Attraction

43.

When Christmas morning comes I'm the first one awake, I brush my teeth, wash my face, and brush through my hair leaving it in its natural soft wave. After I'm dressed in warm clothes, I head into the living room where I hear soft chatter.
My mom, Layla, and Quil are already sitting in the living room—I guess I wasn't the first one awake after all, they give me cheerful smiles.

"Merry Christmas" My mom chirps in a happy tone.

"Merry Christmas" I respond smiling back to the three of them which Quil and Layla return. The sound of the bathroom door closing signaling that Paul is awake.

"Your mom let us in," Layla smiles. "I hope you guys don't mind."

"No, no of course not"
My mom smiles as she looks over at Quil who has the same 'I know something you don't know' type of expression at me.

"What?" I ask between the two of them. Quil snickers.

"Oh, nothing." He replies. I don't buy it.

"No—Tell me." I raise a brow as a small smile plays on my lips, they can't just not tell me.

"We can't" My mom shrugs, "But you're going to love it." What am I going to love, my presents? Paul's present to me? Today? What? As the many questions  run through my head I hear the bathroom door open. As Paul finishes getting dressed, he comes to the living room and joins the rest of us, I give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas" I tell him as our eyes connect. His eyes seem to light up at my words, he places a kiss on my forehead. He brings his hand up to the side of my cheek as I naturally lean into his palm enjoying the warmth of his touch.

"Merry Christmas, baby." He murmurs sleepily.
I lean into him for a moment before deciding to make Paul and I some coffee from the already full pot he showed my mom how to use the day she flew here.

After fixing the two of us our mugs of coffee, Paul seems more awake making me smile at his now perky appearance. We join my mom, Layla, and Quil in the living room as my mom hands each of us a present. I unwrap mine and smile happily at her feeling thankful. It's a beautiful snow globe from Colorado, with a large tree inside of it and a deer inside.

"Now you'll always have a piece of Colorado with you" She says, I get up from my seat and hug her.

Colorado will always be my second home, it will always be the place my mom and I held strongly to each other after my dad left us. It's where my mom and I supported one another thought the tough times. It will always be my second home. Quil got me a Polaroid camera, I got him his favorite football teams jersey. Layla got me a photo book, and I got her a new art set.

"I love it, thank you."  I smile thanking my mom.

Layla and Quil thank me for their gifts as I return the thanks. I hand my mom her unopened present as she unwraps it and smiles warmly as she pulls things from the box. Her favorite eau de perfume, a coffee mug, and a plane ticket for next month to come back to Forks.

"My sweet Willow, thank you." She gives me a warm hug making me smile.

After everyone thanks my mom for the gifts she got for them, Paul hands me a small box, the anticipation in his eyes causes my heart to thud—And maybe too much caffeine I've had this morning. Could it be? My heart pounds heavily as my lips slightly part, I glance at Quil, then to Layla, then my mom—They all have the same expression, joy.
Is he going to ask me to marry him, is he going to propose to me? But it's too soon, right? It's only been seven months. But what is too soon, exactly, how do you know when the right time is?!