If the Fates Allow
Part Three
…Christmas afternoon
Emme could feel the pity ooze from Drake's well-meaning parents. Everyone knew her
mother was a lush and she felt like she was on display for everyone to look at. She was
playing a general trivia game in the kitchen with Drake, Josh, and his girlfriend Mindy
Crenshaw. No one asked Mindy if she needed anything else. It was Drake's turn. He
slightly groaned when he landed on the history category. Unless the question was who
was the youngest U.S. President? He knew that was Theodore Roosevelt.
Mindy laughed when she saw the question on the card. There was no way that Drake
would get this answer.
"What is the capital of the African territory of Comoros?"
"You've got to be kidding me."
"Nope."
"I have no clue."
"It's Moroni. Which makes you a total moron." Mindy grabbed the green dice from the
center of the board.
"Hey! I think that was uncalled for." Emme raised her voice. There was something
about Mindy that she didn't like.
"I'm sorry. Drake knows that I'm just joking. It's what we do."
"Well, it's not funny." Emme got up and didn't know where to go, but she had to leave
the room.
"Mindy didn't mean anything by it." Josh added to Drake as he stood up catch up to
Emme.
"Josh, let it go."
Emme didn't get very far. She just stood by the backdoor. This house was too small to
hide in.
"That girl's a bitch." Emme said. She didn't want all of these distractions. All she
wanted was Drake and she hoped that they could open their presents in private.
"Come here." Drake put his arms around her and pulled her close.
"I don't like Mindy."
"I'm not fond of her either. But she makes Josh happy."
"She had no right to call you a moron. Just because she's an A plus suck up."
Drake kissed her on the lips,
"It's not worth getting worked up over. Do you want to go upstairs and open our
presents before dinner?"
"I'd love to Drake. I didn't want to do that in front an audience."
"Me neither." Drake held Emme's hand tight as they walked upstairs to his room.
Josh took it upon himself to buy a three-foot tall artificial tree at Smart Aid last night
and put it up while Drake was sleeping. After all, a cancer patient couldn't put up a
three-foot tree. But his heart was in the right place so Drake didn't spend too much
time being angry over it. The tree came with a set of miniature clear lights and a silver
star topper.
It did look nice in a kitschy sort of way.
"Okay, for the lady…" Drake handed Emme the box he was working on yesterday
when Josh interrupted him.
"Oh, Drake this is so pretty. It's almost too pretty to open." It was at that moment that it
hit her. For the first time in sixteen years there were no presents from her mother. She
took off the bow and placed it on her lavender v-neck sweater. With out of nervousness
shaking hands she undid the purple and silver wrapping paper to reveal a turquoise
box.
"Well…"
"Drake," He helped her open the box, "This is very nice. Would you?" She handed it to
him.
"Of course."
She had to get up to see the results in the mirror.
It was a white cloche cap that resembled what the Flappers in the 1920's wore.
"This is so beautiful. I love the little flower design. Thank you." Emme hugged him and
kissed him on the lips.
"There's more, Emme."
"Drake---"
"Ssh…"
She sat back on the sofa as he took a box that was wrapped in holly and ivy wrapping
paper.
"Another gift for you."
The reason why Josh got an Oprah key chain, Walter a box of golf tees plus cap,
Audrey a hardbound updated edition of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook,
and Megan some recordable CD-ROMS was because of what was in the black and
white box from Kay jewelers.
It was a 10-karat white gold band ring with an amethyst heart and centered in
diamonds. He used the money he made last year from his paying gigs.
"Drake! Oh, Drake….this is so beautiful." Emme let all the emotions of the day come
out in her tears.
"I hope I got the right size."
She put it on her right index finger.
"I love it! And I love you! Thank you so much." She hugged him tightly before lavishing
him with kiss upon delectable kiss that she almost forgot to give him his presents.
"You're very welcome and you know I love you. Your snowflake pin is crooked." He
fixed it on her ribbed black turtleneck.
"Okay, now it's your turn. I hid it in your closet. So stay there and close your eyes."
Drake laughed. It was so wonderful to see Emme be happy and forget her home
problems for a while that he obliged.
"You can open them now, Drake." Emme said as she placed his hands on the bag
handles.
"Tiffany's?" he raised a curious that really wasn't necessary eyebrow.
"That's just the bag. The store I ordered this from didn't have the bags with the
handles—open it."
Drake let out a big laugh. Emme Jessica Watson was something else.
"You bought me an easy bake oven!"
"Yeah, we can bake a cake later. And this time it'll be fresh, like me." She stuck out her
tongue.
"I give my girl my heart she buys me an easy bake oven. Thank you, Sweetie."
He kissed her on the lips.
"And that big brown envelope is for you too."
"These look like legal documents?" A glossy picture of the brown Arabian horse fell on
his lap.
"Yeah, you don't have to read it all. I want you to have peanut butter cup."
"Where am I going to keep a horse?"
He loved and was confused by the gesture at the same time.
"My house, silly."
"Emme, he's your horse. I hope you aren't thinking you aren't going to make it and
you're giv---"
"Who's jumping to conclusions now? I just want you to have the horse. Have you ever
gone horseback riding? I can teach you."
She wanted to get the happiness of the room back. Emme didn't mean to imply to
Drake that she was giving up on life. She just wanted him to have Peanut Butter Cup
because he was a part of her.
"I did twice in summer camp," He hugged her, "I'm sorry that I jumped to conclusions."
"It's okay. I just wanted you to have my horse because he's a part of me. I'm not going
anywhere Drake."
"Is that a promise?" He held her hands and looked at her with his big hopeful brown
eyes
"You bet it is."
They wrapped their arms around each other and kissed missing the catcalls from
below that dinner was ready.
"Merry Christmas, baby." Drake caressed her cheek
Josh banged on the door a little miffed that he had to come up here and get them
because they were probably too busy making out to hear Audrey's calling.
"Drake! Emme! Dinner is ready!" Josh said through the closed door
"Merry Christmas, darling." Emme replied
She was going to beat this disease. She was and it was all going to be because of her
boyfriend.
Drake and Emme held hands in the tight "for keeps" way once more as they went
downstairs with happy smiles and content hearts to join everyone for Christmas dinner.
Author's Note: To be continued…And a credit to Midie for the paraphrase of the John Cusack line
"I gave my girlfriend my heart, she gives me a ----"
of course, at this time the title of the film escapes me.