Author's Note: A Christmas present to all my wonderful readers and in particular to Em and Wyee83.
Prologue:
Under a thick blanket of grey sky, a trail of delicate snowflakes ended their slow graceful descent against the cold hard concrete outside the former Seattle fire station as the bitter winter wind swirled mercilessly around, sweeping up a flurry of leaves in a spritely dance. A thin sheet of glass and a pair of thick velvet curtains separated from the sleeping couple that lay inside like newborns in a tangle of arms and legs on the couch from the biting winter chill. Inside, on the smooth stony mantel above the dimly glowing fireplace was an entire assortment of photographs sitting in their respective metal frames, each picture holding a treasured memory. To the left of the fireplace was a heavily laden bookshelf, filled to the brim on one side with the latest medical journals and magazines. On the other end, heavy DIY handbooks and classic novels ranging from Victorian novels to the entire collection of Dickens' books lined the numerous shelves. Crammed in the small space and hidden out of sight behind the thick volume of 'The History of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Medical Procedures' was a small wooden box lined with a collection of Army medals that held memories too horrific to be mentioned. Further left past the bookshelf was large and practical advent calendar fastened to the wall. Each day that passed had been crossed out by a thick red marker that was suspended from a string connected to the bottom of the calendar. And tomorrow was Christmas Day. Suddenly, a loud popping noise erupted from the dimming fireplace as the last piece of kindle combusted, rousing the couple from their peaceful slumbers. A thin ray of light peeped in through a crack in the thick curtains as the couple stirred slowly.
"What time is it?" yawned Cristina drowsily as she reached over Owen to grab her phone.
"It's just past five-thirty. We have to be at the hospital in half an hour," came Owen's softly murmured reply as he drew Cristina closer and buried his face in her wild ebony curls. "Morning."
"Morning." Cristina snuggled closer into Owen's chest, absorbing the warm waves of heat that seemed to radiate from him. Instinctively Owen's hand snuck around her waist as he hugged her tightly.
They lay there in their own bubble of contentment, neither willing to part with the other, both lost deep in their own realm of thoughts.
"We should probably get going," said Owen after a few comfortable minutes of silence although he made no move to get up.
"No. It's warm in here. It's like a cocoon," protested Cristina quietly. "No Bailey and the stupid flu-season in the clinic. No Meredith and her stupid McDreamy problems. No Izzie with her stupid cheery Christmas spirit," she muttered as she pulled the blanket tighter around them.
"You don't like to celebrate Christmas?" Owen couldn't keep the surprise out of his voice as he pulled back slightly to look at Cristina.
"You do?" retorted Cristina as she turned around to face him. "I'm Jewish. I don't celebrate Christmas."
"Do you celebrate Hanukkah?" Owen persisted. Clearly, he had done his research; he knew Cristina would play the religion card, but he wanted to do something to make their second Christmas together special and a day to remember.
"No, but-" Cristina opened her mouth to protest but she didn't get more than two words in before Owen cut her off.
"No buts. We're going to celebrate Christmas this year. Just you and me." He punctuated the last sentence with two soft kisses to Cristina's cheek. With that, he planted a final, longer kiss softly on her lips before he grabbed his shirt from floor. "I'll make breakfast while you shower," he said as he left the room.
Cristina watched silently as Owen disappeared around the corner into the kitchen. Her idea of celebrating Christmas usually involved a large bottle of tequila and a couple of shot glasses, but Owen seemed to have something completely different in mind this year, and when Owen Hunt got an idea into his head, there was simply no way of getting it out. She sighed softly. This year, she'd simply have to suck it up and go with whatever Owen had planned.
A few hours later, Meredith and Cristina sat side-by-side on one of the unoccupied stretchers that lined the hallways of the basement.
"Derek wants me to go to New York with him for a week." Meredith broke the silence with the abrupt statement.
"Owen wants to celebrate Christmas properly this year." If they were going to play a game of 'whose-life-sucks-the-most', then Cristina was determined to win it.
"That's sweet. It's better than spending a week in New York for Christmas," shrugged Meredith nonchalantly.
