Amber has never been the subtle type. Never. And even when she tries to be subtle, she always fails. I've never thought of this to be a bad thing. With it, I can always tell whether she's mad and just trying to hide it so then I can prep myself and try my best to make her feel better.

So I'm not that shocked when she decides to tell me, upfront, that she wants to have the best Christmas ever.

"Hey, Alfie?" she says in her adorable voice while we're eating dinner. It's slightly higher than usual, which tells me that she wants something.

"Yeah? You need anything?" I look at her. She still looks as beautiful as ever.

She nods. "Yeah. It's our first year being married and all…"

At this point, I kind of tune out, thinking about our wedding ceremony. It was beautiful. Amber wanted to feel like a princess, which I definitely expected, so we had the ceremony in an ice palace. As she walked down the aisle in her tiara-veil and her white dress, I just smiled. She was the most gorgeous thing I've ever seen.

"and I need you to make this a spectacular Christmas. Cafiche?"

Wait. What did I just tune out of?

"Excuse me, what did you just say?" I ask her, scrunching up my face in confusion. I hope I heard her wrong.

"I want this Christmas to be special," she smiles. "I mean, you've done a lot for me already. This shouldn't be a problem."

I guess it shouldn't. I've done so many things for Amber, but she hasn't asked me to do anything for Christmas yet. All I usually do is hang mistletoe at random places around the house once we started living together. And trust me, mistletoe is a lot of fun.

"Okay," I said, putting on a determined smile. "I'll do it."

Amber's face instantly lights up. She smiles and gives me a peck on the cheek. "Thanks Alfie!" She then skips off, her blonde, wavy hair bouncing as she does. Making Amber happy like this is the only reason I do such extravagant things for her.

Yes, she is a piece of work. Yes, I'd probably be more suited for a girl who does not force me to do things like this. But I don't mind it when it's her. Not one bit.

I call up Jerome, Fabian, Mick, and Eddie in a group call, needing some advice about this. Amber and I married last out of our group. All of them married once they were out of college: Fabian and Nina, Patricia and Eddie, Jerome and Mara, and Mick and Joy. However, Amber and I waited another year. It was probably because Amber was in America for the first year of college and she finally joined us for the second. But either way, I have no expertise when it comes to things like this, so I desperately need their help. I mean, I'm screwed.

"Hey you guys," I say into the phone. "Thanks for picking up. I really need your help."

"Don't worry, Alfie." I can practically see Fabian smiling as he's saying this. "We're here for you."

"Now what does the princess want?" Jerome asks; I already imagine him raising an eyebrow. I usually only group call when it's about Amber. I prefer to talk separately to them, but when it comes to giving Amber the most I can, I need a group call. It's much more efficient this way.

I sigh before telling them, "She wants an extravagant Christmas since it's our first Christmas as a married couple."

Eddie just starts laughing, which I expected, since it's Eddie we're talking about. That, and he usually laughs when I tell him I have to do extravagant things for Amber. He never got to know Amber well, so he doesn't really understand why Amber is so superficial and needs all of this. He also doesn't understand why I do this for her. In fact, no one truly understands except for maybe Jerome.

"I am so happy Patricia never asks for stuff like this!" he explains, and we all laugh.

"Or Mara, for that matter," Jerome adds; I can see him shaking his head, his dirty blonde hair flopping around.

"You guys might want to be quiet," Fabian starts, chuckling, "or they might start soon."

"You know it!" I hear Patricia yell, and we all laugh even harder. But then she adds, "But get her some flowers and chocolate. You can never go wrong with that."

I exclaim to the guys, "At least Trixie's helping me!"

"Hey, we're trying," Mick says.

"Actually, that's a good idea," Eddie ponders. "Get her some roses and the most expensive chocolate you can find. You'll thank me later."

"What do you not understand by extravagant?" I ask him, exasperated. "Amber wants the most amazing gift a guy can ever give to her. And I end up giving her roses and expensive chocolate? Anyone can do that!"

"Plus, Eddie and Patricia are practically one," Mick adds. "They're prone to the same ideasㅡgood or bad."

I shrug. It's true. "So what am I supposed to do?" I ask them once more in a panic. I just really need a good idea. I'm completely lost, to say the least.

And that's when I start hearing Nina sing a song. Okay, admittedly, Nina isn't the best singer. But Iㅡand Fabianㅡlisten to her carefully. She's singing Twelve Days of Christmas. Man, that is the epitome of gift-giving! This dude gives his true love a gift for twelve days! Twelve straight days! Wait a minute…

"Nina, you are a genius!" I exclaim into the phone.

"Wha-" she starts, obviously confused and unaware that I was listening to her.

"That's it! The song!" I cut her off instantly. Hey, I'm on a rant in the midst of a great idea. This is what you should expect. "She was singing Twelve Days of Christmas. I'll do the same thing! I'll give Amber a gift every single day for twelve days! This is the best idea ever!"

"It's not bad," Jerome says. "Could be better, but you're desperate."

I feel the need to glare at him like I would at the old days when we were at Anubis House. This is a fabulous idea! I just need to think of twelve different gifts! I mean, that's no problem at all, right?

No, wait, it is. I have no ideas whatsoever.

"You guys mind helping me with thinking of twelve gifts?" I ask sheepishly.

They all laugh, say of course, and help me out. Eventually, the entire Anubis gang (except for Amber, of course) also gets on the phone, and we all figure out the perfect list of twelve things ever. At least, I hope it's perfect. It better be. Because Amber does not deserve anything less than perfect.

