Sin of the Saint

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: CHRISTMAS

Author's note: **FIRST TIME WRITING AND PUBLISHING FROM THE APP ON MY PHONE and I don't like iiiiiit. I prefer a full computer keyboard but lately I've been having vertigo when I use my laptop or when I hold my head a certain way--I may have to visit a doc soon. But what kind of doc do you even go to for that? Idk?**

"Stupid...stupid stupid stupid!" Liv mumbled to herself as she struggled to wrap a tiny tin of guitar picks in candy cane wrapping paper. "I should have just asked what he wanted...he's probably got a billion of these already."

Christmas morning at the Yves residence had gone really well. Gifts opened, cash gifts stashed away, new products both tested and used...Nancy and Robert musing about the times their kids preferred cheap toys to expensive electronics. Liv had nearly forgotten about her gift to Axel--a small metal container of steely grey guitar picks--and now frantically tried wrapping it at the dinner table in the moments before his arrival.

I bet the internet had a better than this... She thought. But she'd been busy. She knew she'd been busy. Dating, saving the world and failing at it, rehearsing songs for the Christmas choir concert (which went off without a hitch), and most of all, trying to stay safe.

If Cupid, whomever he was, found out that she was Caritas, it could spell death for her.

But at the moment, the stupid tin of picks scared her worse.

What if he didn't like it? Would he dump her?

No, he's not that type.

But still.

"Liv, move your stuff hon--I have to set the table." Nancy said.

"Sorry mom, I just--"

The doorbell rang and startled Liv to the point of dropping the tin on the ground, scattering the dozen-or-so picks all over the dining room floor.

Sugar.

"Axel! Merry Christmas young man--come in, come in!" She heard her dad say from the doorway.

Here suddenly racing, she scrambled to the floor and picked up every last pick, throwing them not-so-neatly into the tin. She got to her feet and shoved the tin in her back pocket just in time to see her father, followed by Axel, enter the dining room.

"Merry birthday! I mean--oh no..." Liv blushed, flustered. She groaned and face-palmed.

"Happy Christmas to you too," Axel said with a chuckle, then winked.

Liv smiled apologetically and sighed. At least Axel knew what she was about. She glanced at him up and down quickly--he was empty-handed! He didn't have a gift for her!

She took a silent breath of relief. She was saved!

"Liv? The table?" Her mom asked.

"Oh, yeah! Sorry." Liv gathered the wrapping paper and made her way to the closet in the hallway where she stuffed the supplies. She felt much better about her present now--they hadn't discussed if they were exchanging gifts or not, so this was a huge relief. She didn't mess up after all!

"Flannel? Check. Guitar? Check," Axel said to her when she returned, motioning to his guitar by the door. "Warm and ready to wreck you at whatever video game you throw at me? Double check." He winked whilst pecking her cheek.

"I'm glad you came," Liv said, giggling. "And I will do the wrecking, thank you very much."

"Liv, will you help set the table? Robert I need two more chairs from the basement," Nancy said.

Robert left down the stairs and Nancy struggled to pull a large spiral ham from the oven.

"Here Mrs. Yves, let me," Axel stepped in, seamlessly grabbing a dish towel from the table and grabbing one end of the pan.