"We don't do Christmas!" said Cristina irritably. Two years ago, there would have been no way in hell that Cristina Yang would have ever let a man persuade her to celebrate any kind of holiday festivity.
"I don't want to spend a week with Derek and his mother in New York," complained Meredith exasperatedly.
"Well then tell him you don't want to go." Cristina rolled her eyes; Meredith's problem had an easy fix. "I haven't celebrated Christmas properly since I was eight."
"You're celebrating Christmas? That's so cool!" Izzie suddenly appeared beside the stretcher carrying a bar of chocolate and a pack of chips.
"I'm not celebrating Christmas," replied Cristina quickly.
"Actually, you kind of are," corrected Meredith as she reached for a chip from Izzie.
"You're not helping." Cristina sighed loudly. She paused. "How do you even celebrate Christmas anyway? Roast a turkey and invite everyone over? Sit around a table and say what you're grateful? Expect a fat man in a red suit to fit down a chimney carrying a sack full of presents? That is why I don't do Christmas."
"It looks like you don't have much of a choice this year," chirped Izzie cheerily as she unwrapped her Hershey's bar. "Chocolate?" she offered, completely oblivious to the death glare radiating from Cristina. The trio sat in silence for a second, each lost in their own thoughts. "So, what did you get for Owen?"
"What?" The question caught Cristina completely off-guard. She had completely forgotten about it.
"You know, a Christmas present. Isn't that what couples do? Exchange coupley presents with each other at Christmas?" continued Izzie as she smiled at Cristina.
"I- I haven't gotten anything yet." Cristina was suddenly interested with the hem of her scrub top as she avoided Izzie's questioning look.
"Cristina! You can't just not get him anything! It's Christmas!" chided Izzie as her eyes widened incredulously.
"She's right," Meredith added as she leant back against the wall.
"What- I- I didn'- Mind your own business." Cristina struggled to find the right words as her mind began spinning at a rapid speed.
"Have you tried asking him what he wants?" continued Izzie persistently.
Cristina remained silent as she couldn't find a smart comeback to Izzie's question. She scolded herself mentally for overlooking the fact that exchanging presents was one of the main traditions that took place during Christmas. "Oh look. Bailey's paging me," said Cristina quickly, looking for an escape from Izzie and her barrage of questions.
"I didn't hear anythi-" began Meredith, but Cristina cut her off.
"I'd love to stay and uh, talk about your crappy life, but I gotta go," she said quickly before making a speedy escape through the doors of the stairwell.
The emergency room was bustling with pre-Christmas activity as Cristina walked through its doors. She quickly flattened herself against the wall as a pair of stretchers laden with critical-looking patients was rushed past her and into the nearby trauma rooms. She looked around casually, scanning for the familiar combination of tousled auburn hair and sapphire blue eyes. Cristina found the object of her search dressed in a yellow trauma gown with a slight frown on his face as his pen scrawled hurriedly across a patient's chart.
"Hey there now," she called as she drew near Owen.
The frown instantly disappeared from Owen's face as he looked up and found himself face to face with Cristina.
"Hey there now to you too," he replied with a smile as he placed a quick kiss on her cheek. "What are you doing down here? I thought you were on Bailey's service today?"
"I left my interns in the clinic to do the non-surgical menial tasks while I looked around the hospital," shrugged Cristina nonchalantly, leaning casually against the counter of the reception table.
Owen's smile widened. "I thought someone already knew the whole hospital, you know, the OR, the ER and the place with the food," he teased with a small twinkle in his eyes.
"What do you want for Christmas?" asked Cristina abruptly, ignoring Owen's attempt at mockery.
"Nothing. I already have you," came Owen's affectionate reply as he gazed almost adoringly back at Cristina before he moved to plant a tender kiss on her lips.
Cristina stopped him before his lips could reach hers. "Be serious," she demanded sternly as a slight frown crept across her face.
"I am being serious. You're all I'll ever want." Owen didn't quite understand her reaction. Usually Cristina would brush off a comment like that, but the corners of her mouth would lift to form a small smile, yet now her expression was completely serious and unamused. "What is it, Cristina?" he asked quietly as he pulled back to look at her.