12 red velvet cupcakes

Willow told me to make cupcakes. It didn't shock meㅡI remember from when we were dating that Willow loves cupcakesㅡbut it did get me thinking. Amber loves cupcakes as well. I specifically remember her stating her favorite kind: red velvet. So I decided that I would bake her a dozen red velvet cupcakes.

I went to the supermarket already to buy some bake mix, a wisk, a muffin pan, frosting, and rainbow sprinkles. And now that I'm back home with them, I feel super motivated and excited. I'm going to make the best cupcakes Amber ever tasted. She's going to love them.

I read the directions on the box. I preheat the oven before starting on the batter. I need one cup of water, ¼ cup of oil, and 3 eggs. I take out the eggs and look for measuring cups, and that's when I realize that we don't own any. I shrug, grabbing a cup and estimating. I mean, I have a good eye. At least, that's what Jerome says to me. I hope he's telling the truth.

I wisk everything together until it's smooth. Then, after placing cupcake wrappers (red with white heartsㅡjust like Amber likes them) into the depressions in the muffin pan, I pour the batter into the muffin pan. There's some overflowing, but that's not a huge deal. The more batter for the cupcakes, the better it's going to taste.

I shove the muffin pan into the oven before closing it shut. I check the directions once more. They need to bake for 8-12 minutes. Perfect. I throw away the box and start to get the frosting ready. I'm hoping that Amber will be willing to decorate these with me. I bet she will, seeing that she has an eye for creativity. She is a fashion stylish after all.

I hear the door to our house unlock, and I know she's home. I feel myself beaming. I can't wait to show her my beautiful cupcakes that we will frost and eat together. I'm so psyched!

"Hey beautiful," I smile at her, pecking her on the cheek.

She blushes harder than the blush she's wearing. That always gives me a sense of confidence. "Hey Alfie," she smiles back. "What do you have planned for me?"

I smile knowingly, shaking my head. Of course Amber would jump at the moment to ask me what I'm doing for her. I mean, this is Amber we're talking about. I wouldn't expect anything else.

"I'm baking," I say with a smile, feeling accomplished.

"Baking?" she raises an eyebrow in disbelief teasingly. "Who are you and what have you done with Alfie?"

"Hey!" I exclaim. "I can bake if I want to."

"Sure," she says sarcastically. Then, her face cringes, which worries me. She only does that when she's disgusted. "Alfie, why does it smell like something's burning?"

"Oh shoot!" I exclaim, running to the kitchen and opening the oven. However, to my dismay, I see the cupcakes I made for Amber and I to share romantically on fire. This is great. Just great.

"Alfie, do something!" Amber exclaims. Panicked, I turn off the heat and fill a bunch of glasses with cold water. I splash the water onto the cupcakes, and the fire simmers a little. Amber and I work together to put out the fire little by little, and once we're done, I take out the cupcakes, burning my hands from forgetting that the metal muffin trap is still scorching hot. And, of course, the cupcakes were burnt. Extremely burnt. That's just great.

Amber looks into the oven before exclaiming while pouting, "Alfie! You burned our oven! Now we have to buy a new one."

She looks at me, enraged, and I just squeak, smiling sheepishly, "Do you at least want some frosting?"

She just glares at me, and I wince, both at my burn and her piercing glare.

11 pop CDs

Mara chose this one for me. She said that she remembered Amber listening to pop music all the time when they were roommates, going on to say how annoyed she was when she wanted to study but Amber wouldn't turn it down. And then I realized what a great idea it was. Whenever the radio was on, it was always on Capital FM, UK's #1 Hit Music Station. She absolutely loves pop music. So I decided on 11 pop CDs.

I go on Yelp and find the closest music store I can find: Chuck and Jerry's CD Shop. Quickly, I obtain the directions on Google Maps before setting out to go there. It's only a couple of miles away, so it's not a long drive.

Once I get there, however, I'm shocked to learn that there is no pop CDs there whatsoever.

"What do you mean you don't sell any pop CDs?" I ask in exasperation. I am in a CD shop after all. To not sell any pop CDs at a CD shop is insane and absurd.

"Sorry, kiddo," a sales clerk―Chuck, I think; I can't see his name tag―says. "We mainly sell rock, country, and alternative. It's not everyday we see a bubblegum pop guy like you walk in."

"It's for my wife!" I exclaim in an attempt to defend myself. "Just, please, tell me you have something."

He sighs, walking over to a shelf and getting a bunch of CDs. He then throws them in a pile right in front of me. "These artists have been played on the pop station before. Just buy these."

I quirk an eyebrow unsurely. "Are you sure?"

He rolls his eyes, already scanning them. "Beggars can't be choosers."

This Chuck guy is getting on my nerves. I'm really sick of him. But I really want to make Amber happy. I have no choice but to trust him. I pass him my credit card, hoping I'm making the right decision. He gives me the receipt, and I sign it, grabbing the plastic bag filled with CDs and walking out. He wishes me a good day, but I don't say anything back. At this point, I don't care about him. I only care about Amber and what she thinks.

I drive back home, crossing my fingers on the wheel. It's a short drive, but with my heart pumping out of my chest, it feels like an eternity. And once I'm home, I see Amber's car parked in the garage. Great, she's home. Now I have less time to prepare my head from what's going to happen.

