LILY
BNR848
Disclaimer: The publicly recognized characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plots are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
CHAPTER 26
She held her breath as she entered the penthouse. To her delight, the apartment was dark. She tiptoed to the guestroom, carefully removed Sydney's dress and hung it up. She washed her face, removed her make-up and went to bed.
Morning came too soon. She was already smiling as she stretched and cuddled her pillow. She would be content to stay in bed all day. Then she remembered… Christmas dinner; she needed to let her parents know they were having company. She sighed, pulled the pillow over her head and muffled her scream. What had she been thinking? That's right, she hadn't! She grabbed her phone, looked at the time and moaned; it was past nine. When she walked out to the kitchen she was greeted by her Santa hat wearing father and a hardy, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" She could tell her mother hid a snide smirk behind her coffee cup.
"Merry Christmas, Lily-pad," her father announced as he handed her a mug of coffee and kissed her on the cheek.
"Merry Christmas Dad, Merry Christmas Mom," she called out.
"Merry Christmas. Did you have a nice evening?" added her mother.
"It was nice. Have you guys been to Toulouse? The food's wonderful, and the views are stunning," she added as she took a sip of her coffee.
"We'll have to put it on our list. Now, name your crêpe, Santa Chef Castle is taking orders," her father answered in an awful French accent.
She made her father's day by declaring he could surprise her. He knew her well, so she anticipated a crêpe with chocolate, fruit and copious amounts of whipped cream. As he returned to the kitchen her mother cleared her throat, placed her cup down, raise an eyebrow and looked at her.
"Well? Are you really going to make me ask?" Kate whispered with a smile.
"I had a nice evening. It was a pleasant date." Lily replied.
"That smile betrays you. But, I'm happy you had a wonderful time. No need to explain further." Kate smiled, kissed her daughter on the head and walked towards the kitchen to refill her coffee.
She joined her parents, eager to help. Her father shooed her away, insisting he had it all under control. She carried a bowl of sliced fruit, hot rolls and bacon to the table, her parents carried the rest. Her father placed a smiley face decorated crêpe in front of her, eliciting a huge grin. It had a Santa hat made of strawberries and a whipped cream pom-pom. So over the top, but so her dad.
"The gang should arrive around eleven or so. But Charlie called at seven to wish us a Merry Christmas. I could hear Alexis reprimanding her on the other end. Haven't heard from the boys, but it's still early," announced Castle as he took a bite of his crêpe.
"About that… I asked James and his family to dinner. They're in town and it is Christmas, and well I thought it'd be a nice gesture. I hope you don't mind," Lily blurted in a single breath.
"Of course not, the more the merrier. Casa Castle is opened to all," declared her father with a flurry.
She refused to look but could feel her mother giving her an 'I told you so' glare. She ignored the stare, told her father it would be an extra four mouths, well aware he always cooked enough to feed a small army.
"Well, if you ladies will excuse me. Santa needs to add more desserts to the menu." Castle grabbed a roll and walked towards the den.
"Please stop looking at me like that!" Lily snapped at her mother.
Kate laughed as she watched her daughter finish her breakfast. The smile on her face had not waned and Kate could not help but approve. They sat in silence, each picking at their plate. Finally Lily broke.
"He's smart and funny and… It was nice. I didn't have to force the conversation or play dumb, and not once did I look at the time. There, are you happy?" Lily declared as she picked up her plate and headed towards the kitchen.
"Is he a good kisser?" Kate called out with a giggle.
"Good God Mother!" rebuffed Lily.
"I'll take that as a yes," smirked a laughing Kate.
Lily headed to her room to shower and change. But first, she texted James. '5 - 5:30. It's casual. Merry Xmas.' She ended the message with a Santa emoji.
She showered and changed, opting for her soft light gray cashmere sweater and jeans. She brushed out her hair, gathered it into a ponytail and headed out. This was her usual Christmas attire and if she changed it by primping there would be no end to the ribbing from her siblings. Just as she entered the living room she could hear Charlie squealing.
