Wishing Upon A Miracle

Ch. 12: Christmas

Christmas is next week and I still haven't decided, well, figured out what to get Hayden still. He's not difficult to shop for; it is more I'm indecisive on what to get him. One minute I'll have his favorite hockey team jersey in my hand and the next I'll have his favorite football team jersey in my hand. One minute I'll have a new game for his game system; the next I'll have a new hockey stick or football in my hand. So, you see I'm indecisive on what to get. I want the gift to be perfect and from my soul. Like as soon as I see it, have that moment of 'ahhh I found it'. I have yet to have that feeling so I'm always throwing whatever is in my hands back. When I walk into the sports shop, I instantly have that 'found it' feeling. In a case is a helmet signed by Travis Kelce. Next to the helmet is a signed hockey stick with Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. Each are in their own case. Papa gave me a spending limit for Hayden of 2,000 dollars. He transferred the money to my debit card. Travis Kelce signed helmet is 600 dollars, Tyler Seguin signed stick is 500 dollars, Jamie Benn signed stick is 550 dollars. I'll roughly have 200 dollars left over. Enough for wrapping paper and whatever else I might need for these three items. I kindly tell the store associate I needed all three items which they gladly got out of the case for me. They placed their authentic papers inside their cases and ring me up without a problem.

"Have a great day miss." She says with a polite smile.

"Thank you. You too ma'am!" I respond.

In my mind I'm doing my own happy dance. A very very happy dance. Thank goodness I got his shopping over with. I don't know if I could have handled trying for another day. It has my anxiety to the max. I walk out of the sports store and get into my car with all three cases in my trunk. I drive to our small town store to grab some wrapping paper, boxes, tape, name tags, bubble wrap, and bows. When I arrive I look for a everything on my list. Once I have found them and paid for all of it. I walk back to my car to head home. As I walk through the door with everything I come face to face with my papa.

"I see you found something for him." Papa states.

"I did! You want to see what I got?" I ask papa.

As I show him each item, his face lights up more and more.

"Oh Katie! He's going to love these." Papa says with a bright smile.

"I sure hope so!" I mumble out.

Papa leaves me to place each one in their own box, to wrap each box, to place a name tag and bow on each wrapped box. A few more days until he gets to open it.

Christmas we're having a dinner here at our house. Since Hallie and Hayden hosted Thanksgiving, Papa said we'd host Christmas. It's nice seeing two families combine together into one almost. Since Haden and I started dating, holidays for both families seem to always be together as one. New Year's Eve, we're going to travel to the mountains together to celebrate this year as well. When I say we, I mean Hayden, Hallie, Papa, and I.

The week has flown by and Christmas has arrived. Papa has woken me up just now. One to open up my gifts and for two to help start cooking Christmas dinner. I race down the stairs and meet Papa at the tree. We begin to hand out each other a gift each to open. We do this until the last our gifts are opened.
For the first hour it consists of Papa and I opening up gifts. I've gotten so much stuff that I don't even know what to do with half of it. We start to gather all the boxes and wrapping paper to put into the trash. In all, there's a total of six big trash bags full of it.
Once we have cleaned our mess up, it's time to head to the kitchen. We spend the next four hours cooking each dish to perfection. This gives me exactly two hours to get the gravy from under my nails, the flour that's sticking my cheeks, and who knows what's in my hair.

It's all crusty and nasty.

What is this?

I opted for my red and black plaid skinny jeans that has thin pinstripe white lines in the mix, a black oversized jumper, and my black combat boots. The combat boots are from Hayden a few weeks ago. He said I needed warmer shoes for winter. My hair is left down and naturally curly. I have decided to wear my glasses this holiday. I don't wear any makeup still.

I know I am an odd creature.
What can I say?

Besides being raised by a single father put me behind on the whole fashion and makeup jig. I wear what's comfortable to me and all that fancy stuff don't fancy my feathers any. By the time I have made it halfway down the stairs, the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it!" I yell.

"Don't break your neck coming down the stairs like a herd of elephants!" Papa calls from the dining room.

As I reach the landing, I stumble on my two right feet. As I open the door, I blow the pieces of hair that have shifted from my stumbling episode.

"Come in. Papa is in the dining room." I say with redden cheeks.

Hallie and Hayden walk through our door and walk towards our dining room.

"What a homey feeling house you have Preacher." Hallie calls out to papa.

"Thank you Hallie." Papa responds while placing food onto the table.

When I finally take in Hayden's appearance, my breath hitches in my throat. He's in a pair of black skinny jeans and a red dress shirt. His normally wild hair is tamed for once. He has his black boots covering his feet. And I can't forget his leather jacket that's over his dress shirt.

"Well don't you look handsome." I whisper in Hayden's ear.

"You look beautiful yourself." He whispers back.

We all take our seat at the table and begin to fix our plates. Hayden's plate is piled as high as it can go.

How can one person eat so much food?!

We eat for thirty minutes when we all are finally stuff to the brim. Papa and I lead them into our main room where our tree is. Under the tree is everyone's presents.

"Hold on. I'll be back. I have to grab all of your guys' gifts." Hayden says as he runs out our front door.

This causes all of us to laugh. After a few trips to his mom's car, he's finally done fetching the gifts out the car. Papa opens his gift from both of them, it's a beautiful new bible. Papa's bible is old and torn; he really needed a new one. He also received a bunch of Christian books and decorations for the house. He also got a gold cross necklace.

That thing must have costed a fortune!

We hand Hallie her's from the both of us.

We decided to get her new decorative pillows that she's been wanting, a few new appliances and gadgets for her kitchen, and a sweater.

Hallie hands me my gift from her; which is a silver cross necklace.

This seriously has to cost a fortune!

Hayden nervously hands me mine from him. It's several boxes actually. The first was a beautiful new purple bible. The second was new cardigans of every color. The third was the three books I have been dying to get my hands on. The fourth is more art supplies. Lastly he hands me a lead leash.

"What is this?" I ask.

"You have a horse back at my house. I can show you pictures of her if you want to see right now." He says.

On his phone is a brown Arabian horse. My mouth immediately drops.

"You love horses so why not get you you're own." Hayden comments.

When my complete shock is over; I leap from my seat on the floor and tackle myself into Hayden. He topples over and we both are tangled on the floor.

"Thank you! Thank you!" I squeal.

I kiss his cheek as he helps me back to my feet. His cheek get a little pink from my actions. Once we're back situated, I hand him his three gifts. When he opens the first one it's his signed helmet. He's eyes nearly get the size of golf balls. The second one is his Jamie Benn autograph stick. He looks like he's about to faint. The third is his last autograph and I swear he pooped his pants. He gets up from his spot and picks me up. He starts to twirl me around in the middle of the room; as our parents start to laugh.

He plants a kiss on my lips which causes my face to go beet red.

"I love you Katie! These are amazing!" He says in front of everyone.

"I love you." I say in shock.

We haven't ever kissed in front of either of our parents; nor have we had those three words in front of them.

Just breathe Katie.

Just breathe.

It'll be okay.