I unlock the door and walk in, yelling, "Hey Ambs!"

"Hey Alfie!" she yells back. "I'm in the kitchen thinking about our burnt oven."

I walk towards the kitchen. I'm so screwed now. "I'm sorry about that!"

Her head pops out of the kitchen; she looks as beautiful as ever. I can tell she's still happy. I hate ruining her happiness.

Her eyes light up once she sees the plastic bag I'm holding. Oh no. She noticed it. "Ooh, what's in the bag?"

"Your gift," I admit, giving it to her. Well, there's no going back now.

Amber smiles, looking into it. "Well, maybe this will make up for the cupcakes you tried to make me yest-" She halts when she sees what's inside the bag. "What is this?!"

Oh no. "CDs. I couldn't find your favorite artists, so I bought people that you've probably heard of."

She scoffs, reading the names on the CDs. "Are you kidding me?! These are people Patricia and Eddie would listen to!"

"Is that bad?" I squeak.

She glares at me angrily. "Of course!"

I look down to the floor, ashamed. I shouldn't have trusted that Chuck guy. I would've been way off buying Amber a 50 pound iTunes gift card.

10 red roses

Eddie was the one who gave me this idea. He had been set on this since the beginning, and I couldn't deny that. I mean, roses are super romantic, right? If they are, a bouquet would make Amber blush and smile like there's no tomorrow.

I make sure to get up super early today so then I can surprise her with the bouquet once she gets up. She'll be so surprised and it'll be amazing. This is such a great idea. I mean, nothing can go wrong.

I quickly walk out of our bedroom, get changed, and tiptoe into the garage. Then, I climb carefully into my car, being careful not to make any sudden movements. Amber is a light sleeper. She'll get up at any loud noise.

I'm about to turn on the engine when I realize that two things will be loud enough for Amber to wake up: turning on the engine and opening the garage.

I decide impulsively to walk to the florist. It's only a few blocks away anyways. I close the door to the car quietly before walking out of the garage to use the front door instead. Once I walk outside, I lock the door as quietly as I can. It's much quieter than the garage, that's for sure.

And that's when I realize that it's snowing. Hard. And all I'm wearing is sweatpants, sneakers, gloves, and a winter coat. That's just great. I'm already freezing.

I run as quickly as I can to the florist, trying to make myself feel warmer and lessen the amount of time I'm outside as much as I can. At this point, I'm so relieved we live close to the florist, or else I would've probably died from frostbite.

Once I get there, the florist looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"This girl must be special," he comments with a smirk. "How many roses do you want?"

I blink a couple times, registering his words. "How did yo-" He looks up at me, holding a couple of roses, which tells me that he's never going to say how he knew. "Ten, please."

He puts ten roses in a gorgeous bouquet, and I give him a ten pound bill. Then, I walk into the snowstorm again. I think I'm running even faster than before. I just can't wait to see Amber's face when she sees all of the roses.

Once I'm home, I unlock the door quietly and tiptoe upstairs and into our bedroom. I look at Amber; she's still sleeping. She looks absolutely gorgeous when she's asleep.

After a minute, Amber groggily stirs, as if she senses that I'm here. She stretches and blinks a couple of times. "Alfie?" she croaks, looking as adorable as ever. "Why are you covered in snow?"

Oh, I am? I never realized.

"Surprise!" I exclaim cheerfully, handing her the bouquet of roses. I expect her to be fawning at it, blushing, smiling, and thanking me for all of my hard work.

But, instead, she just shakes her head.

"Red roses are so cliche," she says haughtily. "Pick and white roses are the way to go."

My eyes widen in shock. She has got to be kidding me. I did all of this for her and she's still acting like that? She's so unappreciative!

"I need to get ready," she says, getting up from the bed and flipping her hair. "I'll see you later, kay?"

She walks past me, and I just stand there, dumbfounded. What just happened?

9 new Maseratis

Mick gave me this idea. He knows Amber is materialistic (we all have to admit that she is), and he thinks that she'll love it. Mick isn't the sharpest crayon in the box, but I thought that this idea was pretty smart. Amber will love it. I mean, she loves flaunting stuff in other people's faces!

Once I wake up the next day, I immediately get out of bed and tiptoe downstairs. Once I think I'm far enough so then Amber wouldn't wake up by a whisper, I call the closest Maserati car dealership and wait for someone to pick up.

After a couple of minutes, I finally get a voice on the other side of the line.

"Hi, I was wondering if you have nine Maseratis I can buy," I say into the phone, and even though it is a whisper, I can feel my voice getting higher by the second. The person on the other side stays silent, so I explain, "It's a gift for my wife."

I can feel the person on the other side of the line judging me, and I don't really feel like explaining my situation. I'm just going to let him or her judge. The things I do for Amber…

He mutters quickly that he's going to refer me to someone else, and I huff, waiting for another voice to pop up. All I want is nine Maseratis. Is that so weird?

Okay, it is, but it's Amber's fault, not mine.

Do I even have the money to afford nine Maseratis? Sure I got a raise for my job a couple of weeks ago, but I'm not filthy rich. Heck, I'm not even sure how I have enough money to spoil Amber like this.

Another voice booms through my phone loudly, and I turn down the volume. The person asks me if I really want to buy nine Maseratis, and, shocking myself, I decide:

"Nah, it's okay. I'll just rent for the day."