"Hey, what's all the ruckus about?" Lily called out as she walked into the living room.
"What else? The over the top, gift exploding Christmas tree. Looks like Santa had a very busy year," announced Alexis as she kissed her sister and wished her a Merry Christmas.
Lily smiled as she opened her arms to hug Charlie. Charlie showed off a sparkly necklace and matching earrings her grandmother Meredith had sent, along with new sneakers, and headphones courtesy of Santa. She covered at least ten topics in three minutes. She told Lily she and Chris were exchanging gifts when he returned from visiting his grandparents in Long Island. She had gotten him an Aquaman t-shirt along with a first edition Harry Potter book she'd found in the thrift store's book bin.
Lily congratulated Charlie on her excellent find, informing her she too loved to shop the bins at her local thrift stores. She admired her necklace and tried out the headphone, cringing at Charlie's taste in music. Finally, Alexis interceded, ordering Charlie to go pester her grandfather.
"Spill it, Lil. How'd the date go?" a grinning Alexis inquired.
"I had a really good time," Lily confessed.
Before long, Sydney and Reece arrived with Grampa Jim. They were soon followed by Jake and Emily who arrived bearing gifts. An anxious Charlie bounced around the room, reminding everyone it was time to open presents. Finally, her father adjusted his Santa hat and took his place at the front of the tree.
"Ho, Ho, Ho, and a Merry Christmas. As the official surrogate for one Chris Kringle, aka, Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Papa Noel, and a multitude of aliases, I bring good tidings and many gifts. Unless you've been a naughty boy or girl, in which case there's a lump of coal somewhere in here for you." This was his annual declaration and Castle relished it. He so enjoyed Christmas.
First, he distributed the Christmas stockings. Then, it was on to the gifts. Grampa loved his book on lures and proclaimed it the perfect gift to read after dinner. Charlie adored her charm bracelet, and the book she'd been eager to read. When she opened the box containing the purple moose t-shirt from Alaska she hugged her aunt and slipped it over her sweater. Ben was thrilled with his Rangers jersey and emulated his daughter by wearing it over his shirt. Her parents had loved the coffee, announcing they weren't sharing.
She'd received a funny bookmark from Charlie, and a royal blue cashmere sweater and scarf from her parents. Her Secret Santa, Emily, gifted her a t-shirt proclaiming, "If you value your life, bring me Coffee," along with a gift card to her favorite D.C. coffee shop.
Her parents retired to the kitchen, while Charlie, Ben, Grampa Jim, and the twins disappeared into the media room for the annual viewing of Elf. Lily, Alexis, Sydney, and Emily stayed behind, continuing their conversation. Two hours later, as they nibbled on sandwiches, Charlie finally enlisted everyone for a game of charades. They were well into their second round when her mother entered the den.
"Lily? What time will the Mulrooney's be here?" her mother inquired.
The uniformed turn of heads rivaled a marching band's synchronized performance. She slowly closed her eyes and responded. No one said a word. But the silence was deafening. She was positive she was being spared, in large part to Charlie and Grampa Jim's presence. Lily excused herself and headed to the kitchen.
"Run you coward," softly murmured Alexis as Lily walked past her.
She volunteered to help set the table and was greeted with a raised eyebrow from her mother. Her father asked she check and make sure they had the proper number of seats, just to keep her busy. She walked to the formal dining room, which looked spectacular, counted the chairs and reported back.
"Go back to the den, we've got this," smiled her father.
As she turned towards the den, the lobby called. Her father answered, advising to let the guest up. Her heart skipped a beat and she held her breath. She stood waiting for the doorbell when it buzzed her father wiped his hands and walked towards the door.
"It appears you are not the only Castle with a gentleman caller today," her father announced, as he opened the door for young Christopher Johnson.
She called out to Charlie who appeared with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. Smiling as he greeted Charlie, Christopher wished her a Merry Christmas and handed her the beautiful gift bag he carried. Charlie retrieved his gift from under the tree and shyly presented it to him.