Before Cristina had the chance to reply, an ER nurse appeared beside them holding a stack of clipboards. "Dr. Hunt, we have incoming trauma, five minutes out. A car slid across a sheet of ice crashing into the kids' Christmas exhibit near the mall."
Owen glanced at Cristina apologetically.
"Go. You have an ER to run." Cristina plastered a fake smile on her face. "Don't worry about it," said Cristina dismissively as she moved to walk off.
"I'll see you later?" asked Owen quickly, not wanting the conversation to end just yet.
"Yeah, sure. See you later." With that, Cristina disappeared through the closing elevator doors.
Owen sighed softly as he watched her leave. He had wanted make this Christmas festivity something to remember and he knew something was bothering Cristina, but he just couldn't pinpoint what.
"Hunt, you paged?" Derek suddenly appeared at the entrance of the trauma room just as Owen yanked off his latex gloves.
"Yes. Mr. Donnelly has severe head trauma, most likely an intracranial haemorrhage so I've had Karev take him down for a CT with contrast," said Owen as he began scribbling rapidly on the SGH clipboard.
"Oh. I see." Derek turned to leave.
"Shepherd, can I talk to you for a second?" called Owen quickly. "Has Meredith mentioned anything about Cristina?"
"Anything in particular? Meredith says a lot about Cristina," laughed Derek as a smile crept onto his face.
"Cristina's acting strangely and I don't know if I said or did anything to prompt it," admitted Owen as he returned the clipboard to the nurse's waiting hands.
"Have you tried asking her?" Derek suggested as he leant casually against the doorway. "That sometimes works."
"No. I was paged here right after I got out of surgery. I just thought she would have mentioned something to the other half of the twisted sisters."
Beep Beep. Derek's pager suddenly went off. "Well, I could ask Meredith for you," he offered as he glanced at his pager. Karev – OR 1. "I have to go, but I'll see you at Joe's tonight?"
"Sure, but I won't stay for too long. I want to take Cristina somewhere tonight since it's Christmas Eve," Owen grinned awkwardly.
"Big plans?" Derek's pager sounded again.
"Not really," replied Owen offhandedly as his pager went off too. "More incoming trauma," he said, glancing at the tiny screen.
"Wait until tomorrow. The ER's going to be swamped," laughed Derek. "We should get going."
"Catch you later, Shepherd," said Owen as he and Derek parted, each going their separate ways.
Izzie walked down the busy hospital corridor and came to a stop in front of an empty supply closet. She peeked in cautiously; not a person in sight.
"What the hell? Who paged me to the freakin' supply closet?" she asked loudly, not caring that she was attracting curious stares from around her.
Suddenly, an arm reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Izzie's white coat. "Not so loud," hissed Cristina as she dragged Izzie into an empty exam room nearby.
"Cristina?" Izzie's eyes were still adjusting to the dim lighting of the room. "Why are you whispering?"
"Keep it down."
"What?" Izzie's eyes widened slightly as the next thought flickered across her mind. "Did you steal organs?" Her voice rose with shock.
"No." Cristina's voice was incredulous.
"Did you perform an unauthorized autopsy?"
"No."
"Did you-" began Izzie before Cristina cut her off.
"Will you shut up and listen?" Patience was not one of Cristina's virtues.
"I'm sorry. You were saying?" Izzie plastered a fake cheery and attentive smile on her face.
"I need your help." Cristina stared unfalteringly at Izzie.
There was a short silence. "I'm going to need to know a little bit more than that if I'm going to help you," said Izzie after a pause.
"I don't know what to get Owen." Cristina wrung her hands in frustration.
"Have you tried asking him?"
"Yes." Trust Izzie to state the obvious, thought Cristina.
"And?" prompted Izzie. Cristina remained silent. "If you want my help, you'll have to tell me what he said."
Cristina sighed. "And he said all he wants is me," came Cristina's mumbled explanation as a faint hint of a blush swept across her pale cheeks.
