Mariana sighed as she readjusted her apron ties and plated the cookies. Balancing three plates in her arms, she exited the kitchen and bent down so she could slide one of the plates on the kitchen table and then the other two on the coffee table where the kids were decorating gingerbread houses.
"Good job, Chris," she hummed as she gently raked her fingers through his curls and ruffled his hair.
He didn't reply and her shoulders fell as she made her way back to the kitchen table and took a seat across from Hen. She dropped her head into her hands and sighed as Eddie rubbed reassuring circles onto her back.
"It got ugly," he explained to Hen. "After we said we had to work on Christmas, he went straight to his room and wouldn't speak to us for the rest of the night."
"Mhmm. It's just new, he'll get over it," Hen assured them.
"Abuela's bringing him to my aunt's. I know he's going to have a great time, it's just...last Christmas was special. This one's harder."
Mariana raised her head so she could look at them, a sad expression in her big brown eyes. "So much has happened this year and not being able to be with him on the day that's supposed to be for family...it feels wrong."
"Is that why you invited us all here?" Hen asked. "Trying to cram in as much Christmas cheer between now and then?"
"Well, Mari thought it'd be nice to bring the boys together for a playdate," he teased. Mariana shot him a look and nabbed the cookie off of his plate, biting into it delicately as he watched with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, all three of them," Hen said, ignoring the couple as she turned to look at Denny, Chris, and Buck put together a gingerbread house. Buck was adding the icing onto the house frame, excitedly stirring the cup. Mariana smirked at the sight of him acting like a little kid and exchanged a knowing look with Hen.
"Hey Buck?" Christopher asked. "Can I spend Christmas with you?"
Buck shot them all a panicked look and Mariana shook her head, standing and heading to the kitchen where she told herself she would focus on cleaning up. After banging pots and pans around for a few minutes, Eddie appeared in the doorway with a frown on his face. She took one look at him and promptly let her shoulders fall, the corners of her lips pulling down into a frown.
"I'm sorry. I just...I don't know," she whispered.
"Hey, no need to explain," he said, taking the pan out of her hands and placing it on the counter. He gathered her in his arms and pressed his cheek against her temple, feeling the shakiness of her breathing against his neck.
"Christmas meant so much to my parents and I remember all the fun we had. I didn't care about working on Christmas before but now I hate it. I wish we could be here with him, making memories."
He dropped a kiss to her hair and pressed her closer to him, shutting his eyes at the feel of her hands sliding along his back. Mariana tucked her face against his chest and dropped a kiss right above his heart.
"We'll still celebrate, just a day after. He'll understand eventually," he murmured.
"This year sucks," she whimpered.
"I know sweetheart. I wish I could fix it."
"I bought Diego a present. I don't know how to give it to him without Valentina throwing it out."
He ran his hand along her spine and squeezed her hip to comfort her. Mariana inhaled him deeply, the unique scent of pinewood and motor oil and smoke that was purely him.
"We'll make this a good Christmas, okay?"
He moved his hand lower onto the back of her thighs and tapped twice. Mariana easily understood and bounced up on her toes so he could catch her and easily lift her up onto the counter. She pressed her forehead to his and shut her eyes, feeling him press soft kisses along her nose and cheeks.
"We'll be okay," he murmured, capturing her lips with his. "I promise."
"You can't promise that, cariño," she protested.
"Hey, it is my job to make you and Chris happy and I take that very seriously. We all haven't had the easiest year and I refuse to let this Christmas suck."
A small smile graced her full lips and he grinned back, kissing her once more.
"We should get back in there before Hen starts sending gifs to the group chat," she sighed. He groaned and buried his face into her neck, his lips brushing against her soft skin. She snorted and pushed away from him, smiling at the pout he was sporting.
"Aw, you big baby. Maybe you should go join the kids while I go talk to the other adult here," she hummed and hopped down from the counter. He watched as she slipped back into the living room, her ponytail bobbing with every step, and all he could think about was the little box sitting in his sock drawer.
/
"It was just a nose bleed," Bobby sighed. "Could have been allergies, could have been the Santa Ana's, could have been how cold it was out there on the tarmac."
"Was this your first nose bleed?" Buck inquired as he leaned on the cart in front of him. Mariana stood next to him, arms crossed and face stony.
"Have your gums been bleeding? Do you have a rash anywhere I can't see?" he continued.
"Fucking hell, Evan," she groaned.
"What are you doing, diagnosing me?" Bobby grimaced.
"Technically, that would be my job," the brunette snarked. "Have you noticed any shortness of breath?"
"Or bruising that you could be hiding like symptoms such as a headache, dizziness, irregular heart rate! Are you?"
Mariana ripped her wrench out of his hand and set it back down on her mechanic cart.
"I'm not hiding any symptoms because I'm not having any symptoms of whatever it is you think I have," Bobby announced.
"You were in that tunnel way too long. Sue us for being concerned," Mariana scoffed before glancing over at Buck. "Too soon for the sue comment?"
"A bit. Anyways, that much exposure to radiation could cause aplastic anemia! Do you know that's what killed Marie Curie?"
"No, I did not know that. I also did not know that you knew who Madame Marie Curie was! Maybe our little science nerd over here but not you."
"Well, I had to look her up but she was a really smart lady and she still died from too much exposure to radiation."
"Buck, no...that's not how...it's not the same."
"Listen, I appreciate your concern but I am fine but please stop with the Internet research and Mari, stop hovering." Bobby stood up and laid down the small papers in his hand. "Here is the real problem. We have a tie for Christmas dinner. Five votes for burgers, five votes for Chinese."
"Five people voted Chinese food? I voted turkey," Buck exclaimed.