I can literally see Mickㅡwell, everyone from Anubis Houseㅡshaking their head at me, and even I would do that. I feel so dumb. Amber's going to hate me now!

The guy says they'll be here in an hour a minute after I give him my address, and I hang up. This is great. I'm so screwed.

I decide to run up the stairs and get Amber out of the door before the hour's up. Then I'll think about another gift during work and give that gift to Amber instead of the Maseratis. It seems foolproof enough.

So once Amber wakes up, I literally drag her into the bathroom. And then she starts humming. And I remember that she takes forever to get out of the bathroom once she's in.

She ends up spending 57 minutes in there. I'm already ready to get the heck out of the house, and she's not even out of her pajamas! I throw her a pretty dress and tell her to hurry up.

"Gosh, Alfie, relax!" Amber exclaims as she puts on her dress. Then, she starts screaming with joy. "This is about my gift!"

I look down, ashamed, and just pass her some wedges. "It's not. But there's a lot of traffic today. I think we're going to be late for work if you don't hurry up!"

Amber just nods, putting on her wedges and speed walking downstairs. I feel the hour just ticking away; my heart is literally pounding out of my chest. Come on. All I need is a couple more minutes. Please.

And my luck just seems to be amazing today, because I hear the Maseratis pulling up, and Amber shrieks.

"Oh my gosh, Alfie!" she exclaims with joy. "You bought me all of these Maseratis! You couldn't have!"

"Actually, I didn't," I admit sheepishly. I know that Amber would figure out eventually (aka: the next day, when she realizes that they're all gone), so might as well just tell the truth. "They're rented."

Amber's face falls. I knew this would happen. I knew it. "You couldn't have," she says, disappointed. I feel my heart falling to my stomach. I feel horrible.

"I did?" I try my best to give her my winning smile, but of course it comes out as an awkward, displaced one. Amber just rolls her eyes, climbing into one. "Wait, you're driving to work in that?!"

She scoffs, yelling, "I'm not letting this go to waste!" She then drives off as hastily as possible, and I sigh, climbing into my own car and driving off. I think I just wasted a few thousand pounds.

8 boxes of dark chocolate

Trixie never let go of this idea. She still thinks it's ingenious. And I don't disagree with it. In fact, I like it a lot. What girl doesn't like chocolate? I'll get Amber the most expensive chocolate I can find. She'll love it.

Okay, scratch the expensive part. I know she wants expensive chocolates, but I'm kind of out of spending money. After renting those Maseratis, I don't have too much in the bank. I don't know how I still afford buying Amber stuff.

Oh well. I need to get her chocolate. And I'm going to.

Close to my work, there's this really nice chocolate store. I'm going there right after I finish work so then the chocolates will be nice and fresh for when Amber gets there. I'm going to get one of each, considering that I'm getting eight boxes of chocolate.

When the time comes, I feel jittery. Luckily, it's not snowing like a couple days agoㅡit's just flurries, and honestly, it's really nice. It's that nice snow that everyone wants for Christmas.

I walk in and ask for eight boxes of chocolate. The clerk just smirks knowingly; it's obvious he knows who I'm giving it to (granted, it is the holiday season). He doesn't even bother asking me what kinds of chocolate I want and just fills up the boxes with all of them. I'm honestly really appreciative of that. It gets annoying when people keep asking you why you're getting so much.

Once that's done, I give him my credit card and thank him profusely. Then, I drive home. Christmas carols boom through the radio, and I feel extremely jolly at this moment.

And that's all ruined when I give Amber my gift for today.

"WHAT?!" Amber exclaims, throwing all of the chocolate boxes in the trash.

I look at her in confusion. What did I do wrong? "I'm not comprehending what's going on here."

She scoffs, rolling her eyes and washing her hands. "I'm on a diet, Alfie. Didn't I tell you after the cupcake disaster?"

Okay, I recall that. But I didn't think she was serious! Amber never stays on a diet for too long. She tries for maybe a day or so, but then gives up and eats a whole tub of ice cream. She never needed a diet, to be honest. She's still gorgeous.

"I'm sorry!" I exclaim. Then, I admit sheepishly, "I just thought that you already quit. You don't really stay on diets that long."

Amber smacks me on the head, strutting out of the room and slamming the door behind her. I sigh, just grabbing the boxes of chocolate out of the trash and opening a box to eat. Hey, it's quality chocolate. Might as well just not let it go to waste.

7 nice bikinis

Jerome gave me this one. I trust him. He claims that he's better with the ladies than I am, which I have to admit is probably true since he got twice the amount of girls I got. So, seven bikinis it is.

I have no idea how I'm supposed to acquire seven bikinis, since it's in the middle of winter and all. Plus, no place really sells them in London. What am I supposed to do in such short notice?

I go to work, trying to seem as normal as possible. Honestly, I don't even understand why I'm even bothering to go to work since it's the holiday season. I guess that I just feel obligated to come to work after that raise I got. Maybe subconsciously, I'm hoping for another raise.

I walk into my first meeting for the day and smile at my colleagues. "Hey you guys," I say. "How's it going?"

One of themㅡJosh is his nameㅡgroans. "My wife decides that she wants to sell most of her summer clothes this month. She's insane!"

All of us chuckle, and another colleague, Burt, adds, "You can say that again."

Josh just scoffs and continues. "We're never going to sell them. I mean, it's winter! Who's going to want summer clothes in the winter?"

Wait. I may.

"How many bikinis are you selling?" I ask Josh, which brings the room into chaos.

