A Love Like Ours

18. Christmas Spirit

"Jay, that's not gonna fit."

"It will fit." Jay argues, looking over his shoulder to meet his wife's gaze.

She just softly shakes her head from side to side. "It's like two foot too big, the top will be all crooked at the ceiling."

"Not if we cut the bottom of trunk high enough," he points at the ground, rising his finger to follow the path of the tree. "And it will sink into the pot."

Hailey draws her eyebrows together. "I don't think that's how it works," she says. Despite that, Jay continues to actively ignore her as he keeps checking out the one Christmas tree he had spotted toward the back of the yard. "Come on, there will be a good tree that isn't so tall."

Jay stands up straight again, placing his hands on to his hips. "I'm telling you I can get this tree to fit."

She tilts her head to one side. "That is exactly what you said last year and then the star at the top was facing sideways."

"Technically it was still pointed the same way it would have done if the tree didn't reach the ceiling, so I'm counting that as the tree fit fine," Jay responds. "I promise this tree will fit."

Hailey darts her gaze from Jay and moves it up and down the tree again, taking in the size of the tree. Not only was she certain the tip would bend at the ceiling, she was pretty sure the width around the bottom was too big to fit in the corner of the living room they designated toward their tree each year. But the more she fought against it, the more Jay seemed adamant he would be able to get the tree to fit in the space. She tried a few more times to get him to reconsider walking back up the yard to find a tree that would definitely fit but eventually she figured she wasn't going to win this, so she stayed with the tree as Jay went up to grab the attention of one of the workers to help them take the tree down.

The employee helped him take it over to the truck and strap it down over the cover on the back as Hailey paid at the front shed and when she returned to the parking lot, she found Jay standing on the opposite side of the truck, staring down at the tree.

He purses his lips, darting his gaze up and down the side of the tree. "You know.. I'm starting to think it might not fit."

All Hailey can do is roll her eyes and start making her way toward the front passenger seat, gritting through her teeth slightly for him to just get in the car. He did as he was told quickly, joining her in the front of the car and he started up the engine, starting the twenty-five minute drive back home.

xxx

By the time they got back, Jay was almost sure Hailey was right with the fact this tree wouldn't fit in their living room but he sure was gonna give it one hell of a go, even if the tree was lopsided.

He unstrapped the pine from the back of the truck and before he could figure out how on earth he was going to lift the eight-foot tree into the house, Hailey places her hand on top of a collection of the branches and shoots him a confused look.

"Why do you always get a tree that is way too big?"

He looks over the car to her and lightly shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know.. we always had a massive tree growing up, when I was younger at least, that was until mom realized if she had one of the plastic ones she could keep it up from Halloween till New Year without having it die," he replies, earning a smile from Hailey in return as she heard her husband talk about his mother, something he didn't tend to do - from what she had been told before, she had loved Christmas with her whole heart, and that was just another example of that passion. Jay then clears his throat. "And I guess I loved having that big tree, I mean it would be a pain in the ass helping Dad move it into the house, but Mom's reaction always made it worth it, and I love seeing the kids' reactions to the tree.. I mean they are gonna go wild when they see this thing."