Chapter 35
It was three days before Christmas and Sam was franticly grocery shopping. She had planned a huge Christmas eve dinner with everyone. Most of their group had other plans for the holiday itself. In fact, for Christmas day, it would be just her and Freddie and his father but for the big dinner she had invited everyone else. Spencer and Amy, Melanie and Gibby of course and his little brother, Mrs. Benson and Freddie's dad, T-Bo and his wife, Wendy and Brad, and their significant others, an aunt and a couple of her cousins who had just been paroled.
"Finally. It took me three clerks to help find this." Freddie held up a small box with the necessary ingredient. "What is this stuff for anyway?"
"Thanks, Fredlumps. It's for the ham glaze. Now, that should be everything for the meal. We just need dessert ingredients. Baking aisle is this way." She led him off toward that department.
"Geez, you've made what, ten kinds of cookies already and Brad's bringing his famous fudge. Do you really think you need another dessert?"
Sam just gave him a funny look and he shut up.
By the time the holiday was upon them, Sam had taken a whole day to work in the kitchen, with her sister and Freddie's help of course. It was Christmas eve, and the trio were working furiously to get things done before everyone started showing up at six.
"OK, Sam. What's next?" Melanie asked.
"Go find Frednub and tell him to make sure the table's set. Where the heck did he get to anyway?"
"I thought I heard the shower a bit ago."
"He better save me some hot water." Sam griped. "Aw, geez, it's after five. I'd need to get cleaned up. I've been working in this kitchen and sweating all day. If you can maybe keep an eye on the ham, I'll get to it."
Melanie huffed. "Please tell me you're not going to be fooling around in the shower again. I heard you guys the other night."
"Psh. Who has time for that now. All I want is to not smell like a dead goat when people get here. Now, just make sure that the ham doesn't get dry and if the timer goes off, simply take it out of the oven. And sit it right here." She pointed toward a hot pad she had on the counter.
"Don't let it get dry. Timer, pull the ham out. Got it, sis."
"And use the oven mitts to touch the roaster."
Melanie just rolled her eyes. "I know, Sam."
By the time Karl Benson and the Gibson boys arrived, Sam was out of the bathroom and Freddie had made sure the table was perfect. Everyone they were expecting trickled in except for Freddie's mom, who was running late due to an emergency at work.
"Man, I hope she soon gets here." Sam whined. "I've been smelling that ham for the last couple of hours and it's making me so hungry."
The doorbell rang and Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally! I'm gonna start to get everything ready for the table. Can you give me a hand, Mels?"
"Sure."
"I'll help, too." Spencer followed the twins toward the kitchen.
Freddie went to answer the door, but instead of finding his mother, he opened it to the sight of his brown-haired ex-girlfriend. "Carly?"
"Hey, Freddie." She greeted with a nervous smile. "Wow, by the looks of the driveway, you guys have a house full."
Others came over to greet her and she was finally able to move more than a foot away from the door.
Within a few seconds, Marissa Benson arrived and followed the young woman into the house, looking shocked at her presence.
Sam emerged from the kitchen with a bowl full of creamed corn to see her old friend taking off her jacket by the door, and her boyfriend's mother standing beside her looking disgusted.
"Carly?" Sam sat the bowl down and walked that direction. "What are you doing here?"
"I got to thinking, and I wanted to surprise everyone for the holiday. Spencer said they were going to be here for Christmas Eve. So, uh, surprise?"
"It's good to see you." Sam simply said, still in shock. "Hi, Marissa." She finally acknowledged the nurse as the middle aged woman walked past Carly and hugged her. "I'm glad you finally got here. I hope you're hungry."
"Sam. This house smells so good. You must have been cooking all day. Is there anything I can do to help?" Marissa fawned at the blonde. "You'll be too tired to enjoy your meal. You work too hard for a young woman." She hugged Sam again.
"Nope, everything's almost ready. Just wash up and have a seat. You can sit right next to Fredward." Sam motioned toward a chair. "We're ready to set the table."
"Where's Spencer? Please tell me you didn't let him alone in the kitchen." Marissa fussed, looking around.
"Don't worry, Melanie's with him and we have two extra fire extinguishers just in case."
As Mrs. Benson walked away, Carly grabbed Sam's elbow. "What did you slip her? She was actually nice. Is she on some kind of happy pill?"
