(Part 03 / 03)

Anna woke up the next morning when Dennis, Derek, and Daphne bounded into the room and jumped on the bed, yelling about presents and Santa and breakfast and everything else under the sun.

After they had left the room and gone downstairs, Anna and Daniel pried themselves off the mattress, dressed, and followed them downstairs.

“Hello Anna,” George, Daniel’s step-father, smiled from the kitchen, making what was clearly a nice Christmas breakfast. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas to you too,” Anna smiled.

Evelina, Daniel’s mother, was at the table reading the paper. She smiled when she saw them. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did, thank you. And thanks for letting me stay. I really appreciate it.”

“Any time darling, it’s terrible your parents left you like that!”

“Yeah, they’re…flaky…” Anna agreed, but wasn’t sure what else to say. How do you explain to someone that your parents aren’t bad parents, but are sometimes just not thinking at all?

“We’re glad you came anyway,” Evelina smiled. “You’re welcome here even if your parents are home. Daniel should bring you around more anyway, you’d think he was embarrassed of us, the way he keeps you away from the house when he loves you so much!”

“Mom!” Daniel had to finally interrupt.

“What?”

They started yapping at each other in Italian – since they were from Italy, they spoke fluently – but Anna understood bits and pieces, having studied Italian at school. She tried not to laugh when Daniel’s mother told him not to be such a stick in the mud.

Anna knew it wasn’t his family that embarrassed Daniel, it was Anna and the fact that he cared about her that embarrassed him. Anna knew that on some level, Daniel had never quite forgiven her for completely breaking through every defense against love and feelings he’d ever put up. He cared about her, and Anna knew now that he did, he always would – even if he didn’t always like it. Daniel still couldn’t say he loved her, but she knew he did. From time to time he told her he adored her which, for now, was enough. She’d only told him she loved him a few times anyway, when she thought that he’d really benefit from hearing it.

“Would you like some French Toast, Anna?” George smiled, holding out a plate for her and ignoring the ongoing argument about love between his wife and his step-son.

She took it. “Thanks.”

Daniel’s parents were a complete role reversal from Anna’s parents. His mother was the big successful designer who made lots of money, while his father was a schoolteacher who took care of the kids, cooked, and cleaned. Anna’s father made all the money, and her mother cooked and cleaned. Her mother, who had gone to culinary school, had given up her career as a pastry chef when she got married. But once her children were older, her mother started a pastry shop. Anna knew the only reason her father let her mother start the shop without much complaint was because, technically, her mother was still in the kitchen. Her parents were really old-fashioned sometimes.

Opening presents after breakfast was a loud, almost obnoxious affair. Derek, Dennis, and Daphne tore through all their things and opened everything in about thirty seconds. Anna had explained her presents by saying, “Santa left them at my house for you guys.” She wasn’t sure the older boys still believed in Santa, but she knew Daphne did, as Daphne had talked up a storm about Santa last night. Anna was careful to play along.

Daniel’s parents seemed to like the gifts Anna gave them, which was a relief, because she really had almost nothing to go on when she was buying them. She sat quietly by Daniel, who opened his own gifts. He got useful things. A new electric razor, new headphones, and some other things he’d asked for. He also got cash.

“Where’s the one you got me?” Daniel asked her.

Anna grinned deviously. “You’ll see later.”

“Do I want to know?”

“It’s a surprise. But you’ll love it.”

“I’ll see it at bed time, huh?” he whispered, getting an idea of where she was going with this.

“Yep.”

“Can’t wait. Oh, by the way…” he got up and went upstairs before finishing his sentence and came back down with a small box. “I was going to give this to you the next time I saw you, but since you’re here…” he handed the box to her.

She opened it and felt her stomach summersault. Inside the box was the beautiful gold bracelet she’d seen when she’d gone with him to Italy to visit his grandparents. She hadn’t been able to afford it and had been heartbroken about it. The next day, Daniel had left her to go for a walk on his own for a while. She’d taken a nap. That was the only time during the whole trip they’d been apart for more than five minutes, and now she knew where he’d gone.

He was a sweetheart in his own way. He didn’t say he loved her or shower her with compliments. He didn’t put her on a pedestal or treat her like a princess, but when she really wanted something, he tried to give it to her. She wiped the tears in her eyes and kissed his cheek. “I love you,” she whispered in his ear, realizing this was the first time she’d ever told him she loved him just because it was true and not just because he was upset about something.

“Yeah, I know,” he grinned at her. “But that present for later better not be you giving me a red turtleneck sweater with bells on it.”

Anna laughed. “Who gave you that?”

“Who do you think?”

“Kate really, really, really needs to learn to pick better presents,” Anna giggled. “Did she get you anything else?”

“Yeah, thank God. She also got me a couple of movies I wanted.”

“I think she teases you with these terrible gifts,” Anna smiled. “She knows they horrify you.”