"Traitor," Mariana whispered under her breath as her eyes sought out her boyfriend. "Eddie told me he was voting Chinese but I know he voted burgers."
"The falafel place got more votes than turkey," Bobby said. "Y'know what I'm gonna do? I'm gonna switch my vote to Chinese. I'm just not up to cooking Christmas dinner this year."
"Good. Now where is that little liar?" Mariana growled, spinning on her heels in search of her Texan. "Edmundo! Ven aquí!"
The taller man swore under his breath and ducked past Hen, bolting towards the stairs as Mariana picked up her steps.
/
The last few notes of the final song of Midnight Mass, which was really at ten, curled up into the ceiling of the church and Mariana let her lips fall shut, her hand coming up to card her fingers through Christopher's curls. Eddie glanced over at his girlfriend, watching as she gently pulled her coat up around the sleeping boy's shoulders. He gently touched a hand to her back and she raised her head to look at him, her dark curls spilling down and around her shoulders as big, brown eyes blinked up at him.
"Pepa and Abuela will take him with them so we can go to the house without having to get up even earlier to take him over. It might be easier on him," he explained. She nodded tersely, a flash of sadness passing over her eyes. He tucked some of her hair behind her ear and pressed a kiss to her temple.
"I know, mariposa. We get next year, though."
"That better be a promise," she threatened weakly. "And you better not break it."
"Never, sweetheart."
Eddie scooped up Christopher and carried him to Pepa's car. He settled him in the backseat and buckled him before dropping a kiss onto the top of his head. Turning around, he found his aunt hugging Mariana tightly and whispering something to her. A shy smile broke across Mariana's lips and she nodded as they pulled apart. Pepa hugged Eddie next as Abuela embraced Mariana and too soon were they leaving in Eddie's truck.
"This isn't the turn home," she mumbled, her eyes being drawn away from her phone as she glanced around at the dark streets around them. He wordlessly offered her a small smile and pulled one hand away from the wheel, resting it on her thigh. Mariana settled back in her seat, a knowing gleam in her eye as he turned down one particular road.
"Eddie," she breathed as he pulled the truck into the parking lot and pulled the stick into park. He reached into the backseat and pulled out a bouquet of flowers, extending them to her as tears gathered in her eyes.
"It's only fair that you get to see your family on Christmas Eve," he said softly.
They walked silently towards the Ramirez plot but he knew she was still present based on how tightly she squeezed his hand. He raised their entwined hands to his lips and kissed the back of her hand as they stopped in front of the headstones. Mariana pulled away from him to distribute the flowers amongst the graves before she returned to his side, seeking his warmth and strength.
"Do you mind if I talk to them?" he asked her, running his hand up and down the length of her spine. She shook her head and tucked her head under his chin, brown eyes staring at the names etched before them.
"Mr and Mrs Ramirez, Senora Ramirez, Luis and Jess, I know we've met before but I want to introduce myself again. I'm Eddie, the man blessed to be cared for by Mariana. Her heart is so big and kind and to have her in my life is an honor. She loves my son so much and...I can't imagine not having her in my life. This year proved that. It's been a hard year and I almost lost Mariana too many times.
It's made me realize that I love her. I love her more than life itself and it's such an honor to be able to say that. She deserves to be loved by someone who can give her the world and I...I hope I'm the person who can do that. And I don't care if she can't say the words back. Because I can love her enough for the both of us."
Mariana choked out a sob and pressed a hand to the side of his neck as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. Her body trembled against his and he wrapped his arms around her tighter.
"I love you, Mariana Belicia Ramirez. In every way possible and in any way you'll have me."
"I can't imagine life without you and Christopher. I can't...you mean the world to me."
He fished the small velvet box out of his pocket and extended it to her. Mariana's eyes widened almost comically wide and she glanced between it and him. He grinned and opened it, revealing a key nestled among the fabric.
"You told me your lease is up for renewal in January. You're barely there and half of your stuff is at my place. You call it home. Move in permanently?"
"Shit, Eddie, you sure know how to give a girl a heart attack," she breathed out. "I'd love to move in. I'd love to spend every morning and night with you and Chris."
He kissed her sweetly, their grins preventing them from truly kissing but they were too giddy to care. He stroked his thumb across her cheekbone and dipped down to steal a proper kiss from her.
"Ready to go home?" he asked. She nodded, a flush of heat spreading across her cheeks and down her neck. The second they were in the car and away from the graves, Mariana turned her head to look at him with an innocent expression.
"We don't have to be at the station until six and it's only eleven," she mused.
"What do you want to do?"
"Well, I figured I could pick some stuff up from my apartment if I'm going to be moving in and I'm not tired at all."
"What could you possibly have left at your place?" he teased, interlacing his fingers with her. She grinned and shrugged.
"I have this one lingerie set that Crystal bought me once in hopes I would use it. Never been worn. Maybe we should try it out tonight."
They were lucky there were on a relatively abandoned road because he instinctively jerked to a stop, his wide eyes staring at her in shock.
"Only if you want to, babe. It's all up to you and I don't want you to feel pressure at all," he reminded her but his voice was tight and hoarse.
"I know I'm ready. Because I know that the fact you've waited this long for me and you are still questioning means that you care. And that means a lot to me."
He leaned across the console to capture her lips in a searing kiss, only breaking away so he could catch his breath. "Fuck, I love you. Screw the lingerie, I want you anyway you look."
"Really?"
"Baby, when you're sweaty and covered in ash from a fire...fuck."
She let out a startled laugh and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him in for another kiss. "Take me home, Mr Diaz."
She didn't have to ask him twice.