"Aw, that's so sweet!" gushed Izzie as a huge smile now occupied her face.
"But that's not the point! What do I get him?" snapped Cristina; her cheeks were still a little red from her confession.
"Oh, okay. So, do you know what kind of things he's into?" Izzie's demeanour now resembled that of an overly helpful sales assistant in a department store.
"Surgeries." This was the first thing that sprung to Cristina's mind; all surgeons like surgeries.
Izzie rolled her eyes. "I'm not asking what you like, Cristina. I asked what he likes."
"I don't know." Frustration began to leak into Cristina's voice as she found herself at a complete loss of what to say.
"You have to know something," persisted Izzie. She paused for a second. "Have you considered making him something? He seems like the homey and practical type to me."
"Like what? I don't like arts and crafts. And why would I bake when I can buy?" retorted Cristina.
"You don't have to like arts to make something. Even Meredith tried to knit a scarf in her sex-crazed celibate state." Izzie rolled her eyes again. "If Meredith, the child of darkness, can knit a scarf, then you, Cristina Yang, sure as hell can make something arty-crafty."
Cristina opened her mouth to retort as a thought suddenly hit her; she knew what the perfect Christmas gift for Owen was. She turned and looked Izzie seriously in the eye. "I'm going to need your help."
The ancient grandfather clock chimed loudly in the near-deserted lobby of the hospital as Owen sat impatiently on one of its hard, plastic chairs. He and Cristina had agreed to meet up near the entrance of the hospital at nine o'clock, but it was nine-seventeen PM already. Cristina was late and he was starting to get worried. He pulled out his phone call her.
"Hey." Cristina suddenly appeared beside him, dressed in a dark maroon coloured top and jeans, wearing her signature leather jacket and her favourite shoulder bag. As soon as Owen stood up, Cristina captured his lips in a short yet passionate kiss as her arms snaked themselves around him. "Sorry I'm late," she murmured softly against his lips when they broke apart to get some air.
"It's okay. Let's go to Joe's, the others are there already."
"Why? What's the occasion?" Genuine confusion crept across Cristina's face at Owen's words.
"Just a small Christmas Eve celebration before Meredith and Derek leave for New York," smiled Owen before he engulfed Cristina's smaller hand into his bigger one as he led her out the hospital doors.
The cold winter breeze swirled mercilessly around them as they made the familiar journey towards the Emerald City bar. Instinctively, Owen drew Cristina closer to him, wrapping his arm tightly around her small waist, almost as if he were trying to shield her from the bitter wind. Thankfully, the journey was a short one as the bells jingled loudly as the door at the entrance swung open and they stepped into the welcoming warmth of the door.
They looked around for familiar faces amidst the bustling activity of the bar.
"Hunt! There you are," came Mark's booming voice from one of the larger booths near the bar. They spotted the already semi-drunk group of doctors from the hospital.
"What am I? Invisible?" muttered Cristina as she rolled her eyes at Mark's boisterous behaviour.
Owen suppressed at smile at Cristina's comment as he leaned in slightly. "I see you," he whispered quietly as they drew near the table.
"Hey Cristina! You made it." Meredith came over and hugged her person warmly. "Owen," she acknowledged before she grabbed Cristina and headed towards the bar.
Owen watched Cristina disappear with Meredith with a slight frown on his face. He should have known Meredith would take Cristina away for some girl talk.
"They'll be back later." Derek appeared beside Owen carrying a half-empty glass of scotch. "Just sit back, get a drink and relax," he continued as he seated himself on the chair next to Owen.
Owen sighed loudly before he signalled Joe. "Can I get a beer?"
"Coming right up," came Joe's reply before he disappeared behind the bar.
"Going easy on the alcohol tonight?" noted Derek as Joe reappeared carrying a large glass filled to the brim with beer.
"So, what time is your plane leaving tomorrow?" asked Owen, ignoring Derek's question as he sipped on his drink.