"Ooh!" Burt comments. "Alfie is getting kinky!"

I roll my eyes. That was uncalled for. "It's just a gift. I need seven of them?"

I can see all of them quirking an eyebrow, wondering why the heck I need seven bikinis at this time of year. I explain everything to them, even though I personally find no need to explain something Amber's asking me to do.

"That sucks," my colleague, Ashton, says. "Why did you even marry her?"

Because it's Amber. I would choose her over anyone in a heartbeat.

Luckily, my boss walks in at that moment. I sigh in relief, knowing that I won't have to explain anymore. No one would understand the love I have for Amber. No one ever does.

After the meeting's finished, Josh stops me. I turn to him, looking at him questioningly.

"I do have seven bikinis to sell," he says with a smile. "Want to come over to my place later? I think Amber's the same size as my wife."

I remember his wife vaguely. Her name's Tasha, and her figure is fairly similar to Amber's. I just smile back. There's no other choice, right?

"Sounds good."

His house is much smaller than I expected it to be. It's just a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room. It's not even two floors. It's cozy, I guess. He admits that they've never had a chance to start a family, and their house certainly emulates that.

"Where's the bikinis?" I ask him, looking around. Their house is much messier than mine, and that's saying something.

He chuckles. "They're in the closet. Let me get them."

I sit down on the couch to wait. He disappears for a minute until coming out with seven bikinis, like I asked. Most of them are solid colors, but there is one monochrome striped one and one pink polka dot one. I smile at him. They look pretty good. "Thanks so much," I say with a smile. "Are these washed?"

He nods. "My wife has grown out of bikinis. She likes one piece swimsuits now. I don't think she's worn those in years."

I nod. I think this should be sufficient enough. I thank Josh before getting into my car to leave. It's a decently long drive to get back home, so I find myself drifting into my own thoughts. Honestly, I really like to drive. It helps blow off some steam.

Amber's already home when I get back. I smile and give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey," I attempt to say seductively, but I bet money that didn't work.

"Hey Alfie," Amber says cutely, smiling. Yep, my attempt to be seductive did not work out. "How's your day?"

"It's good," I tell her, smiling. I then take out the bikinis. Amber gasps and beams.

"Alfie!" she exclaims happily. "I needed these! Thank you."

"No problem," I say with a smile. I feel so successful right now. "I mean, you're Amber. I'd do anything for you."

She then blushes, but then quirks an eyebrow. "Hey, Alfie, where did you get these, by the way? I mean, what store sells bikinis at this time?"

"None," I chuckle. "I got them from a colleague. You know Josh, right?"

At this point in time, Amber's face shrivels up in disgust so much I don't believe it's humanly possible. She glares at me, and I wonder what I did wrong. I mean, it's the thought that counts, right?

"You got me seven hand-me-down bikinis?!" Amber exclaims, enraged.

"Hey, they washed it!" I yell back, trying my best to defend myself. But I don't even know why I bother. Amber always wins every argument we have. And it's not like I have a problem with that. I mean, it's Amber.

"It doesn't matter!" she exclaims. "You got me seven used bikinis from that skank!"

"Hey, she's not a skank," I say. That was uncalled for, and Amber knows it. "You know Tasha's one of the coolest girls ever."

"Even cooler than me?" Amber asks with a raised eyebrow. She taps her foot on the ground impatiently and angrily, waiting for an answer. I think I dug myself into this hole. And there's no way I'm getting out.

"Of course not! No one is cooler than you, Amber!" I exclaim, hoping that she would calm down.

She just scoffs and rolls her eyes. "Whatever." She throws the bikinis angrily to the ground and huffs, strutting out of the kitchen. I sigh, picking them up and hoping I can return them to Josh.

Curse my big mouth.

6 EOS lip balms

KT gave me this idea. She didn't know Amber too well, but she does know that Amber's really into fashion. And of course it paid off. Now Amber's a famous fashion stylist, one of the most famous in London. And Amber absolutely adores lip balms. So I thought that this was a decent idea.

Once I get up, I immediately change out of my pajamas and drive to the nearest Tesco. Once I walk in, I find the first salesclerk I can find and ask:

"Excuse me, where is your EOS lip balm?"

I don't know why the salesclerk is more appalled: because I'm asking for lip balm or because I know what EOS is. But he leads me to the corner of the store, where a whole rack was. I smile and say thank you to the clerk. I think he's too weirded out to reply, so he just leaves me be.

I am entranced by the large selection. They are all a different color, and they're so vibrant that they catch your attention in an instant. Quickly, I grab the first six I see, before checking them out. The cashier eyes me weirdly, a lot like the clerk does, so I try to explain, "They're for my wife."

The woman nods, but adds, "You should use one, though. Your lips are very dry and chapped."

I lick my lips. They can't be that bad. However, all I feel is dry scales on my lips. Yep, they're bad. How does Amber put up with my lips whenever I kiss her? I've never kissed dry lips before since her lips are always nice and soft. It must be a pretty bad kiss.

"Licking your lips won't help," the cashier adds. "It just dries them out more."

I don't completely understand how that's true, but I smile and thank her anyways. I then drive back home. Amber's awake when I get back. She's on her phone, texting, I presume.

"Hey Alfie," she says with a smile once she sees me. I smile back, and she asks, "What do you have there?"

Yes, of course. She wants her gift. I just smile at her and say, "I know how much you love lip balm, so I got you this!"

