Protecting Taylor

Chapter 45

"JINGLE BELL JINGLE BELL JINGLE BELL ROCK!" Austin yelled/sang as Taylor laughed and played the piano in the cabin.
"Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring!" Scott joins in on the song.
"Snowing and blowing up bushels of fun, now the jingle hop has begun!" Andrea sang doing a little dancing and pulling me into her side for a hug.
"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock jingle bells chime in jingle bell time, dancing and prancing in Jingle Bell Square, in the frosty air" Adam sings from his spot leaned over the piano by Taylor.
"What a bright time, it's the right time, to rock the night away! Jingle bell time is a swell time
to go gliding in a one-horse sleigh!" Taylor sings cheerfully.
"Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet! Jingle around the clock, mix and a-mingle in the jingling feet! That's the jingle bell rock!" Everyone sings and I dance playfully since I don't know the words to the apparently quite popular Christmas tune.
It feels like a Christmas movie, the ones where a family is all cozy inside a cabin and having a good time together. At least that's what happened in a Christmas movie we watched yesterday. Today was Christmas Eve and we were all celebrating by spending the evening together. Since we had been here, Taylor, Adam, Austin, and me had ventured out a lot to play in the snow and ride snowmobiles. We had also visited some shops and restaurants nearby in the quaint little area that was part of the lavish resort.
"THATS THE JINGLE BELL ROCK!" Everyone finished out as the song ended.
Everyone was laughing and Taylor said, "that was a Grammy worthy performance."
"I like that song!" I exclaimed.
"Do you know any Christmas songs?" She asked me.
"No, but I like these Christmas songs." I smile.
She smiles back, but I see a flash of sadness in her eyes. Taylor stands up from the piano and kisses Adam on the cheek.
"We should open our Christmas Eve gifts." Taylor says winking at Austin.
"I wonder what it could be." He says sarcastically.
"Shhhh," Taylor smirked. "Let's have Alex open the first gift."
"Are you sure?" I asked, not really wanting to mess up any traditions they might have.
"Yes." Taylor smiles.
"Let me go get my camera!" Andrea says and rushes into the next room.
Taylor and Austin share a look and laugh before Andrea comes back with her camera.
"Okay, we're good to go!" She says.
"Alright, go ahead." Austin says and I look for the package that has my name on it under the tree.
All the packages were the same size with different wrapping paper and there was a gift for each of us under the tree.
I heard Andrea snapping pictures as I sat down with the gift in my lap and began unwrapping the snowflake paper. It was a pajama set that looked like an elf outfit.
"Congratulations, Alex, you get to be a part of the Swifts' matching pajamas on Christmas squad." Austin says doing dramatic jazz hands and smirking.
"Honey, would you mind handing out the rest of the gifts?" Andrea asked.
"Sure." I smiled and nodded and went to work passing out the rest of the presents to everyone who were seated around the room by the fireplace.
I watched them all open their presents to reveal pajamas that matched my own.
"We do this every year." Scott says looking at his pajamas.
"Taylor picked the pajamas this year." He finished.
"Let's go upstairs and change into our pajamas for the family picture!" Taylor said grabbing my arm to drag me along.
We went up the wooden steps to our rooms and changed into our matching festive pajamas. I was the first one dressed and Austin was the second. Taylor and Adam came out last and she was laughing at the way he looked in them.
"Aww look how cute Alex looks!" Taylor smiled.
"Thanks, these are something else." I laugh.
Austin scoffed out a laugh.
"Okay, well, take a picture of me and Alex." Taylor told her brother.
She handed him her phone and wrapped her arms around me for a hug.  Austin snapped a couple pictures before Taylor told Adam to join in and we all three got pictures together.
"Are you guys ready?" Andrea called and Taylor looked over the railing and shouted back, "Yes!"
We went back down stairs to see them wearing the pajamas too.
"I can take the family picture for you guys." Adam offered.
I stood back with him and the Swifts gathered in front of the large Christmas tree.
"Alex, get over here!" Taylor motioned me towards them.
"Are you sure? It's your family picture."
"You're like family, now come here." She said and I stood on the end next to Austin.
He pulled me across the front of him to stand in front of him and Taylor.
Adam snapped several photos, then got some of him and Taylor in front of the tree. Once all the pictures were done Andrea turned to me.
"Honey, why don't you go check the stockings." She smiled.
We all had stockings above the fireplace with our names on them. Andrea and Scott has mine made before the trip. It had a reindeer on it and said my man at the top.
I walked over to the fireplace and saw the stocking were all filled to the brim with candy. Taylor came up beside me and took her stocking off the hook.
"So much chocolate!" She said giddily like a kid on Christmas (ironically).
I took mine off the hook and look through it. There was tons of candy in it.
"Thank you!" I said to Taylor's parents who were standing by watching us rummage through the sweets.
"You're welcome sweetheart!" Andrea said sweetly.
These Christmas traditions were something else, I thought. The candy consisted of candy canes and chocolate Santa's. It was all so festive and I understood the hype of Christmas after today. Something about it just felt so reminiscent.
"Should we set out the cookies and milk for Santa or are we passed that?" Austin jokes nudging my shoulder.
I rolled my eye and cracked a grin.
"You're dad just ate them when you were kids." Andrea laughed.
"And then he would be like 'Santa is such a messy eater look at all those crumbs he left all over!'" Taylor laughed.
"It was all part of the performance!" Scott argued playfully.
"So, are you going to read The Night Before Christmas, hun?" Andrea asked looking to her husband.
"I sure am." He said going into the other room.
"Every year, our dad reads us this book and now it's just kind of a tradition." Taylor shrugged and smiled contently.
Scott came back with the book and we all sat around on the furniture. He read using different voices and tones that made the story interesting and fun. I realized what I'd missed out on as a child. A wonderful father and excellent mother who did anything for their children and just loved being with them.
"Merry Christmas to all, and too all a goodnight." Scott finished shutting the classic book.
"But really, you kids better get to bed." Scott winked making us laugh, but make our way upstairs.
Taylor hugged me goodnight and then we parted ways. I lay awake for a while just thinking about what tomorrow would bring. I was excited for Christmas to happen, but at the same time I wanted to stop the clock and freeze in this moment. It was so safe and secure that I never wanted to let the feeling go, but I had to. I felt troubled over a battle between happiness and sadness, but eventually fell asleep and hoped to have visions of sugar plums dancing in my head like the book described and I think at this point good dreams were possible. I was finally content, but nothing lasts forever.