Christmas Kiss

Chapter Sixteen

Once inside the cabin, Steve went to take care of the fire, I looked around, tomorrow night was Christmas eve, I wish I would have gotten him a gift to at least have under the tree.

I went into the kitchen and looked for the extra stash of batteries that I bought for the stereo. I had an idea of a gift for him for Christmas eve instead of the morning.

While Steve was busy with the fireplace and bringing in more wood, I decided to make some snacks to tide us over until dinner time, since it was only four in the afternoon.

Steve volunteered to cook our breakfasts and dinners over the fire since I wasn't so good at it, but he would teach me every time so I could get used to it. "It is always a handy skill to have no matter what ever goes on" he told me the other night.

I got the cheese and crackers and I found a fresh hard salami that I cut everything up and put it on a tray. I went into the garage and got us some drinks that we kept in the house but to get cold we stuck a few out there.

When soft drinks freeze, they explode and make a hell of a mess and that is something I really don't want at the moment.

Taking everything to the coffee table, I set it up for us and threw a few pillows on the ground so we could sit closer to the fire. The cabin had a bit of a chill to it still but I knew that would happen since the garage was like a big walk-in freezer at the moment.

Steve came in and took off his jacket and boots, and saw what I had prepared, "is this our dinner little mouse?" he asked chuckling. "You know your funny there" I said with a smirk.

His reference wasn't lost on me with the cheese and calling me little mouse. "Thank you I'm glad you finally see that" he said laughing and sitting down next to me picking up a few pieces of cheese and crackers with the salami.

"No this is just a snack for now till we figure out what's for dinner" I said munching on just the cheese which seemed to crack Steve up more. I swear this guy will have endless teasing snippets till the end of time.

We  sat and talked and munched on our snack till everything was gone. I laid down on my stomach to watch the fire. "You know Laura I remember you as a kid always stuck to this fireplace like it was your own personal heater" he said laying down next to me.

"It technically was, this place was always cold and dad never had a good fire, it was always on its last leg threating to go out, so I stood guard over it and when they weren't looking, I would throw in a log or two just to get the heat from it" I told him.

"Until the day your mom caught you and yelled at you for even thinking you could do as you wanted" he said. I remembered that time, mom was always wrapped up like she was about to go on an excursion in the artic same with my dad.

I hated being so bundled up, I thought that was what the fire place was for, keeping the cabin at a nice temperature, but not to them, it had to have been for looks.

Summer time was worse, if it was muggy and hot, I wasn't allowed to run the fan because it would draw too much power. I swear to the ground that if I even looked at the fridge to get something cold to drink, I would get yelled at.

Now my sister on the other hand, she could do as she wished. She got the fan; she got the cold drink. In all honesty I wonder why my parents had another child after my sister was born.

"I asked my parents that one day a few years back" I said out loud. Steve turned to look at me, "asked them what?", "why they had another kid after they had my sister", "and what did they say?" he asked.

"That they weren't planning on it, and once mom found out it was too late and they decided that I would be good for my sister to learn responsibilities on" I said starring into the fire.

"No shit, they actually said that to you?" Steve asked in disbelief.

"Yep, plain as day to, no emotion no nothing, just this is what we were dealt with so its whatever" I said laughing. "Like I was such a burden after my sister died, my parents gave up living life, I was a constant reminder what they lost.

They had me live with my grandparents for a while till they passed and I had to move back home, that's when I was gone most of the time except to change clothes and shower, they never noticed either way" I said closing my eyes.

"That's why they gave me this cabin once I turned twenty-one, well they sold it to me for one dollar, I gave them the money we signed the papers and asked me never to return" I told Steve.

I figured it was time I told him everything that I had been keeping inside, keeping the hurt and anger at bay but I always loved this cabin since I could remember it.

I could care less about my parents and about my sister, that's not why I wanted this place. I wanted it for the memories that Steve and I created so long ago. That is what kept me going all those years, recalling little things here and there.

Knowing that someone out there actually cared and wanted me, even if it was just a friend, I knew with him life was barrable. Now here I am living in this place, snowed in with a man that has always cared and loved me since he could.

We were reconnecting, and we shared our most intimate thoughts with one another about each other. We both knew where we stood with each other, that we wanted a relationship since we were little but back then we couldn't.

Which we knew that, but now that we are adults, we were going to explore every possible avenue between us. The sparks were always there no matter how small, just like a fireplace, the coals could be hotter than hell, all it needed was something to help it catch.

Once it did the fire would explode with life, and that I was hanging on for it to happen between Steve and myself.