Sam just smirked at the idea that Marissa as so nice with her. "Eh, I guess she figured this is a permanent thing so she'd might as well get used to me. Besides, she's not so bad if you just tell her what she wants to hear. Politics, Carls. Just politics."
The group gathered around the table for their feast. Sam had made a gigantic ham along with all the other trimmings. They all ate their fill and shared their Christmas Eve together. They opened their presents to each other and Sam and Freddie shared most of theirs with each other as well. They each held back one thing to give the other when they were all alone.
Freddie, of course, held back the ring. Sam chose a piece of slinky lingerie that she picked up during a shopping trip with her sister. Poor Melanie turned a deep red when she stood beside Sam as she paid for the garment. Especially when Sam loudly announced that either of them would be able to wear it.
After everyone else started to leave, the house started to quiet down. Freddie and Gibby left for a short while to drive Mrs. Benson home because she felt she had too much wine to drive safely. Freddie drove his mother's car and Gibby followed to bring him home.
"Are you still planning on giving her the ring?" Gibby asked as they drove away from Bushwell.
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?"
"I was just thinking since Carly was back in town. . ."
"That has nothing to do with anything, Gibs. I just wanted to hold it back until actual Christmas day. And Sam will probably get all emotional and you know how she hates to act all girly in front of other people."
Gibby just shrugged. "If you're sure Carls isn't gonna go off the rails again?"
Meanwhile, the Puckett sisters had just said goodbye to Freddie's dad and the only guest left was Guppy, who was struggling to stay awake, sitting on their couch, waiting for his brother to return.
Melanie was straightening up the kitchen and Sam went back the hall to change into something more comfortable.
Sam's voice came out the hall loud and clear. "Melanie!"
Mel had just put the last of the dishes in to wash and was pulling the trash bag out so Freddie could take it out to the cans when he returned.
"Mels!" Sam shouted again. "Get your scrawny butt in here!"
"My butt's the same size as yours." Mel huffed and headed toward her sister's voice. She walked past the couch and ruffled Guppy's hair, if for no other reason than to keep him awake. "They'll soon be back, Gup. Don't worry."
"Dammit, Mel. Where are you?" Sam again yelled.
"Keep your shirt on!" Melanie called. "What did you do, get your foot stuck or something?"
Melanie walked into her sister and Freddie's bedroom to find Sam, in her underwear, wearing a ring and grinning like a kid who just saw Santa himself.
"Look, look, look!" Sam waved her left hand in her sister's face. "It's a ring. Frednub got me a ring. Ohmygosh, he got me a ring! Melanie! He's going to propose. Or at least it's a promise ring. Either way, he got me a freakin' ring! Can you believe this, Freddie got me a ring. I'm gonna be Sam Benson. Some day. Holy shit, Mel. This is all happening so fast."
Mel had never seen her sister so elated. She giggled at Sam's acting like a little girl. "Um, Sam. That's cool and all, but why are you wearing it now?"
"I got in his dresser to get out a pair of sweats and it was in the bottom of the drawer. Oh my God. What am I going to do? Will you help me plan my wedding? Can you be my maid of honor?"
Melanie shook her head at Sam's actions. "Of course, Sam. Buuuttt . . . ."
"But what?" Sam huffed.
"Alright. First of all, why are you digging through Freddie's sweat pants? And more importantly, don't you think this is going to ruin the surprise when he gives it to you?"
"Because I haven't done laundry for over a week and all my lounging clothes are either dirty or still in the boxes from when I moved in. And I like wearing my boyfriend's clothes to lounge around in. Sometimes I even sleep in his t-shirt and nothing else." Sam wiggled her eyebrows. "So sue me. And don't you think I'm going to be smart enough to take it off and put it back in the stupid box before he gets home? Besides, he'll surely be giving it to me in the morning anyway."
"And you're sure he's going to give it to you for Christmas? He didn't just have it stashed in his drawer for safe keeping? You know Freddie thinks ahead, like way ahead. Who knows he might have been going to give it to you for Valentine's Day or even your birthday or something."
Sam suddenly was stricken with panic. Maybe he wasn't going to give it to her for Christmas. After all, he had already gotten her so much, there was the near pear-pad and an upgraded stereo system for her new car and lots of kitchen stuff because Sam loved to cook. He'd already spent a small fortune and this ring must have cost a couple week's pay.
"OK, you've got a point. I'll just have to act all surprised when he finally gives it to me. I can handle that, I can act. Whenever that is."
