Chapter 4

"We've all been accepted." Ray finished.

"Oh my god, that's soo great you guys, that means we will see you all the time." Lily gushed.

"That's the point," Ray injected sarcastically.

"Anyway..." Robbie continued, "We were actually in Toronto looking for an apartment or house that Ray, Grace, Parker and I could live in. Then your parents called Parker's cell to tell, us, and we came to help you move in."

The rest of the ride home was un eventful, and they just talked until the finally got back to Roscoe.

The rest of the summer was spent doing the last RFR broadcasts before they all moved to Toronto. Lily and Parker both got jobs as waitresses at Earl's and every spare moment they had, was spent hanging out at Mickey's. For the six of them it was probably what they were all going to miss as a group, but for that core group, Travis, Ray, Robbie, and Lily, they would miss the studio most. With three weeks to go of summer, everyone started packing up. No one was packing more than Lily; she wanted to take as much stuff to remind her of home as she could. She had pictures of her family, the studio, everything. Little things from her mom. Stuff from her basement. Lily was going to miss home, a lot. She knew that with Travis it wasn't going to be soo hard. He didn't have as much stuff to move, and what he did most of it would be at the apartment already because his family was moving out in 3 days time. When Lily was done packing she looked around. She had 6 large boxes of stuff, plus, all of her music equipment. All that was left in her room was an empty dresser, a sheet less twin bed, and an empty bookshelf. Lily, Travis, Parker, Robbie and Ray had decided to share a moving van to get all their stuff to Toronto.
When they got to Toronto the first stop was Lily and Travis' apartment. Everything was unloaded and up in the apartment within a matter of minutes, and then their friends was leaving, with promises of coming to visit the next day when they were all unpacked. Travis and Lily opened the oak door that opened into their very large, spacious apartment. When Lily looked around though, it just looked empty. Sure they had furnished it a month and a half ago with nice furniture and bright colored paints, but until Lily had all of her stuff un packed and she had her friends with her, it just wasn't going to be the same.
The next day was spent unpacking. By the end of the Day Travis and Lily had filled their 10 sq. foot walking closet plus a dresser. They had gotten groceries to fill the kitchen, and had set up Lilies music equipment in the office, seeing as it was the most soundproofed room in the house. Lily had organized everything, including hers and Travis' music and movie collections. With a whole afternoon ahead of them, yet being very exhausted Lily went to the phone to invite everyone over for dinner and that way Parker could set up all her music equipment as well.
Lily and Parker had decided that since she had a bigger house, all the music equipment would be at her house.
When everyone arrived they ordered what looked like 2 days worth of Chinese food from Charlie Chan's. When the food arrived they all sat around the gorgeous oak dining table. They all talked about how excited they all were to be starting school together once again. After dinner, everyone decided that it was maybe time for the four of them to Leave Travis and Lily's as they had all had a long day. When the door shut behind them, Lily headed for the shower.
After her shower she got into her pajamas, and headed for bed.
The first few months of classes flew by. It was filled with fun moments with her friends, Parker occasionally spending the night to get away from the guys. Lots of band practices (Megan was able to commute from Roscoe, once a week, staying over sometimes). And lots of romantic moments between Lily and Travis.
Now, everyone was off for Christmas, and it was a week to go before Christmas day. As Parker, Ray, Robbie, and Grace's house was crowded they all decided to have a communal Christmas tree at Lily and Travis' and they would all celebrate there. Because Travis and Lily's Families would be coming, they would have to stay at their own place, and drive across the city to get there.
The group spent a happy five days, setting up and decorating the apartment, also getting all the trimmings for Christmas day including breakfast and dinner foods. Christmas was Lily's favorite holiday, and as her first Christmas away from home, she wanted to go all out. The house was ornately decorated, so much so, that when she was done, Travis couldn't recognize the family room. There was a piece of holly, set a top each of the framed photos and paintings that hung on the walls throughout the house. The Christmas tree was decorated with dark red bows, gold balls, a gold star at the top, and gold icicle tinsel. There were 11 stockings that Lily had had custom made for all the Christmases she and Travis would host here. They all had a name sewn in, as well as a little gold bell mat the top. Each one was a different color. There were little nick nack decorations that Lily had picked up with Travis' dads company credit card earlier in December, and she was truly happy with the outcome of the decorating. Finally it was December 23. Lily's Family was driving up that day, and Travis' parents were flying in that morning. They had already FedExed all their gifts, and they had arrived the day before. Between all the gifts from all their friends, and all the gifts for their friends and Family, as well as the disgusting amount of gifts for them from Travis' parents, there were over 150 gifts already under the tree, and not all of them had been put out yet.
When both their families had arrived they spent the next two days with them preparing for Christmas. After all the presents were under/ around the Tree, they were all stacked high. There was at least two hundred and some presents. But what Lily couldn't find was a present to her from Travis. She was starting to get a Little worried, as they had agreed that all presents would be in the Living Room, and there wasn't one.
Two days before Christmas, everything started to get hectic but she didn't know why. Travis was talking to everyone one by, one first his parents then her parents the all her friends, and then even her sister, and it was safe to say that Travis and her sister, either didn't know each other real well, or they just didn't get along. The weirdest one though was she had been in the kitchen making lunch wither her mother and Travis' moth, and they had been irregularly jumpy, and excited. She had just assumed that it was because of Christmas, but then again her mom was never this animated around Christmas. They would always be whispering when her back was turned, or they'd stop talking when she came back into the kitchen. Then in an effort to get away from this weird behavior, Lily had said she had to go to the bedroom to get something. As she was on her way to the master bedroom, she had passed her parents room, and had heard her dad say something to Travis, "…it was noble of you to come ask, you just don't see chivalry like that anymore." Lily had been curious, but in an effort to make her absence from the kitchen short she hurried along.