I then pass her the EOS, and Amber quirks an eyebrow before growling slightly. I look at her in confusion. I thought she liked lip balm!

"Alfie!" Amber exclaims in disappointment. "I hate this brand."

Wait, what?

"It dries out my lips instead of moisturizing it," Amber admits, looking down. "Sorry. But I thought you knew me better."

I still looked confused, and Amber picks up on that. However, she just blinks a couple of times, not explaining anything, so I am forced to ask, "What's the difference between all of these lip balms? Is there, like, a different ingredient or something? Aren't they all designed to moisturize your lips?"

"Yes, there is a difference!" Amber exclaims, exasperated. "Each one uses a different formula!" She then huffs, pouting as she crosses her arms. "Alfie, why am I even married to a guy who doesn't know a thing about lip balm?"

"Because you love me?" I squeak. It comes out more like a question than a statement.

Amber just sighs, passing me the lip balms and walking into the bathroom to take a shower. I look at them blankly, before deciding to open one up. At least it smells nice. Then, impulsively, I put it on, remembering how chapped my lips are. I think I just lost all of my masculinity.

5 diamond rings

This was Joy's idea. Joy kept reminding me during the call that diamonds are a girl's best friend, and I certainly cannot disagree with that. Amber absolutely died at her engagement ring. I got her a two carat diamond, and she just died inside out of happiness. So I already know exactly what I want to get her. Five diamond rings, each a carat, to remind Amber of our engagement and how happy we were. Well, actually, we still are happy, but our joy during our engagement was undeniable. I feel like that was the best time in our relationship. It was just great.

So when I get up, I automatically go to the jewelers, the one where I bought Amber's engagement ring. They need to fill a hefty order, so I want to give them as much time as they need. Once I arrive, I'm entranced by all of the gold, silver, and diamonds. Nothing's changed.

"Hey! Alfie!" I hear a worker—Joey—call. We first met when I got Amber's engagement ring, and since then, we stayed friends. "What can I do for you today?"

I smile at him. "Joey, I have a serious order for you."

He nods, taking it all in. "Bring it."

"I need five rings that look exactly like the ring I got Amber," I inform Joey. "You think you can do it?"

"Ah, I remember that ring," Joey says with a wistful smile. "That one was a keeper. I suppose you still want it to be gold with two carats?"

I feel relieved that Joey doesn't question anything. However, he knows Amber. I don't think he's that shocked. "Actually, just one carat per ring will be fine. I don't think I have enough money for two."

Joey laughs. "Besides the royal family, who does? Sometimes I wonder how you afford all of your gifts for Amber."

I wonder that too.

"How much will it be?" I ask him, changing the subject. "When will they be ready?"

"Maybe in a couple of hours," Joey says. "And today, just for you, they're on the house!"

I quirk an eyebrow. I don't need his charity today. I would feel so bad if I didn't pay. "Are you sure? I can't just not pay for five diamond rings."

Joey shrugs it off. "They're only a carat."

"But still," I say, crossing my arms.

Joey just chuckles and shakes his head. "You're such a gentleman sometimes. You've definitely learned from Amber. You two are practically made for each other. Just relax. Everything's on me."

"Okay, if you say so," I say unsurely.

Joey beams. "Great. Be back here in a couple of hours. They'd be done before you know it."

I feel a knot start to grow in my stomach. I'm going to regret this. But for now, I try to relax as I walk into a video game store. I just need to waste a couple of hours. This will be okay.

They pass with ease. I become friends with the video game store guy, and we play Call of Duty for the two hours. I thank him before I'm off to see Joey and the rings. Once I'm there, he shows me them, and I awe at the sight. They're gorgeous, and they remind me of the moment I proposed to Amber. It feels so nostalgic and amazing.

"Thank you Joey," I smile at him, looking at each and every one of them with a sparkle in my eye.

"It's my pleasure," he says. "I hope Amber likes them. I take that back—she will. Have a good day!"

"Thanks. You too!" I'm then off to my car to drive back home and give Amber the rings. I know she'll love them as much as I do. I mean, they're absolutely gorgeous!

When I'm home, I give Amber the biggest hug possible. Amber laughs and questions me on what I'm doing.

"I'm just really happy today," I tell her, getting on one knee. This has to be perfect. "Amber, I have to say that you are practically my other half, and we are so perfect together that it's undeniable."

Amber blushes. That blush looks so perfect on her. "Aw! Alfie!"

"So I was wondering," I continue, getting out the five rings, "do you like them?"

She nods. "They're beautiful." She then takes a closer look at one of them. "Wait, are these only a carat?!"

"Yeah…" I admit sheepishly, looking down. I was hoping that Amber wouldn't think about that and just remember all of the trouble I went through to get these.

Amber just sighs and scoffs. "Alfie, if you're going to emulate how you proposed to me, you've got to at least do it right! Only one carat? My engagement ring had two!"

"But I got you five rings!" I exclaim. "How do you even know this is a carat?"

"I style people for a living! Don't you think I notice this?" Amber exclaims in exasperation. She then just sighs before storming out of the room. I just look down at the rings. They're still beautiful, but not as beautiful as before since Amber tarnished the moment. Honestly, I feel worse for Joey. I mean, I got these expensive rings for free and Amber doesn't even like them!

I've got to give them back.

4 fancy dresses

Nina gave me this one. Amber used to always dress Nina up in fancy dresses. I remember that from Anubis House. And we all know how much Amber loves fancy dresses. So why not?

