❂sunshine❂

❂eight❂

December 24th, 2014

The tangled lights were thrown in my lap. Great. I had light duty this year. I was a bit happier about it when I noticed only a few tangles and mix ups. Maybe putting the lights on the tree wasn't going to be as bad as it was last year.

I started at the corded lights, unraveling what I could. Untangling what I couldn't. Before you knew it I had the lights perfectly untangled and ready to be put on the tree.

Today was our Christmas tree day. Every year on Christmas Eve we did this. Dad always said it was a good way to get in the Christmas spirt. I don't know why we couldn't get in Christmas sprit two weeks ahead of time but this was how we did things.

"You've got the lights ready! Fantastic!" Holly smiled placing a box of ordainments in the floor.

"Yeah. I'll start wrapping them in the tree." I grabbed the string of lights. I started circling the tree, wrapping until I reached the top. I pulled the cord so the it reached the outlet nearby, and sure enough we had a lit Christmas tree.

Elliot started opening the boxes of ordainments. I sat down next to him. This was one of my favorite parts, because we got to look at our old creations from different classes.

Elliot pulled out one. He did the same thing last year. It was my hand crafted ordainment from when I was in first grade. It was a picture of me, my hair in a messy ponytail, and my favorite Christmas sweater on, my eyes were shut from how hard I was determined to smile and my front two teeth were gone as I smiled widely at the camera. Popsicle sticks out lined my picture with random things glue to them, like glitter and buttons. "Awe, you were so cute back then MJ, what happened?" Elliot smirked.

I slapped his arm, "I kid. I kid." He laughed rubbing his arm.

"Come on! Gotta get these up before I have to start dinner! It's almost four anyways!" Holly said picking up random ones and placing them on the tree.

"You put it on last year! That's not fair!" Elliot pouted crossing his over his chest.

"Will you two stop! Give me that. I'll put it on myself." Grandma snatched the star from my hands.

She climbed up the small step-latter, and placed the beautiful tree topper on the tip of the tree.

It was all together now, and it took about an hour but it was beautiful like every year.

"Dinner should be ready in an hour. MJ tell Danny he can come to dinner, and you can give his present early since I'm sure he has his own family to visit tomorrow, and Ryan what are you doing?" Holly asked as my dad came closer to her.

He held a mop of green things over her head and screamed, "Mistletoe!" Before laying a fat one one her.

*****

"Come on. I want to give you something." I nodded to the doorway. Danny scooted his chair back, grabbing his plate and walking to the sink.

"What?" He rounded the corner with me.

I didn't answer him until we were up stairs.

I went to my closet. I stepped onto my tippy toes, reaching the shelf in the closet. I pulled the neatly wrapped box from the shelf. Thanks to Holly's incredible wrapping skills it was perfectly wrapped with a white bow set directly in the middle.

I walked out of my closet and to the edge of the bed where he has sat down. "Merry Christmas." I gave him a warm smile.

"MJ, you didn't have too." He took the box from me. He picked at the tape until it ripped and he continued ripping the wrapping paper away from the box. He pushed the paper to the side, leaving a nice dark brown box. He lifted the top off, revealing his present.

"How did you know I wanted this?" He gasped.

It made me smile, how adorable he could be. "I saw you starring at it when we went to the mall a few weeks ago. I thought it would look nice on you."

"I love it." He placed the jacket and box on the bed and pushed himself up.

He placed a gentle kiss on my temple, "Wait here." He whispered before rushing out of the room.

I peek around the corner, just over the staircase. Where did he go?

Suddenly the front door slung open and his mop of brown hair appeared.

I rushed back into my room and sat on the bed.

"I saw this at the store beside the flower shop and well-here." He handed me a thick, rectangular box. It was neatly wrapped in shiny black paper, with a gorgeous, white bow tied perfectly in the middle.

I pulled at the ribbon and undid the bow. Scratching at the tape, I finally ripped the wrapper off. I lifted the lid to the box and released the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen.

It was a a beautiful white and silver dress made of the most expensive looking material I have ever seen. It had silver and clear beading at the top and poofed out at the bottom all the way to probably mid-thigh.

I carefully touched the finely stitched dress, "I want you to wear it to my birthday party on Friday."

"I want to wear it everyday." I giggled. "Thank you Danny. It's gorgeous." I got up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Not as gorgeous as you babe but I'm glad you like it." He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing you in it." He whispered.

"I'm really looking forward to wearing it." I smiled.

"I'm even more excited to take it off you." He smirked.

"I don't know. You're going to have to have a pretty good excuse to get me out of that." I laughed.

He walked backwards until the back of my legs hit the bed. He gently pushed me back on the bed, hovering above me. "I think I can come up with a few."

"Like what?" I playfully scoffed.

He looked at me for a second, his brown eyes exploring mine before leaning down and pressing his lips to mine. He was so gentle with the kiss that it felt so foreign. It was my favorite kiss so far.

He slowly pulled away, "Was that a good enough excuse?"

"I think it will work." I cupped his cheeks bringing him to my lips again.

After a minute he pulled away again, glancing to the left, "Hey MJ?"

"Hmm?" I hummed in return.

"Merry Christmas." He whispered placing a kiss on my forehead.

I looked over and indeed it was Christmas,

12:03.