O Christmas Tree

Words: 582

Posted: December 30, 2018

Inspiration: My own

"Ooo, he's gonna love this," Serena squealed with delight as she slid across the wooden floors in her slouchy socks. She had spent the whole morning, as soon as she saw him leave for the day, decorating his condo for the holidays.

Darien didn't get the kind of Christmases that she did growing up and decided that it would be the best gift from her to give him a fantastic Christmas this year.

Everything was decorated. There were jellies on the window, garland on the stair railings, desserts arranged on his cloistered platter (courtesy of Lita), and random, dorky decorations taped to the walls. However, the tree had been the trickiest to plan. All of these decorations were relatively inexpensive, with the deals she found, but the tree and trimmings would hike it up.

Her family had always utilized a fake tree, but she didn't think it was her place to buy such a lavish and permanent fixture in her boyfriend's home, permanent in the one month each year way. So, instead, she decided on a real tree that he could throw out.

However, it wasn't until she was at the tree lot that she realized she needed something to put the tree in to keep it watered (just like a flower?), or the amount of needles it would shed from the lot to the condo and then the driveway through the floorplan . . . "Ugh," she had groaned aloud when she first brought it inside.

A small line of sap streamed from the doorway, a mess that she had yet to tend to, as she focused on decorating the Christmas fixture.

"Serena?" Darien called as he entered by the kitchen. "What are you – what the hell is this?" he shouted as his shoes made a sticky sound against the floor.

"Uhhh," she shyly made her way to the kitchen. "I meant to clean that up."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Tree sap."

He stood there staring at her in disbelief. "Okaaay, and why is there tree sap on the floor?"

"Maybe you should just look," she said, retreating from the room. When they reached the living room she splayed her hands out like Vanna White, "Ta-da!" Darien took in the sight in front of him and then glanced around the rest of the condo. "Do you like it?"

"Why is only the bottom of the tree decorated?" he asked, pointing to the top half which was mostly bare.

"I'm too short," she smiled.

He looked up and noticed the tinsel randomly placed in his rafters. "So then how'd those get up there?"

"I threw it. I won't be able to help clean that up."

"Figures," he said. "And the treats on the table?"

"Lita."

Darien nodded as he walked around the condo, looking over everything she had added to his home. After several minutes, she couldn't take it any longer and bounced into view.

"Do you like it?" she asked, hopeful.

He turned to look at his girlfriend who smiled so warmly at him. So he didn't care about the mess in the kitchen, the half-done job on the tree, or the rafters he'd have to borrow a ladder to clean up; he was just happy that she had cared enough to do this for him.

"I've never had a home decorated so . . . beautifully for Christmas. Thank you, Serena. I love it," he said as he swept her into his arms and dipped her for a kiss.