"I don't know if we should even go to New York. Meredith's freaking out about spending the week there with my mother. I just thought it'd be a good idea if my mother got to know her better over a holiday like Christmas." Derek ran a hand roughly through his perfectly styled hair. "Does Cristina get along with your mother?" he asked curiously; if one of the twisted sisters could get along with mothers, then why couldn't the other?
"They've only a couple of times. Once was the first time I went to see my Mum after getting back from Iraq. Cristina sometimes comes along with me when I visit her on the weekends," came Owen's reply as he grabbed a handful of peanuts from the bowl in front of them. "They got along pretty well I guess, especially when it came to embarrassing stories from my childhood," grimaced Owen as Derek let out a small chuckle.
"So what are your plans for Christmas? I heard you got a few grand plans coming along," remarked Derek, polishing off his scotch before signalling Joe for another one.
"Grands plans? Where'd you hear that one from? It'll probably be just a family dinner with my Mum, exchanging presents and you know, just the traditional Christmas stuff," shrugged Owen.
"You're kidding right?" Derek let out a small chuckle.
Owen looked at him questioningly. "Why would I be kidding?"
"From what I've heard, Meredith's under the impression you're going all out this year. You know, a big Christmas tree with Christmas lights and full-blown Christmas dinner. Kind of like a big romantic gesture for Cristina," replied Derek, still chuckling slightly.
"Really?"A contemplative look crossed Owen's face as he turned his next thought slowly over in his mind. "It is the 24th today right?" he asked suddenly as he checked his watch.
"It's Christmas Eve," replied Derek as he looked questioningly at Owen. "You have something big in mind?" he guessed.
"Not really. It's just an idea." Owen finished off his beer and grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair.
"Go. Have fun. And get me my wife back," laughed Derek as he swallowed down the last bit mouthful of his scotch.
Owen found Cristina and Meredith in a small secluded booth near the back of the bar.
He got just close enough to distinguish Cristina's voice over the noise from the other patrons of the bar. "Just tell him that you don't think New York is a good idea. Problem solved," said Cristina as she downed a shot of tequila.
"It's not that simple. Hey, don't drink all the tequila!" slurred Meredith as she grabbed the bottle clumsily from Cristina. "I don't want to go to New York. He does. I don't celebrate Christmas. He does. We are just so incompatible I don't even know how we get along. Opposites do attract, they just don't get along," rambled Meredith as she took a swig straight from the bottle.
"Sorry to break it up, ladies, but Cristina and I have got somewhere to go," said Owen smoothly with a smile as he appeared in front of their booth.
'Thank God,' mouthed Cristina to Owen while Meredith took another long swig from the bottle.
"Maybe you should go easy on the tequila," suggested Owen to Meredith as he signalled to Derek who finished off his drink before sauntering over.
"It's Christmas Eve and I'm allowed to get drunk," retorted Meredith, clearly inebriated as she clutched the bottle of tequila like a life line.
"About time, McDreamy," muttered Cristina as Derek appeared. "She's all yours. Oh and for the record, she'd rather spend Christmas alone in Seattle rather than with McMama in New York." With that, Cristina picked up her jacket and shoulder bag before she grabbed Owen's hand and led him off, leaving behind a slightly bewildered looking Derek.
"That was a bit harsh," murmured Owen quietly as they walked towards the exit of the bar.
"Would you rather she called me at two in the morning to complain about going to New York for Christmas?" countered Cristina as they stepped out once again into the biting cold.
"Good point." It was simply fruitless to argue with Cristina.
They walked quickly hand-in-hand towards Cristina's apartment, but as Cristina turned to go through the main doors, Owen tugged gently on her hand, causing her to turn around and look at him questioningly.
"Wait. I want to take you somewhere first," he said with a secretive smile.
"It's almost eleven-thirty PM. Where would you want to go?" asked Cristina with a look of exasperation.
"Come on. It won't take more than an hour and a half." With that, Owen led Cristina wordlessly down the street to the where he had parked his truck a couple of days ago. He opened the door quietly for her, ignoring her puzzled look as he walked to the driver's side and got into the truck.
They drove for about twenty or so minutes with the occasional childish question of 'Are we there yet?' from Cristina throughout the duration of the ride.
