesday is the day before Christmas Eve when Jeremy points it out to me that morning at breakfast. Not that it really matters - we don’t celebrate Christmas too much in our family. Nothing too special, anyway. No major family gatherings.

I can only imagine how awkward it’s gonna be, trying to have holiday fun when we’re all royally pissed at each other, and all cooped up with nowhere to go.

But I try not to think about that right now. Instead, I focus on the fact that Evan’s coming over. I’m Fun Mode Jason right now. Nothing’s going to screw with me today. Dad’s gone to work (I have a good laugh over how strange that feels now, knowing what he really does for a living). Mom’s out buying groceries and craft supplies (she crafts things when she’s depressed. Beats drinking, I guess.) And Jeremy has enough video games and backlogged Walking Dead on demand to keep himself busy for the next few hours.

At one o’clock, the doorbell rings. I temporarily abandon the espresso machine to answer the door. Evan’s there on the front step, wearing her hair up - an unusual change, but not a bad one. I actually get to see more of her head now. Including her adorably tiny ears, and the little silvery-white studs piercing them like drops of Ice.

“Hey, Evan,” I say, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear as I kiss her.

“Hey, Jay,” she says. “Like my new sweater? Rachel picked it out for me for Christmas.”

I take a look at the sweater. It’s dark blue, with a gray pattern that looks like a bunch of hearts in rows interlocked with - is that paisley? Either way, it looks really good on her. Then again, she’s never failed to look good in my eyes, no matter what she’s wearing.

“Cute,” I say. “Very cute. But I thought Christmas hadn’t come yet.”

“We had to celebrate with Rachel last night,” Evan says, stepping over the threshold and removing her boots - she’d no doubt decided to switch to more practical footwear because of the still-lingering snow on the ground. “Galadriel finally came back from ‘business’” - she rolls her eyes to go along with her air quotes - “and insisted that she come back home to her this morning.”

“Aww, really?” I say. “That really sucks.”

Evan sighs through her nose. “I know. But we’re already workin’ on a way to bring Rachel over for Christmas Day. My family can be pretty devious when they wanna be.”

“Somethin’ I should know about, huh?” I laugh.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself, sweetie,” Evan says. “Now where’s the free ice cream, coffee, and chocolate you promised me?”

“Coffee’s this way,” I say. “Just let me get the cups…” I lay the two little cups under the espresso machine and pour the dark liquid into both of them. Then I take the sugar bowl and ask Evan, “One or two?”

“I dunno,” Evan says, gazing at the steaming espresso cups. “I told you, I’ve never had this stuff before. Um, two?”

“Good idea,” I say. “That’s how much I have, too. Two.” Laughing at my own joke, I pour two sugars into each cup, then add a bit of whipped cream, just the way my grandmother - the one I know, my dad’s mother - likes to do.

I then take both cups and turn my back to Evan, making a big show of adding something else to them. Then I turn around and hold the cups out, ready to lay them down. Then I switch them a few times before finally putting them down.

Evan laughs at my display. “Is that gonna be the movie we’re watching? Princess Bride?”

“Would if I could, but no,” I say. “Don’t got the DVD.”