"And not be disappointed if you don't see it again for a while." Melanie added, walking away. "Or all passive aggressive with him."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Sam snarked. Suddenly her face flushed. "Chizz!"
"What?" Melanie turned from the doorway.
"I can't take damn thing off my hand." Sam gasped.
"Sam!" Melanie cried out and grabbed her sister's hand. "It's easy. Just pull it off. He's liable to be home any minute. You've got to put it back in the box! Freddie will flip."
"You think I don't know this already? It's stuck. It was a tight fit going on, and now my finger must have swollen up. I'm serious, it won't come off. What the crap am I gonna do?"
Melanie ran to her room and returned with a bottle of body lotion. "Here. Give me your hand."
"What's this junk?" Sam sneered as Melanie squeezed a generous portion onto Sam's hand. "Gross."
"Lotion. It's really slippery, too."
"Why do you have this?" Sam raised an eyebrow. "You secretly working in a massage parlor or something?"
"It's Gibby's!" Melanie defended.
"Oh my God. I don't even want to know why he has lotion stashed in your room." Sam gasped.
"Just shut up and hold still." Melanie began pulling at the ring.
"Ow, ow, ow. Christ sakes, Melanie. You're gonna dislocate my knuckle. OW!"
"It's coming just relax and breathe normal." Melanie continued to twist and pull at the ring.
"That's easy for you to say. You're not the girl getting her finger ripped off. Stop, will ya? That really hurts."
Sam's phone dinged in her pocket and with the other hand she pulled it out to read the message. "Oh thank God."
"What now? You find an app to help get a ring that's too small off your hand?"
"Gibby's car ran out of gas. They're waiting for the auto club to bring them more. We have some time. That'll probably take forever this late."
"Oh yes, how fortunate, our boyfriends are sitting along a road, God knows where, on Christmas Eve with a dry gas tank instead of cuddled up with us on the couch sipping hot cider. What luck!"
Sam stuck out her tongue.
"Auntie Mel." Guppy came to the doorway. "Can I go home, please. I'm so tired and I still need to put out milk and cookies for Santa."
"Hey, kiddo." Sam tried to be calm and talk normal to the boy, even though she was standing there in a pair of purple panties and a thin t-shirt. "I just got a text from Freddie. Your big brother's gas tank is empty and they're running late, but they're on their way. How about some more hot chocolate and another cookie?"
"Seriously, Sam? You wanna get him all hopped up on sugar at this time of night?" Mel asked.
Sam shrugged as the kid smiled and nodded. "He ain't sleeping here. Not my problem. Consider it payback for Gibs being dumb enough to forget to fill his tank."
"I'll take care of the hot chocolate. You get some ice water and soak your hand, maybe the swelling will go down and with some more lotion or cooking oil or axle grease, we can get the ring off you." Melanie suggested quietly. "C'mon Guppy." She led the boy to the kitchen and away from the young woman in her undies.
Sam pulled on a robe and headed to the kitchen. She dumped a bunch of ice in her big mixing bowl and added cold water before dunking her hand. "This better work. Geez, my finger's getting numb. Stupid nub buying a ring one size too small. He should know my ring size?"
"How would he know your size, did he ever ask you? You don't have a whole drawer full of rings lying around he could compare it to."
Sam just grunted in disgust. "He coulda asked you! Not like your hand's the same size as mine or anything."
In truth, the ring was bought when Freddie was still with Carly, and he intended on getting it sized to fit Sam as soon as he gave it to her. Having it expanded a half-size would be a simple and inexpensive task for a good jeweler, but he completely forgot about that part until it was too late to get it done before the holiday.
A half hour later, with lots of ice and lube, Sam finally got the ring off, but her hand was sore from all the prying.
"Wash the lotion off of the ring and get it put away." Melanie demanded. "Gibby just texted. They're on their way. Guppy, they're five minutes away, buddy. Put your shoes on and get ready."
Sam feverishly washed the ring, put it back in its box and stashed it away under Freddie's t-shirts and such where it was before.
The girls were sitting on the couch with Guppy, who had no idea why the twins were in such a panic, when the guys got back. Sam's face was still red from all the rushing around.
"Why does Sam look guilty of something?" Gibby asked Melanie quietly, after she stood to greet him.
"Long story." She whispered in his ear.
"I'll call you later." He chuckled before turning to his brother. "Come on little man, we've gotta get you home so Santa can let your presents."
"See you in the morning, then." Mel kissed him quickly and headed toward her bedroom.