On Christmas Eve, everyone was over at the house. They had sat down in the living room eating their takeout Chinese dinner. They had all decided that they would open one gift each that night, before Ray, Robbie, Parker and Grace left.
Because it was their house, Travis and Lily let everyone go first. Travis' parents went together, opening their joint gift from Lily and Travis, because even though Travis had gotten them each a gift, Lily had felt slightly awkward giving his parents a gift because she had only met them a couple of times during high school. The gift was a picture of Travis and Lily together in the Park, with snow falling around them, and they were surrounded by big trees. Lily's parents opened the same gift from Travis and Lily.
Parker, Robbie, Grace, and Ray, all opened their gifts from Lily because there were the closest ones to the front of the pile. Parker got, a whole bunch of guitar stuff, Ray got a whole bunch of DVD's he had wanted, Robbie got some CD's and Grace got a gift certificate to Holt Renfrew. Finally it was Travis' turn. Travis opened his gift from Lily. She had gotten him some new techie video program for his computer that he had wanted. But she had also taken a poster sized multi photo frame, and put pictures of herself, her and Travis, his parents, and all their friends, including a group one of the Fab four at the RFR headquarters. When Travis saw it, he didn't say anything, there was just a huge smile on his face, it made him happy, that Lily had taken the time and effort to make him something and to find all the pictures for this, instead of just buy him something. Next it was Lily's turn, and as Travis suspected, Lily wanted her gift from him. Travis handed her an envelope, and to be quite honest Lily was a little disappointed.
Maybe it was just Lily's imagination, but everyone just seemed to be smiling a little more, and sitting on the very edge of their seat. Lily opened the card and started to read it aloud. "My dearest Lily, I know how much this season means to you, and I can't tell you how much, I have enjoyed living with you these past five months. I feel we have grown much more as individuals and a couple since we moved in together. I know you are still wondering what my gift to you is, and I know how you hate to be left in suspense, so I have purposely made your gift a scavenger hunt. Love, Travis."
Lily looked at him in mock annoyance. He handed her the next envelope, which apparently was her first clue. Again she read it aloud, "Your next clue lies where the angel sleeps." Lily laughed, if his clues were going to be this easy, then she might as well put up with the game. Travis was always calling her an angel, so she walked into the master bedroom and there, lying on her pillow was a cream colored envelope like the first two. She opened it, and read the next clue aloud. "Because by this time, I know I will be getting nervous, this is my last clue before your final destination. Your gift will be waiting on the place that is above the chaos of the street, but is not forgotten, as it can still be heard." Lily thought for a minute as this clue was a little harder that the first. She walked out onto the balcony leaving the doors open behind her. Sure enough, in the potted mini spruce tree there was another envelope.
Lily picked it up, and opened it silently hoping that Travis hadn't had a change of heart and had decided to throw another clue in. But when she opened the envelope, it was a letter. "Lily, for as long as I have known you, Christmas has always been more important to you than any other event or holiday. When I first met you, I remember thinking that you were the type of girl any guy would be lucky to date or even to hang around. We became best friends, and formed a very close bond. I remember falling in love with you at the end of grade 9, and unbeknown to me, you also had developed feelings for me. I made the mistake of not telling you how I felt, and therefore held myself in secrecy for 2 years. Over the years we became closer and closer, and I remember wondering to myself, why I felt I couldn't express my feelings towards you. I've enjoyed knowing you, I've treasured every moment that I have been lucky enough to spend with you, as a friend and as your boyfriend. But most of all I realized I was wrong about one thing. Love Travis."
Lily looked up at Travis with a look of confusion on her face. Travis took her hands a looked into her eyes. "I was wrong about the fact that I would be lucky to know you, and spend time with you, or at least partially wrong, what I would be even luckier to have, is to be able to spend the rest of my life with you." Lily gasped, she knew what was coming, and a tear of happiness rolled down her cheek. Travis continued, "I know we have only been dating for nine months, and I know that we are young. When I was thinking about what I am about to do, I realized that the only right time to do this is at Christmas, and I don't know if I can wait another year to know the answer to this question. One thing that made this decision incredibly easy for me though, was the fact that I was a coward and waited 3 years to tell you that I was in love with you, but that still didn't change the way we felt about each other. So this time, I'm not going to wait, for me the feeling is right. But I know that if I waited 3 years, I would still feel the same way. My broad life experience has given me insight, to know that I have never been surer about anything in my entire life. Lily, I love you, and I would be the happiest man alive if you would do me the honor of being my wife." Travis knelt down and pulled a small velvet box out of his pocket. He opened it and there was the most beautiful ring Lily had seen. It was a single, princess cut, diamond, on a slim, white gold band. Simple yet elegant, "Lily, will you marry me?" Travis said, with a look of hope on his face.
Lily finally pulled her hand from Travis' to wipe the tears rolling down her cheek. But now she was trying so hard, she could barely get out a yes, so she just nodded her head. Travis jumped up, and embraced her in a huge hug, spinning her around. It wasn't until she was wrapped in Travis' arms, that she realized how cold it was outside.