School ReYOUnion

Chapter Twenty Nine

I've never shared a Christmas with a boyfriend before, but I'm loving sharing this one with Mitch. Since that awful night with his father and brother, we have thrown ourselves into this whole festive thing. Yesterday, we went to a local farm shop, to rent one of those potted Christmas trees. It's only a 4ft one, so it could easily fit into the corner of my small but cosy living room. What's even lovelier about this tree, is that we can rent it again for next year if we really want to, making it both sustainable and sentimental.

I have never put myself down as a sentimental person, but being with Mitch is definitely mellowing me. Now knowing what happened to his mother and how that affected his relationship with his dad and his brother, has made me value my parents so much more. Of course, I've always loved my mum and dad, but I know I have often taken them for granted. I never want to do that again. I'm lucky. I have parents who both love and support me, I'll never be an ungrateful daughter ever again.

"How about these ones?" Mitch is pointing at some baubles that are hand-painted with various different wintry scenes upon them.

Unimpressed, I shake my head with a grimace. "God no! Too arty-farty." Is my dramatic statement to him.

Chuckling, Mitch looks at me beneath the peak of his, hiding-his-gorgeous-famous-face, baseball cap. "Arty-farty?" He's smirking now, bringing those lovely blue eyes firmly on me.

Relaxed and slightly amused, I smirk back in his direction. "Yup! They're too arty-farty. We need something more plain; dazzling, but in an understated festive way."

Laughter loudly erupts from his throat. "Dazzling, but in an understated festive way." He's playfully now mimicking me. "God, you're killing me here, Rebecca." Then he just hugs me. A hug so hearty and so completely natural. "Okay, let's look for plain but dazzling ones." He affectionately concedes, kissing my hat-wearing head.

I love how we are together.

I love the friendly, smiling, banter that we relaxingly do share.

Until today, I never knew that shopping for Christmas tree decorations could be so much fun. With Mitch, it's so much more than that. This is us bonding, being content around one another. There's no needing to be somewhere else at a specific time, it's just us being a leisurely us. We are enjoying peering into shop windows, chatting about the wonderful effort that has gone into all of the festive displays by the local traders. We have tasted locally made mince pies, stood and listened to traditional carols being sang beneath the 17th century Market House in the centre of Minchinhampton, and are now deciding on what baubles to hang from our sentimentally bought Christmas tree.

"How about these?" Reaching out, I soon have a Rose-gold glass bauble encrusted with glitter being carefully held between my fingers.

In his handsome eyes, I see a flash of humour. "It's plain and dazzling, not arty-farty at all." He states, with such charming and obvious wit.

Noticing that they have the same design in silver and pale gold, I must admit, I am beginning to get just a little bit bauble-giddy now. "Oooooo, look, Mitch? We could have all three colours, couldn't we?"

He is smiling and nodding, watching me with nothing but a serene stare. "We can and we will." He now steps closer, needing to just take me within his arms again. "How many do you think we need?" Is so softly whispered against my cheek.

"I'm not sure, we don't want to overload our tree."

With me still in his arms, Mitch calls out to the lady in charge of the charming little shop, who just so happens to be watching us both with an expression of wistful delight spread evenly across all of her much-matured features. "Excuse me? How many do you have in stock of these baubles, please?"