Lost – Unwrapped
By Mystic
December 27th 2005
There were never many presents under Kate's tree at Christmas. Sometimes there wasn't even a tree. Wayne didn't believe in Christmas. He always told her it was a holiday for religious freaks and folks who spoiled their children. He wouldn't have it in his house. But sometimes her mom convinced him. She liked the lights. Kate liked the lights too. They didn't have the fancy ones that blinked or chased each other around on the string. They were plain white and hung sloppily on the edge of the roof.
Wayne made Kate put them up herself.
Kate used to sit in the giant Oak in her front yard and imagine the lights were in color. Tom had lights in color. Tom had a big Christmas tree full of decorations and lights, its underside stuffed with presents that had bright bows and beautiful gold and red wrapping. She used to go to his house just to stare at the tree. They'd sit on the floor doing homework after school. He'd tease her about finishing so quickly, about being so smart, and she'd kick him and watch the lights dance around the ornaments.
When she was eight, Wayne brought home a tree. It was bushy and hunter green and fresh. He cursed as he pulled it into the house and he leaned it up against a wall. He stared down at her. She was sitting at the dinner table, a fork full of corn propped at the edge of her lips. Kate looked from the tree to her step father and she closed her mouth around the fork, chewing slowly on the corn as he wrinkled his nose at her. He muttered something that sounded like 'damned pig' and he stomped back out into the living room.
"Diane!" He shouted up the stairs.
Kate bit her bottom lip, standing slowly and walking to that space between the tree and the wall, facing out across the family room into the living room. "She left for work an hour ago."
He huffed, slapping his gloves against left hand. Wayne stared at the ground and his eyes rose slowly, that way that gave her goose bumps and she rubbed a hand absently against the arm through grey sweater she wore. "So, you gonna help me with the damned tree?"
She stared at him, her eyes darting towards the front door.
"Didn't you want this tree?" Wayne waved a hand at the tall green pine that sat comfortably against the all. He gave her a smile when she looked at him. "Come on, Katie, help me with this thing."
Her breath escaped as he came closer to her and she backed around the tree, her hands going into the branches to find ones thick enough to lift with. They carried it into the living room and she held it steady while he moved the loveseat. Kate watched him, seeing the way his back was drenched with sweat from a day's work after he pulled off his heavy jean jacket.
"Gotta go get the stand," he muttered, going out the front door.
She watched snow blow in and a picture fell somewhere in the family room. Kate jumped at that popping sound, heard the tree give a shake with her movement. Wayne came back in, shook himself and stomped his boots, taking the stand to the corner. He waved a hand and stood, grabbing hold of the tree and lifting it out of her hands and shoving it into the stand. "Should fill that with water; make sure the damn thing don't die." He huffed. "That's all we'd need, dead pine needles all over the livin' room."
Nodding, she went quickly into the kitchen and filled a pitcher with water, taking it back into the living room where Wayne was now seated. He watched her fill the stand with water and she stood, holding the pitcher against her belly and swallowed. He leaned back in the chair and undid his belt buckle. Ordinarily, she'd run, because if Wayne undid his belt you were getting chased for some reason. But he let it drop to the ground and he closed his eyes.
"Got dinner ready, girl?"
She looked beyond him, to her plate still sitting on the table. Her hand twisting on the handle of the pitcher, Kate walked quickly towards the kitchen. Wayne caught her by the arm, gripping into her flesh tightly. She took in a breath sharply, looking down at him as he stared up at her. Her head spun slightly, afraid.
He nodded his head towards the tree. "Well, ain't you gonna thank me?"
"Thank you for the Christmas tree, Wayne," she half-whispered. Her voice had gone, hidden behind the long waves that curtained her face when she bowed her head bashfully.
He reached up and swept it behind her shoulder, his knuckles brushing her cheek. "Ain't you gonna give me a kiss?"
Kate closed her eyes a moment, feeling the warmth of his hand seeping through her sweater and into her body. She wanted to pull away from him, but knew it was a bad idea. So she leaned into him and kissed his cheek gently, feeling the stubble brush her lips. His hand released her and dropped into his lap and his face turned away. "Go on, girl, fetch my dinner."
She brought him his food, hers left cold on the dinner table and when he fell asleep, she went up into the attic to get the lights. Half of them wouldn't work. She knew from experience. So she tested them, taking the one string that did work and she wrapped it around the tree, standing back after she plugged them in. Her feet were light on the stairs as she went back up to get the box of ornaments. Old and mostly made herself over the years. She placed them neatly, spaced out evenly, and sat on the ground. She pulled her legs to her chest, her eyes glazing over as she stared up at her tree.
Sometimes, when she looked at the ocean now, she saw that tree. The only one Wayne ever gave her without her or her mother having to ask. She knew it was Christmas now. Jack made a calendar and Charlie had gotten all excited because it was Aaron's first. She saw John making the baby a small wooden toy. Something that would be useless, but the gesture would be appreciated by Claire. Kate closed her eyes and felt the chill that traveled on the winds now. She shivered and jumped when she felt a blanket drop over her shoulders, warm arms wrapping it around her, legs lying down at either side of hers.
For a moment she felt trapped and her heart pounded, but she smelled him just before he affirmed, "It's just me."
She swallowed, nodding and eased into him. It wasn't usual, but it wasn't unwanted. Kate watched his hands cross in front of her as he hugged her. "Jack?"
"You looked cold," he told her, his shoulders shrugging. "You ok?"
"Um," she turned slightly, watching the way he stared at her concerned. "Yeah, I'm good. I was cold."
"It's Christmas," he said simply.
"I know," she nodded.
"Merry Christmas," he smiled. "I'd give you a present, but I don't think FedEx would make it out here in time."
"That's ok," she told him. Kate watched him and wondered what kind of tree he had as a child. She knew he came from a wealthy family. Jack probably had the biggest tree on the block, with everything he wanted under it. She envied that a little. "What would you get me?"
"What?" Jack jerked back, slightly surprised.
She smiled at him. "If you could get me something, what would you get me."
"A get out of jail free card," he sighed.
Kate laughed, her head ducking down, her hair sliding forward when the wind died down. "I'd probably get you a tie. Ties are good, useful gifts."
"That what you used to get your dad?"
She shook her head, feeling him tighten his grip slightly. "My dad didn't have a use for ties."
"What'd he get you?" Jack asked curiously.
Kate frowned. "He got me a Christmas tree once."
Jack didn't respond. He just nodded. "I'd get you a new shirt, a nice clean white one. Maybe take you out to dinner. Some place with a good vegetarian menu. And some hair ties," he pulled her hair away from her face and she looked up at him. "Honestly, I don't know what you'd want."
"This is good," she replied softly, swallowing and turning away. Kate leaned against him, feeling him nuzzle her temple with his cheek and she shifted her eyes, watching the sky turn pink and then purple and finally black and she fell asleep there, wrapped in her Christmas present dreaming of her tree.
Finis