“I hope she’s teasing. I’m not going to wear that thing!” Daniel exclaimed. Anna laughed again.

The rest of the day was a bit of a whirlwind. George went back to cooking after opening presents and had cooked up a big meal by the time the guests, the rest of Daniel’s family, started to arrive. Anna knew these weren’t actually Daniel’s relatives, but relatives of his step-father. Anna, looking to at least make a good impression, put on a red shirt and black skirt, and spent most of the day being introduced as Daniel’s girlfriend by his mother to various members of the family. One of his relatives, an old spinster aunt, was repeatedly asking Anna if she wanted a big wedding. Daniel hurried over and helped her escape.

Once free of making small talk, Daniel and Anna went to the basement, where the kids were playing and spent most of the rest of the day playing with Daniel’s brothers and sister and his cousins. And when they weren’t doing that, they were eating. George made really, really good food. Anna noticed this when she found herself eating seconds of everything even though she felt like she was going to explode.

Once everyone was gone, Anna and Daniel helped his parents clean up some of the mess. Dennis and Derek also helped out a bit before being sent to bed. Daphne had fallen asleep on the floor and once they were finished cleaning, Daniel carried her upstairs and put her to bed himself.

At around eleven, Daniel and Anna also went upstairs to go to bed. They brushed their teeth. Anna was tired but she had to give Daniel his present or he’d nag her about it for all eternity. She made him wait outside the door while she changed into it. It was a very sheer, very short, curve hugging, red nightgown that she’d seen in the Victoria’s Secret window and just had to buy. It’d cost her a pretty penny, but she managed to overlook that by telling herself it was Daniel’s gift.

She brushed her hair and freshened her makeup a little bit. She lay down on the bed and propped her head up with her arm. She tried to position herself in a sexy pose. It was weird and difficult; she’d never tried this before. When she finally thought she got it, she decided it was safe for him to come in. “Okay,” she called. “You can open the door now.”

“Jeez, did it take you long enough?” Daniel complained, swinging the door open. “I swear – whoa.”

Daniel’s breath caught in his chest when he saw her. She’d always been beautiful to him and always made him want her, but she always did it without trying. There was something about her that always allured him to her, but it was a natural thing. This was different. This was new, this was forced, this was a little bit bad girl, and most of all, this was a deliberate attempt to turn him on. He stared at her. It was working like a charm.

He shut the door and locked it, so that there was no chance of anyone interrupting.

“Like it?” she asked.

“Love it,” Daniel grinned, walking over and running his hand over her side. “You know just what I want.”

She sat up and pulled him to her and let him kiss her. She thought it was funny that this nightgown had cost her so much and she would be wearing it a grand total of ten minutes.

They lay together later, waiting for their breathing to return to normal.

“That was fun,” Daniel commented.

Anna laughed a little bit and stared at the ceiling. “Merry Christmas,” she smiled.

“Damn merry,” he agreed, pulling her close to him again. He kissed her neck. “Best gift I got by far,” he murmured.

“You were the easiest to shop for,” she said, turning her head to take a quick look at the discarded nightgown on the floor. She kissed him again. “Thanks for letting me stay with you,” she said. “I know I keep saying that but I really, really appreciate it. I was afraid you’d be angry with me.”

“Why would I be angry with you?”

“I don’t know, sometimes you get angry with me. I thought crashing Christmas with your family might have that effect.”

“You heard my mom, you’re always welcome here,” he said. “Besides, you can always come find me if you need me.”

“Really?”

“Of course.” Anna’s eyes filled with tears again. She was smiling and crying at the same time, which freaked Daniel out a little bit. “What?” he asked her, bewildered.

“That’s an even better gift than the bracelet,” she sniffled, for the first time feeling like she was home for Christmas. “I love you,” she whispered for the second time in one day.

“I…adore you,” he mumbled, kissing her forehead. He smiled a little bit. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I know how lucky I am that you adore me,” she smiled. “By the way, Jeff called me. He’s coming home tomorrow, so I’ll be out of your hair soon.”

“You don’t have to leave if you don’t want,” Daniel smiled. “You can stay.”

“I know. But I don’t want to wear out my welcome. Your family’s been more than generous. Besides, if we carry on like this, they’ll all think we’re going to get married. Some of them already think we are,” she said seriously.

They looked at each other for a moment and then both started laughing.

“They’ll be in for a big disappointment,” Daniel grinned.

“I’ll say. Married. Ridiculous.”

“Not happening,” Daniel nodded.

“I mean, really, us? Living together with a family? Nuts.”

“Insanity at its best.”

But they had both stopped laughing. For some reason, this was no longer funny.

“Maybe someday?” Anna whispered. “I mean, so we don’t let them down.”

Daniel looked like he was thinking, and then he nodded. “Maybe someday…yeah, so we don’t disappoint them.”

“Merry Christmas, Daniel.”

“Merry Christmas, Anna.”

The kissed each other one last time and went to sleep.