𝐆𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐇 // 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

THAT AFTERNOON, as Connor entered Eila's apartment, he found her making a list — though he couldn't quite understand what kind of list she was making. He let his keys fall against each other in his pocket, letting his neighbour he had arrived without saying anything. Moving closer, he could feel the smell of Christmas that filled her apartment; the smell of gingerbread cookies, combined with the faint smell of the Christmas rose filled her apartment. It caused a homey-feeling in her apartment, a feeling Connor hadn't felt at Christmas time since he was a child, before his mother passed away.

               Eila moved a little to the side as she noticed him hovering, letting him see the list she was making. "You're really making a list over places to shop Christmas trees?" Connor chuckled, shrugging off his coat. "I'm surprised you don't have like, a favorite place or whatever, to find the perfect tree."

               "I do, I just thought we could check out some more places when we're going out," Eila rolled her eyes, leaning back in the chair. "Or did you have something else in mind?"

               "No, no — but you are aware it's snowing like a Christmas-miracle outside, right? I'm pretty sure it's been five inches at least, just since I got home from work," Connor sighed, moving past her to have a look out of her living room window. "Might be even more by now, actually."

"Ah, yes, Connor Rhodes — the heartsurgeon with a ridiculous fear of snow," Eila chuckled, curling up a clean sheet of paper, throwing it at his back. Connor huffed as it hit him with a soft thud, eyebrows furrowed as he turned to look at her. "Come on, Con, let's go find a Christmas tree for my apartment."

The dark-haired man nodded, grabbing a hold of his coat again, following his neighbour as they headed down to the parking-garage. His car stood alone on a row of parking spaces in the garage, something that gave him a somewhat childish idea. "Last one to the car, owes the other one," he paused, gently grabbing Eila's arm to stop them both. "Let's say the last one to the car owes the other something that person wants."

               Silently, he counted to three, before letting Eila go, also giving her a headstart. Truth be told, Connor couldn't help but smile as she triumphantly placed a hand on the rear end of the car, grinning cheekily at him. "God, you're slow," she chuckled as Connor approached, his tempo nothing quicker than a light jog. "Almost as if you never even tried."

"After you got that headstart? Only fools would try to catch up with you, and as a heartsurgeon, I know what kind of damage that hard work would do on your heart," Connor shrugged, unlocking his car. Minutes later, they were on the road, with Eila pointing out the directions to the first stop for tree-shopping. One place, soon turned into two, and then three, before they finally arrived at the fourth, which also turned out to be Eila's go-to place.

                She was quick to get out of the car, almost running as she went to hug the elderly man who seemed to own the place. Connor shuddered as he got out of the warm car, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his coat. The sky had gone dark, letting the many lightbulbs surrounding the trees light them up even better, the snow lightly falling from the sky. It didn't take long until Connor's dark hair was spotted with the white snow crystals, the crunch underneath his boots letting Eila know he was approaching.

               "Dan, I want you to meet Connor — Connor, meet my uncle Dan," Eila chuckled, a big, happy smile spreading on her lips as she watched the surgeon greet her uncle. "You two chat for a bit, and I'll just head around to find the perfect tree."

Connor kept his eyes on her back as she wandered off in between the trees, studying them closely. "You know," Dan spoke up, clearing his throat as he got the surgeon's attention. "I've tried setting her up with some of the guys around here for so long, but she's never been interested. I see a lot of her mother in her; the stubborn, but sweet and caring person who wants to do nothing but spread happiness and joy, and trust me when I tell you she won't stop at making someone smile once."

"Oh yeah, I know," Connor chuckled, shifting his weight from one foot to another as his gaze wandered to where he had last seen Eila, her beanie still visible in between a few trees as she studied them closely. "I've never had a good relationship with the Christmas holidays, and well — I have considered myself a lost cause, but she does not give up on me."

"How long have you known her?"

"Well," Connor sighed, turning back to Dan, seeing the curiousity in his eyes as the older man looked at the surgeon. "I moved away from Chicago for a while, and actually met Eila when I returned a little over two years ago. As it showed, she's my neighbor — the coolest one, without a doubt, and she's always been there for me. No matter what, or even when, I can always count on her."

A smile spread on Dan's lips as he looked at Connor, shaking his head in disbelief. "Can you believe it? All these poor fellows, and here she finds her own neighbor — and she keeps him secret. What do you do for a living, Connor?"

"I'm a cardiothoracic surgeon," Connor smiled, noticing the impressed look on Dan's face. "I work at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center, so not too far away, and quite frankly, I'm the happiest I could be there."

Dan threw a look around, spotting Eila on her way back towards them, a tag from a tree in her hand. "What is she to you?" He asked, turning back to Connor, eyes meeting his. "More important — when are you getting down on one knee?"

Connor's eyes widened as he looked at Eila's uncle in disbelief, not knowing what to answer, something that made Eila herself laugh as she approached them. "I —," he paused furrowing his brows, throwing a look at Eila. Truth was, Connor had all kinds of feelings for her, something he had been very well aware of for the majority of the two years he had known her. "We're just friends."

The words felt like a relief, like a weight that was lifted off his shoulders; though, as Connor heard a low mumble escape Dan's lips, the surgeon felt as if he had lied — not just to Eila and her uncle, but to himself.

Especially to himself.