Mistletoe

December 24th

Wednesday December 24th

09.24am

I'd never been a girl that was obsessed with Christmas. I'd never been remotely interested in it before this year. It had just been this thing that came around every single year and stressed people out to a point that they'd actually break down with all the pressure that was being put on them. It was a tradition that had never been important in my family.

My parents used to explain it when I was a kid that we didn't need a holiday to come together as we were already so close knit. As a child I had trouble understanding it when she told me it also was originally a celebration of the christian faith, and since we were not christians it wouldn't be fair for us to just celebrate Christmas for the fun of it.

Of course as I grew older what she'd told me began to make more sense, and I'd stopped longing for it. Christmas had been something that came and went every single year, and I watched it do so without any added interest.

Until this year.

Parker hadn't introduced me to Christmas as he'd introduced me to everything that could be found in the month of December in general. Because as the tradition had rooted itself so deep in the country, there was more than just religion to be found in it, amongst all the stress there was also quite a lot of joy. It seemed that people were unconditionally happy when December rolled around.

And it had transferred over to me.

There was magic to be found in this month, a kind of magic I hadn't been open enough to detect before, but now that I looked around it was absolutely everywhere. It was in the lights that were wrapped around branches in the trees, the star that twinkled at the top of the tree, it was to be found in every gleeful scream coming from the ice rink. The magic was to be found on every single face that surrounded me that morning.

I stood with Parker in the square where we'd already had two amazing days together. Three's a charm, right? A children choir was lined up in front of the Christmas tree and they were singing Christmas carols while bundled up in white coats. Their voices filled the air around every single one of us that had come to witness this, and I could feel my eyes begin to prickle as I was filled with too many emotions.

Last night Parker had asked if I wanted to come here with him this morning. At the time I'd agreed simply because I didn't want to leave his side, not seeing what could be so special about it all. I'd been so incredibly wrong that it wasn't even okay.

Wrapped in Parker's left arm I was pressed up against his side as we stood there in silence and just watched, letting the melodies consume me to the brink. I was too hypnotized to look away as well, because what if when I looked back the whole moment would evaporate?

It hadn't taken a lot of coaxing for me to wear the santa hat Parker had gotten when we last went skating, I didn't find it weird or even the slightest bit embarrassing. At this point it was just fun.

We didn't move a single muscle until the choir announced they were taking a break, only then was I able to break my gaze and look up into the gorgeous icy gateways that were Parker's eyes.

"This," I told him," is perfect. This month, being here with you, you name it. It's been absolutely perfect."

Smiling Parker raised his free hand and used it to wipe away my silent tears. "Every moment with you during this month has been nothing but perfect," he murmured against my face, too low for anyone else to hear. This was our conversation, our bubble, no one could penetrate it.

Except just then someone did.

"A mistletoe my dears?" A woman who looked to be in her mid sixties held a tiny piece of mistletoe in her hand and wrapped it into my silent hand. She winked at me before leaving, not giving me a chance to neither decline her offer, or accept it.