Christmas came, complete with the trees, the lights, and the music. Hanukkah had already passed but I had told Hayley to wait until Christmas so we could exchange presents on her holiday.

So the day after Christmas I drove through the sudden typical-for-Michigan blizzard to the Bridge house. It took twenty minutes longer than it should have because the roads were a mess and the old people always drove slower on those kind of days.

"Hi Max! How are you?" Mrs. Bridge said when she opened the door. She hugged me and led me into the kitchen where fresh Christmas cookies sat cooling on the stove. I had only been in Hayley's house a few times, as we usually stayed at home since she was close to my entire family.

"Hello Max," Dan said, walking in from the family room where he had been watching a football game. I shook his hand.

"Hello sir, how are you?" It was one of the few times I ever said sir--to a girl's father. He grinned.

"Great and you/" I nodded, as he didn't wait for an answer, instead going back into the family room and taking his seat on the couch in front of the fire place where a fire was crackling loudly over the sound of the television.

Hayley came in the room a minute later, her hair wet. She smiled apologetically before taking my hand and leading me downstairs. Her entire house was decorated on the inside, with two Christmas trees (A real one upstairs and a fake one downstairs. I knew my sisters had come over to help decorate them this year.), nativity sets, light up Santa Clauses, and so much more. I'd only been in Kevin's house around Christmas before and all they had was a Christmas tree and some stockings on the mantel.

"Hey Max!" Patrick's voice floated up the stairs to me and as we rounded the corner I saw him sitting on the couch grinning. I knew Hayley and him were close so I had always done my best to get along with him.

"It's because he knows how much I like you and he loves your band," Hayley had told me with a laugh one day when I brought up the fact that he wasn't like most older brothers were by hating their sister's boyfriend and being protective.

Now, as I noticed a girl sitting next to him, looking curiously at me, I grinned back.

"Hey Patrick, how's it going' buddy?" Hayley took me over to the other couch and we sat down. She immediately settled into my side and I put my arm around her shoulders instinctively.

"Great and you? I want you to meet my girlfriend, Julia. Julia, this is Hayley's boyfriend Max." I smiled at her, nodding.

"Nice to meet you," she said quietly, her voice sweet and soft. She smiled and I nodded back, also smiling.

"And you."

I glanced down and saw Hayley smiling. I laughed quietly and turned to watch t.v.

After about ten minutes, Patrick and Julia left, saying something about a party, and then Halyey and I were alone.

"So," I said, turning down the volume on the television.

"So," she said, sitting up and smiling back at me. We just stared at each other for a minute. The life in Hayley's eyes was so apparent, I couldn't understand how anyone, God or fate, would want to take her away from this place. I felt my throat tighten as we continued to look at each other so I quickly broke it off, looking off to the corner of the room instead.

"Hey," Hayley said softly, and suddenly she was in my lap, her eyes on my face. I stared at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree that sat in the corner as I attempted to hold back the tears.

"Max, it's alright. Come on now, Hun, it's Christmas and we are here together. I love you so much, baby, come on," Hayley said, placing her head on my chest as the tears fell silently. My arms automatically wrapped around her before I even had to think about it and soon I felt her shaking with her quiet sobs.

"I'm sorry, so sorry," I said. I had ruined her Christmas. Dammit Max, you dumb ass. That helped me control my tears as I kicked myself mentally and snuggled down into the couch, bringing Hayley with me.

"I love you," I whispered in her ear, kissing just below it. She stopped shaking and lifted her tear-streaked face. It broke my heart as she kissed me underneath my jaw.

We lay together for a long time before at last, Hayley seemed to gain her spark back.

"All right, Maxipad!" She exclaimed, sitting up on the edge of the couch next to me. I lifted my hand and wiped away the streaks of her mascara. "I can't wait any longer! Your present, if I do say so myself, is quite rad." I laughed as she stood up and raced to the tree, kneeling down next to it. Slowly, I sat up and then got up to follow her. She pulled me down so I was sitting next to her and then I pulled her in between my legs, her back against my chest, head resting on my shoulder.

"Here," she said, lifting the box up in front of her. I took it, kissing her hair, before opening it. Gasping, I slid out the shiny new dog tags with the Army logo engraved in the front

"Hayley," I breathed, as I felt an inscription on the back. Turning it over, I lifted them up to read it.

"All your soldier information," she said, turning her head to look at me. Immediately, I lowered my face to hers and kissed her for a long minute.

"Hayley…" I was at a loss for words. There were only three that could describe it at the moment. "I love you," I said simply. She grinned and kissed my cheek, turning around in my arms to hook put the tags around my neck. I grinned, as my hand reached up absentmindedly to touch them. Taking her hands in mine, I leaned forward and kissed her again, smiling against her lips.

"I don't deserve you," I said quietly, reaching into my pocket to pull out my gift to her. "But I'm trying my best." I laid the box gently in her palm, closing her fingers over it. She looked at me curiously for a second before slowly opening the velvet case.

"Max!" She gasped, carefully lifting out the delicate necklace.

"Mom helped me pick it out," I said, looking down and blushing. She lifted my chin and kissed me, the sweetest kiss we had ever shared. Tears shone in her eyes when she broke away, handing me the necklace where two intertwined hearts dangled. Turning around, she lifted her hair and I put the necklace around her neck. When I pulled back my hands she turned around again, hand over her heart where the necklace hung.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Wow, no reviews? Almost didn't bother to write this chapter and put it up...so don't even start complaining about length.

See, this is how it works.

Reviews = more chapters.

No reviews = dead story.

So yea.

That was actually really disappointing. :( I wanted to cry.

And I almost cried while writing this chapter.

So review or this story is no more.

-Zoomie