"Almost there," said Owen as the truck slowed to a stop in front of an ancient looking building that Cristina had never seen before. "Come on," he said, hiding a grin at the perplexed look on Cristina's face as he opened her side of the door.
"Why are we visiting a lighthouse in the middle of the night?" whispered Cristina as they walked quietly pass the sleeping guard and began their slow ascent up the winding staircase of the giant structure.
"Don't worry, you'll like it," came Owen's reply as a childish grin mixed with a bit of pride lit up his face. It was the same answer he had given her when he had first shown her the magic of the vent.
In a couple of minutes, their short journey ended as they reached the top of the winding staircase which led to a flat balcony-like lookout point. The wind swept playfully at Cristina's hair, blowing her wild ebony curls around her with a vent-like effect.
"Come on," Owen tugged gently on Cristina's hand as he led her shyly towards the edge of the structure, overlooking the dark sea.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?" asked Cristina as she stared out into the darkness.
Owen didn't reply for a moment as he moved behind Cristina and wrapped his arms gently around her small frame. "Close your eyes and turn your head upwards," he murmured softly into her ear.
Cristina did as Owen said as she stood there in the comfort of his strong and secure arms.
"Now open them."
Nothing could have prepared Cristina for what she saw next. A stunning display of lights and a glimmering ribbon of colours greeted her as she opened her eyes slowly. She gasped softly at the breathtaking sight; it was like nothing she had ever seen before.
"It's a clear night; one of the few Seattle gets all year," came Owen's voice from softly beside her ear. "And that is the Northern Lights."
The sight had taken away Cristina's ability of speech as she stared up at the sky, mesmerized by the vibrant array of colours.
"Close your eyes again," whispered Owen as he reached into the right hand side pocket of his leather jacket. It took all of her willpower to tear her eyes away from the stunning sight, but Cristina complied cooperatively with Owen's request, shutting her eyes and lowering her gaze slightly. There was a soft rustling noise as Owen produced something from his pocket. "Okay, look down and open them."
Cristina gasped again softly as she stared at the minute object in Owen's hand. A small yet elegant diamond ring that sat nestled on a thin silver band stared back at Cristina from Owen's hand. She turned around in and looked at Owen with surprise written all over her face.
"I know I haven't always been the man you deserve, but give me a chance to make myself worthy of you. Give me a chance to create a future with you. My before isn't something I'm proud of, but give me a chance to make my after with you something to remember. You were the light that led me through my darkest days. Cristina, I'm yours if you're willing to take me." He held his breath as his finished his short speech, waiting for Cristina to reply.
A short silence fell upon them as Owen's word sunk in for Cristina. Her mouth was slightly agape as she stared back at him. Then, in one fluid motion, her hand found the back of Owen's neck as she guided his mouth to hers and their tongues intertwined as the two soul mates connected under the brilliant display of colours that shone above them.
They pulled apart momentarily to catch a breath as Cristina uttered a single word before their lips met once again.
"Yes."
The large metal bell situated at the utmost top storey of the lighthouse suddenly tolled loudly twelve times signalling it was finally midnight. The kissing couple pulled apart as Owen glanced at his watch.
"Merry Christmas, Cristina," he murmured as he slipped the delicate band of metal onto her slim finger.
She merely smiled in response as he pulled her in for another kiss. Then, a sudden realisation crossed Cristina's mind and it took all her willpower to pull away from Owen's embrace. Owen looked questioningly at Cristina as she bent down and reached into her shoulder bag that had fallen to the floor during their steamy exchange.
"Merry Christmas, Owen," she said as she placed a roughly wrapped rectangular shaped present into his hand. "It's not much, but I tried my best."