After work, I go to Harrods. Harrods is this department store in London, and Amber absolutely adores the place. It's huge. If you're a fashion stylist like Amber, you can't just not like it.

Once I get there, I am automatically overwhelmed by the amount of people here. Sure I'm here a lot because of Amber, but I've never got used to it.

I go to the fancy dresses section, and I don't think I've ever seen so many dresses in one place. It's unbelievable. Quickly, I grab the first four dresses I can find before giving them to the cashier to check them out. They look pretty enough. There should be no problem with that.

"How many girls do you have?" the cashier asks. It takes me a second to register what she's actually asking me.

"Oh, no, I have none," I shake my head. "These are for my wife."

"Special occasion?" the cashier asks. Once again, I shake my head.

"Nope. It's just a gift," I explain. Luckily, she doesn't stress it any more, asking me for my credit card and to sign. Once that's finished, I take the Tube back home. There's no way I'm driving my car in one of the busiest parts of London.

Once I'm home, I give Amber a hug and pass her the dresses. She fawns at the sight.

"Oh my gosh, Alfie! They're so cute!" she exclaims. "Where did you get them?"

"Harrods," I tell her with a smile, feeling victorious and satisfied with myself.

She smiles to herself, and I think I can see a blush coming on. However, that all changes when she eyes the tag. She looks at me sternly.

"I'm a size two," Amber explains as calmly as she can. However, she then exclaims angrily, "ALL OF THESE ARE SIZE FOURS."

My eyes widen in shock as all feelings of victory and satisfaction wash away. Did I really screw up that much? "I'm sorry Amber! I didn't mean to, I swear!"

Amber's face then darkens a little bit, and I realize at this moment that this can't get any better. "Wait, so you think I'm fatter than I actually am?!"

Yep, I screwed up. "No, no, no, of course not! I'm just not very familiar with women sizes."

Amber scoffs and looks away. "Obviously."

"I'll go buy new ones," I volunteer. I already know I have to anyways.

Amber shakes her head. "Don't. There's no need. You've already ruined the mood enough."

I sigh. That feels even worse than just buying new ones.

3 flat-screen TVs

Jerome gave me this idea. This was the second one he gave me, since I trust him most of all. And honestly, I love this idea. It gives me an excuse to buy flat-screen TVs. Who doesn't love flat-screen TVs?

I order them online for pickup. I'm honestly really excited to use them. I can have one to watch football, one to play Call of Duty, and one for Amber to enjoy herself. I'm beaming inside at the idea. I'm super excited already.

When the clock hits 5, I run to the car and drive straight to the store. I think this one may be the best one yet. I mean, it benefits both me and Amber! How much better can it get?

Once I get there, the worker decides to joke with me: "Three flat-screen TVs? Man, you must be loaded!"

I blush and admit sheepishly, "I'm not. But I have enough money to spoil my wife."

The worker quirks an eyebrow as he ties the TVs onto my car. "Legit? This is more like spoiling yourself! I bet all of this is going into your bachelor den once you get home."

I laugh, but show him my left hand anyways to flaunt my ring. "At least I settled down before you."

The worker laughs as well. He then finishes, and I give him a tip before I wave goodbye and drive off. I can literally sense the TVs on the roof of my car. I'm so excited to set them up and use them! I hope there's some kind of instruction manual in there…

Once I get home, I call for Amber to help me out. She whines a little, but then her eyes sparkle once she realizes what I have.

"New TVs?!" Amber exclaims happily. "We needed this! Alfie, thank you so much!"

I laugh. "I'm happy about it, too. Can you please help me out?"

Amber pouts, and I am reminded once more of how cute she looks when she pouts. "I have no muscles."

"Neither do I!" I exclaim.

Amber just laughs and smiles. "Thanks for admitting it."

I roll my eyes jokingly as I bring each TV inside one by one. However, once we open one, we realize that it's completely cracked.

"How did this happen?" I ask, shocked.

Amber looks as shocked as I am and just shakes her head. "I don't know. Check the others. They should be fine."

But they're not. The other two TVs are cracked, just like the first one. We both look at each other and then sigh. This sucks. This really sucks.

"What are we going to do with these?" Amber asks. I just shrug, thinking.

"Throw them away?" I squeak, and it comes out more like a question than a statement. Amber just nods, and I just throw them out into the driveway. Anyone could take them. At this point, I really don't care.

2 graceful doves

This one was Fabian's idea. Doves are supposed to be super romantic, so he suggested it. However, I feel like he was too dazed by Nina's singing to think clearly at the time. I still accepted the idea though. Hey, I was desperate!

I go to the pet store after work to rent some doves. I don't remember Amber saying that she downright hates birds, so I think I'm in the clear. When I walk in, I ask a worker if they have any doves. He points at the bird section, and I walk over to realize something.

There's only one dove left. Perfect. Just perfect.

I can't just give Amber only one dove. It would ruin the whole scheme of Twelve Days of Christmas! I look for some other bird in the pet store that I can substitute for a dove. My eyes immediately focus on the parrot. I mean, it's not a bad idea, right? I can make it say super romantic stuff. She'd love it!

I decide on the dove and the parrot. I then go to the checkout and tell the person I'm just renting them. There's no way I'm buying the birds. That would involve taking care of them, and to be honest, that's not my kind of scene.

