Still the One (Book 2 in the Four of Us Trilogy)

47 | This is Christmas - Part I

But this is Christmas, yes, Christmas my dear

The time of year to be with the ones you love.

-The Eagles, "Please Come Home for Christmas"

Rachel

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away," I sang at the top of my lungs, letting the hot water run over my body as I deep conditioned my hair.

Christmas Eve had to be one of my favorite days of the year. To me, it would never lose the magical quality it had when I was a kid.

"...I'll give it to someone special," I finished as I smoothed shaving cream over my legs.

The next song on the Amazon Christmas radio station changed, and at the first few notes, I immediately felt a lump rise in my throat.

Bells will be ringing the sad, sad news/Oh what a Christmas to have the blues...

This was James' favorite Christmas song. I usually turned it off when it it came on, but since I was in the shower without my waterproof speaker, I was sort of stuck.

Please come home for Christmas...

Tears filled my eyes as memories from the last Christmas James was alive flooded my mind.

"James... what are you doing?" I called, starting to walk into his room.

"Uh-uh-uh, get out!" he yelled, throwing his blanket over a box on his bed and shoving me gently out the door.

"What?!" I yelped.

"I'm wrapping your present, you doofus!" he teased.

"Ohhh!" I rubbed my palms together. "Yes! Can I have it early?"

He looked at me and laughed. "Rachel, it's Christmas Eve. You'll get it in the morning."

I crossed my arms over my stomach and pouted. "Fine," I relented. "I'll leave you to it then," I said, punching him playfully on the arm.

He grinned and closed the door.

Later that night, I was in my bed, drifting in and out of sleep when I heard my bedroom door creak open.

I turned over and squinted through the hazy streetlight glow shining from my bedroom window.

"Sis?" James whispered. "You awake?"

"Yeah, I'm awake," I mumbled, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. "What are you doing?"

He sat down on the edge of my bed and handed me the box from earlier, wrapped in red and green paper, complete with a gold ribbon.

I looked up and smiled at him. "But you said..."

"I said you'd get it tomorrow." He gestured toward my nightstand where the red light of my alarm clock read 12:07 am. "It is tomorrow," he said, grinning.

I kicked him gently and started to rip open the present, tossing the paper in the floor. When I lifted the lid, I gasped and covered my mouth, looking up at him.

"Oh my gosh, James!" I whispered. "What... are you serious?"

"100%. You need one, right?" he asked, his blue eyes glimmering.

I lifted the key out of the box. "You're giving me your Impala?"

"Yep. I got a really good deal on a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and the Impala is still in good condition. I know you've been wanting a car, but don't have time to work with all your school stuff. And I thought to myself, 'That's not a reason for her to not have a car. She deserves this.' So I decided not to use it as a trade-in and give it to you instead," he said, shrugging like it was no big deal.