Owen smiled in response as he unwrapped the package. The wrapping paper came off to reveal a thin brown handmade photo album. A thick red ribbon had been glued onto the cover below the hand sewn words 'United Under an Icicle'. A small chuckle escaped Owen as he flipped the book open to its first page. The photo that greeted him sent him into a fit of laughter as he glanced up at Cristina whose face reddened ever-so-slightly; it was one of the photos that Cristina's old interns had taken when she had told them to 'take my picture' while she lay on the stretcher, impaled by the icicle. Still chuckling slightly, Owen flipped to the next page. The photo on it was slightly blurry as it had been taken from a screenshot of security camera video, but a red haired man in army fatigues could be clearly seen carrying a dark-haired woman through the doors of the hospital. Owen quickly flipped through the remaining pages of the album and his face lit up as each photo carrying a memory appeared before him. Cristina watched quietly as an array of emotions flickered across Owen's face until he finally reached the end of the album which had a picture of them together from last week at Arizona's birthday party.
"What do you think?" she asked anxiously as Owen closed the book. "I mean, it's not the best Christmas present I could have gotten even though I called in favours for the photos but-" Cristina didn't get to finish as Owen cut her off.
"I love it," he said sincerely as he gave her a small smile.
"Really?" Cristina couldn't keep the surprise from her voice.
"Yes. Thank you." With that, he enveloped Cristina into a tight yet secure hug before he pulled back slightly. "It's missing something though," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Ignoring Cristina's questioning look, he switched his phone to camera mode with the click of a button as he drew Cristina closer towards him, aiming the lens of his phone towards them. "Smile," he murmured as he pressed the photo button. The phone's flash light clicked with a blinding white light as the memory of their second Christmas together was documented with the press of the button.
Epilogue:
It had been a busy day for the kid behind the counter of the photo department at Walmart; there had been an endless line of families who wanted to instant prints of the photos taken at Christmas dinners to give to relatives before they parted for another year. The bustling activity had gradually died down as the closing hours of the store drew nearer.
Just as the kid was about to finish up and start heading home, a slightly out-of-breath couple appeared at the counter, holding a small USB device.
He turned around and plastered a quick smile on his face as he faced the couple."Hi. Welcome to the Walmart Photo Centre. Which photos would you like printed and what kind of print do you want?" he asked as he took the USB from them and plugged it into the staff computer.
"Oh, there's only one photo on there," replied the petite woman with the wild ebony curls as she smiled up at the tall, rugged-looking auburn haired man. "One 8 x 10 instant print, thanks."
"Okay. It won't take more than a few minutes," replied the kid as he pressed the 'Print' button on the computer before unplugging and handing the USB back. He noted the small shiny diamond ring on the woman's finger as she received the USB from him. "You two are married?" He couldn't help with his curiosity as he stared at the pair.
"Engaged, actually," corrected the man as he exchanged a secretive smile with the woman. "We're getting married in March."
"Wow, congratulations," came the kid's genuine reply as he smiled back at the couple. Suddenly, a churning sound came from the back room as the couple's photo was printed. "Be right back," he said with a smile as he excused himself to collect their photo.
As he reached down to place the photograph into the complimentary Walmart photo envelope, the strange assortment of colours on the image caught his eye and caused him pause for a moment before he scooped up the photo to take a closer look at it. A couple that in a tight embrace stood smiling in front of a spectacle of colours stared back at him, each sporting large warm smiles as their eyes shone with unsuppressed joy and happiness. The kid felt like an intruder walking in on a personal and intimate moment shared by the couple as he noted that this was no ordinary Christmas photo. He quietly slipped the photo into its case before walking back towards the counter.
"That will be $3.20," he said as he placed the envelope in the couple's waiting hands. The man pulled out his wallet and placed a twenty dollar bill into the kid's hands.
"Keep the change," smiled the man as he pocketed his wallet again. "Have a good night." With that, he wrapped his arm securely around his fiancé's thin waist and guided her gently towards the door.
The kid watched them leave; all thoughts of weariness from the day vanished as he watched them disappear through the automatic doors of the store. What that couple had wasn't the teenage-like infatuation that was common between the couples that had come and go from the store; it was the type of love that ran much deeper than that, like the ties that bind.
Author's Note: I hope that Santa was kind to you all and that you have/had a wonderful Christmas. The twentieth chapter for 'The Past in the Present' will hopefully be up by next Sunday.
- F.L