The cashier reminds me to feed them carrots for the day and to make sure to let them out of their cage once in a while to fly. I put them in the back seat as I drive back home. I hope Amber will like them. I really do.

Once I get home, I carry them into the house. Amber's not home yet, so I decide to put them in the living room. They look nice in their cage and perched on a wooden stick. That's when I remember that I should take them out of their cage. Tentatively, I unlock the small door of the cage to let them fly for a while.

Then it's chaos.

The birds fly around, spilling coffee onto the carpet, breaking vases, and scattering paper everywhere. I try my best to capture the birds and place them back into the cage. However, they just cannot stay still! Once I almost catch one, they both fly out of the living room. That's when I realize that I left the window open. Oh crap. They're gone. My rented birds are gone. What am I supposed to do?

My first thought is to chase them, but considering that they can fly, I'd probably not be able to capture them anyways. I then look around the living room. It really is a mess. I really need to clean it up. Maybe if I clean fast enough, Amber will never know what happened and I can give her another suitable gift.

But the universe decides that it hates me today, because I hear the front door unlock and Amber's voice: "Alfie? Are you home?"

I stay silent, hoping it will buy me extra time. But to no avail—she walks into the living room, and once she sees me and the mess, she sends me the meanest glare I've ever seen.

"I can explain," I attempt, knowing fully well that it would probably not work.

"Oh, I know you can," Amber says angrily. "But now I have to clean this entire thing up and just… UGH! Don't talk to me right now. Get out."

I just look down in shame, walking out and to our bedroom. This is just great. I lost both of the birds, the house is a mess, and Amber's pissed at me. This can't get any worse.

1 romantic dinner for two

I'm officially sick of relying on other people to give me ideas. I can be successful on my own, and admittedly, I am pretty amazing. Plus, I really want something to work so then Amber will finally feel like I am the best husband for her. I need to sweep her off her feet and make her remember that I love her with all my heart. I need to make this Christmas memorable for all of the right reasons. And that's what I intend to do.

I call Amber during work and tell her to wear something nice to dinner today. She asks why, and I tell her that it's a secret.

"Aw, Alfie!" Amber whines. "Secrets are no fun unless you tell them to me!"

She tries to talk me into telling her what I'm doing for her. However, I stay persistent for one, refusing to tell her why she needs to look nice. I want this to be a surprise. I know she'll like it.

She then hangs up, and that gives me time to think. Where should I take her? What should the scenery look like? Should I show up in a tux?

Eventually, I decide on everything. It takes me a few hours, but I don't care. I just need this to go smoothly. No mistakes, no screw ups. Not today.

It's dinnertime before I know it. I show up in my wedding tux, and admittedly, I still look dashing in it. I go to the restaurant I reserved just for us. It's small and intimate, but still well-known and with amazing food. It's something the both of us will like.

When she shows up, she takes my breath away. She's wearing a blue dress, one reminiscent of the one she wore to Prom back when we were at Anubis House. She's wearing a bunch of silver jewelry and minimal makeup. I try to maintain my cool even though it's probably not working. I can't believe that my wife still has this effect on me. It's amazing.

"Hey Alfie," she smiles as she sits down. "How's your day going so far?"

"Good," I say casually. "You look amazing."

Amber blushes, looking down. That makes her look even more beautiful. She notices the fact that I'm wearing the wedding tux.

"Thank you," I look down at the ensemble. I think it still looks good.

"You look so hot in that tux," Amber says, and it reminds me of the wedding. She said the exact same thing that day, which embarrassed both of us, since everyone heard it. "Oh, and amazing choice of a restaurant. I love restaurants like these."

"I know you do," I smile at her and attempt to wink. "That's what you learn after loving a beautiful girl like you for so long."

I don't know how I made that sentence work, but it did. Amber just smiles and flips her blonde, wavy hair. Her locks still look gorgeous to this day.

The food comes, and we immediately dig in. We both immediately melt at the taste. That's something we both have in common as well: our taste palettes.

"Mmm!" we exclaim in unison. We look at each other and just laugh. It reminds me of when we were still teenagers and saying everything in unison.

We finish our food in silence. It's not a bad silence—in fact, it's kind of soothing. I guess that's when you know you're in love: when you're in a comfortable silence.

"Alfie," Amber whispers, breaking the silence. "Thank you."

"I just wanted to make this Christmas unforgettable," I tell her honestly. I set myself up for failure, but I think this time, it finally worked.

"I know," she says. "Thank you."

To hear Amber say thank you twice usually never happens. Amber isn't really the girl to even thank people once. But I am so thankful to have her. And I am so thankful that she loves me and puts up with me in my worse times. I will always be there for her and she will always be there for me. It's perfect.

I hold up my glass of red wine and say, "Cheers."

She just shakes her head. "I'm sorry, Alfie. I can't drink."

I just quirk an eyebrow, confused. I put down my glass. "Why not?"

She smiles faintly. "We're going to have a baby."

I beam. This may be the best day ever.

Merry Christmas!

This is a Secret Santa gift for LiveLoveBreatheSing. I really hope you like it. :)

Also, thank you shadowswan for organizing this Secret Santa exchange thing. It was super fun!

If any of you guys like I Didn't Do It, you should check out my story "Loyalty Is Only A Seven Letter Word." I swear you'll like it. :)

I'm keeping this AN really short, at least, for my standards. If you enjoyed, please leave a review! I would love your feedback!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. I swear on mistletoe. ;)