Among The Roses

Chapter 34: Happy Christmas

Chiara opened her eyes the next morning to find Drew sitting up in bed, looking at her.

"What? What are you doing?" she asked, drawing the duvet up under her chin in a protective gesture.

"Nothing," he replied, smiling, a good smile that touched his eyes. "You just look particularly pretty when you sleep, that's all, almost angelic, so I was enjoying looking at you."

"Oh, bugger off," Chiara replied, embarrassed. "I know I snore and drool in my sleep, you lying wanker."

"I think it's because you're not speaking," Drew continued, shaking your head. "The whole 'looking like an angel' thing is blown all to hell and gone once you open you mouth, for some reason. I think it's all the cursing."

Chiara sat up, reached behind herself, grabbed a pillow, and walloped Drew a good one.

"I'm going to get you back for that when you least expect it," Drew warned her. "Now come on, let's get downstairs and start opening presents, yeah?"

Chiara's eyes lit up at the word "presents", and they quickly got dressed and made their way downstairs, where they found Ellie was already busting around, getting the goose in the oven chopping vegetables and just generally being amazing.

"Oh my god, Ellie, have you slept?" Chiara asked.

"Sure, a few hours," she answered cheerfully. "And I'll have a bit of a lie down after the presents, and probably after we eat as well, that's my way, no worries, love." She tipped Chiara a wink.

"I've set out a bit of toast to tide you over, but you're not to eat too much," she admonished. "We've enough food to feed a small army, and I expect everyone to do their part."

Ned and Noah were downstairs within twenty minutes and they all trouped into the lounge with their tea to begin opening presents as the house filled up with the smell of cooking food.

Chiara had never received so many presents in her life. Her stocking was filled with all sorts of exotic chocolates, marzipan, imported candies and fruit, most of which she had to sample right away.

From Ellie she received a bewildering assortment of clothing; dresses, leggings, another overcoat, sweaters, so many that she soon lost track. From Noah she received books and gift cards, and Ned handed her a small box with the Apple logo on it.

She smiled and tore the gold paper to show a watch, a good, sturdy, utilitarian AppleWatch that she could wear when she worked. Chiara knew that Ned knew her old one had gotten cracked when she'd banged it against the door of the truck about a month ago.

"See? It shows the relative humidity and all, so you know when it's going to rain and that," Ned informed her. "It's the new version of the one you had."

"Yeah, and it's pink, too," Chiara noticed happily. "I love it, Ned, thank you." She strapped it on, and held her wrist out so Ned could buckle it for her. She threw her arms around Ned's neck and gave him a noisy kiss on his cheek as a thank you. "It's perfect."

There were two small boxes from Drew left, which she finally put in her lap. She opened the smaller one first.

It contained a pendant on a finely wrought silver chain, a very unusual pendant of a sort that Chiara had never seen before. She held it up to the sunlight so she could see it better.

It was milky and opaque, and reflected the light in many opalescent, pearly shades of the rainbow.

"Oh, how lovely!" she exclaimed. Chiara didn't own much jewelry, simply because her mother hadn't been around to pass it on to her, and she hadn't owned many pieces to begin with when she was alive. Chiara didn't have extended female family members to give her any, either.