The Middle of Love

Chapter 13: Merry Christmas

Katie:

I watch my family unwrap their gifts. My parents first. Then from oldest to youngest my brothers and sister then it's my turn.

"Merry Christmas Katie," Jack kneels down next to me at the hearth by the fire and kisses the top of my head as he hands me his gift for me. He goes back to sit next to Jason and Jacob on the couch. My brothers don't have to deploy until the new year. I smile and begin to carefully open it to preserve the memories it's wrapped it. "Tear it open Katie I've got a bunch more of those pictures. They're copies." I do just that and find a small wooden box. I open it and look up at him in shock. His soldier tags. "This was my last year in the military." He confirms, "I want you to have my tags."

"Jack!" I stand up and race to hug him. The gift of him staying home far more precious to me than his tags. He embraces me tightly. "I'm so happy you'll be home."

"I'm going to school at MIT, but I'll be home as often as I can." He tells all of us.

"I love you Jack-Jack," I hug him tightly.

"I love you too Katie." Jack whispers

"But don't you want to hold onto your tags to give your fiance for when you get married or engaged."

"Maybe one day, when the right girl comes around; I'll come to collect my tags to give her," Jack says, "But for now," He pauses, "For now, hold onto them for me."

"Okay, Jack." I agree and put them around my neck. I give him another hug and sit down.

Jacob apologizes for not having a gift for me. I just hug him tightly him being home is gift enough. Jason gave me a journal filled with letters he wrote to me, but couldn't send to me from when he was overseas. James gives me a book of pictures, music, poetry, and letters. Jeremy gave me an album of polaroids from the past year. Jesse a composition of music that he wrote. Jim a book filled with sketches from the past year. John a storybook filled with his poetry, from sonnets to haikus. Jenny an ode to how amazing she is, and how lucky I am to have her as a sister. Mom and Papa each gave me a charm, for my bracelet, one being a camera with a treble clef charm and the other two interwoven hearts.

"Thank you, Mama, Papa," I tell them hugging them each tightly.

"What do you plan on doing with the lousy journals?" Jenny scoffs loudly.

"They're gifts from men that love me." I smile and look to each of my brothers, "From my parents. It's not about how much money went into the gifts, it's comes from the heart. The love that went into and the love that came from it. I'll treasure each journal, and each gift until I die."

Ding Dong!

"I'll get it." Jenny races to the door.

"Marco." Jesse and Jeremy both say at the same time.

I hear the door slam and Jenny returns in a huff.

"Who was at the door, Jennifer?" My father asks.

"No one." The doorbell rings again.

"I'll get the door." Jack stands up and ruffles my hair before heading to the door. "Kit-Kat, boyfriend."

I stand up and head to the door. "Hi, Red," I grin and I hug him. He wraps his arms around my waist as mine wrap around his neck. "Merry Christmas Axl."

"Merry Christmas Kate," Axl says. "I brought this for you." He pulls a rock out of his pocket, "It's not a diamond, it's not a pearl, it's just a rock from my dad's query. I found it last time when I went to see him."

"I love it thank you," I give him a quick kiss on the cheek as I pull him into the family room. We sit down at the hearth and Axl greets my family. "Axl this is for you." I pull the last wrapped present from under the tree.