The Christmas Gift Part Three

It was a White Christmas. The weather in London had cooperated in creating that sought after snow just in time for the holiest night of the year. Though Mother Nature may have gone a little overboard with the foot of snow covering the ground. Still it really felt like the holidays now, and that made Fiona Bickerton smile.

She curled up by the tree with a hot tea, enjoying the beautiful sight of falling snowflakes just outside the window of the flat. It was one of those peaceful moments she loved but experienced so rarely in her busy life. She laid back against the soft pillows of her couch and smiled, enjoying this lovely moment. Nothing could spoil it, not even the entrance of her annoying flatmate Eddie Arlette.

"Wow. Real Norman Rockwell moment you got going on here blondie." Despite his joking, his tone was friendly and his smile sincere as he took in the scene before him.

"That must make you feel right at home. Well then, why don't you sit down and join me?" She turned and smiled at him, seeing the wrapped package he held in his hands. "Is that to put under the tree?"

Eddie shook his head. "No, I was hoping you would open this tonight. I have a present for Nigel too when he gets here."

Fiona chuckled, her tone happy. "He hates to drive in the snow. I doubt I'll be seeing him tonight. But I usually open gifts on Christmas morning. Did your family open them the night before?"

Eddie sat down next to her on the couch, nervously fiddling with the present. Fiona laid her head back against the couch again and smiled fondly at him, amused at his almost childlike anxiety. This was a new side of him.

"We opened presents in the morning. My mom and me, I mean. But I'll be on duty tomorrow, so I thought…"

"On duty? On Christmas?" Fiona asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Us bachelors usually take the shifts so the fathers can be with their families. So anyway, I thought maybe you'd want to open this tonight."

Fiona smiled at him again. "All right. Oh! I have something for you too!" She jumped off the couch and quickly ran upstairs to her bedroom.

"Just don't expect much!" Eddie yelled after her. "It's not like I'd spend much money on the bane of my existence!"

Fiona came back down holding her own package. "Oh yeah?" she laughed, not at all offended. "Then maybe you got me a heating pad for this pain in my ass I've had for two years now."

Eddie smiled wryly at her. "Maybe." He held out the small wrapped box to Fiona. She handed him one about the same size, though much better wrapped.

She smiled in delight at the gift in her hand and then looked up at him. "Together?"

Eddie chuckled at her enthusiasm, she was like a little kid when she got a present. "Sure."

They ripped off the paper from the gifts, surprisingly Fiona was much faster at it than Eddie. He stopped opening his as he saw the wide-eyed stare she gave his present. She pulled a nicely made Christmas tree ornament out of the box. It was clear, handmade glass with a small skyline of New York in the middle. Welcome to the Big Apple was written in green and red on the outside of the ornament.

Eddie thought her surprised expression meant she was disappointed with it. "I told you it wasn't much." he muttered quietly. "I just know you and Nigel still are thinking about moving to New York eventually, and I just wanted you to know that… that New York… would really… like you." He finished the last very softly, almost under his breath. His face turned red as he thought what a lame gift this really was.

"Eddie, I…" her eyes were a little glossy as she looked at him staring abashed at the floor. "I don't know what to say except… please open my gift now."

"Yeah, okay. Sorry." Thinking how Pippin was dead on about his poor gift-giving skills, Eddie finished opening his own package. And pulled out a near identical ornament except for two important differences. This one had the London skyline and said welcome to that city on its side, painted in the same style as the one he gave Fiona. Eddie looked up at her in surprise.

"I guess great minds and all that." She said, wiping a small tear from her eye. "I got you that so you know that London… that I think… it really is your… home."

Eddie smiled at the ornament in his hand. "You really think that?' he asked with a pleased grin.

"Yeah." Fiona laughed a little as she caught another stray tear. She held up her own new ornament. "Do you really think I could find a home like that in New York?"

Eddie nodded, still smiling. "Oh yeah. Definitely."

Fiona gestured to the tree. "We should hang them up."

Eddie followed her to the once hated tree that he was now strangely growing fond of and hung his ornament besides hers with care. They stepped back and enjoyed the new additions to their tree, twinkling in the lamplight and reflecting the falling snow on their clear surfaces. They both smiled and looked at each other.

"Merry Christmas Eddie."

"You too Fiona."

Fiona embraced him warmly and let out a soft sigh as she felt his strong arms envelop her as well. She relished the nice feeling the hug was giving her for a moment, and then looked up at him staring down at her, a fond expression on his handsome face. She lifted her head a little as he bent down to meet her. Fiona closed her eyes as their lips almost touched…

But not. At that moment the front door to the flat opened loudly, causing them to jump apart. Nigel, with his usual impeccable timing was dusting himself off in the entryway. He turned the corner to see Eddie and Fiona standing at opposite sides of the room, their faces red.

"Oh petal! You outdid yourself this year! Oh Eddie, Merry Christmas!"

Eddie grinned ruefully and nodded. "Merry Christmas Nigel."

Fiona crossed her arms over her chest and walked up to her fiancée. "I didn't think you'd come, what with the snow and all."

"Oh, I took a taxi… of course I'll have to spend the night. Hope you don't mind!"

Fiona forced a smile to her face. "No, of course not."

"This tree is even better then last year!" proclaimed the oblivious Nigel, his hands on his hips as he stared in delight at it. "The ornaments, the lights, it makes me feel so..! So..!" He shook his head, and clenched his fists trying to think of the word. Then inspiration struck him. "Loo!" With that he rushed off to the bathroom without another word.

Eddie laughed mirthlessly. "That was poetic." He turned to walk into his bedroom. "Well, I better hit the hay. Have a nice holiday blondie."

"Eddie…" She stopped herself, and then nodded. "You too." As she watched him walk off, the words escaped involuntarily from her mouth. "Um, Eddie..?"

"Yeah?" he turned back and looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face.

Fiona looked down at the floor in a similar way he had done earlier. "You know the Friday after New Year is my wedding, right?"

Eddie looked away from her. "Yeah."

"I know you have to work, but… I would really appreciate it if you could find some way to come."

He turned and looked at her again, his surprised eyes taking in her pleading ones. For a moment he could only stare at her, completely at a loss of why she was asking this of him, or how to respond to it. He heard the toilet flush, announcing Nigel's imminent return.

"I'll try." he quickly replied before retreating into his room. Fiona watched his door shut with a longing expression.