A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long time between updates. Here's a long chapter to make up for it!
December 23rd, 2004
Angel Grove, CA
It was fun to spend time with my mother like this again. We spent that whole day making cookies and other Christmas goodies. By the time we were done, we had made enough to feed an entire army. Or at least Rocky for a day. Since we had so much, we packaged up some to bring over to everyone the next day. Christmas music was playing, Mom and I were singing and even Marci was joining in. I wondered if this would be what my relationship with my daughter would be. Would we be able to have moments like this with my mother? Could we have these normal memories given how she came to be in this world? I sure hope so.
"So, do we have any names picked out for the little one?" Mom asked, sitting on the couch after we had packed everything up. The three of us would be delivering tomorrow, giving us a chance to see everyone before Christmas.
"Oh, well, I haven't put too much thought into that yet." I replied, sitting in the chair. Marci was chewing on a chocolate chip cookie, dipping it in a glass of milk as she sat on the floor next to the coffee table. The sun had gone down and the Christmas tree was lighting up the corner of the living room. It was the one I had found in the basement, the tree my mother and I had decorated every year around this time. Marci had dragged it up here and helped me set it up a week ago.
"Okay then. What names don't we like?"
"Katherine." Marci said with a full mouth. I shot her a look and she smirked, shrugging her shoulders. Mom glanced from her to me.
"Isn't that the girl Tommy started dating after you two broke up?" She asked. I nodded.
"Yes. They've recently gotten back together. Marci isn't much of a fan of hers." Mom pursed her lips and sipped her cup of coffee. "What?"
"Nothing. I just never quite understood why you two never worked out. Tommy was always such a good boy. Cute too."
"Mom!" I said, causing her to smile at Marci who nodded.
"It's the hair." Marci said, finishing her cookie.
"Oh, yes!"
"Do you two mind?" I asked, rolling my eyes. "Tommy and I didn't work out because of the distance. It's hard to be 17 and expect someone to wait around for you to come back. Besides, I got married and he ended up with Kat. We're friends now. Really good friends."
"They aren't married, right?" Mom asked. I shook my head. "That might be something to keep in mind, Kimberly."
"See?! She's onboard too." Marci said, pointing at my mother. These two were two peas in a pod and I wasn't sure how much I liked that. At that moment, I heard the door knob turn and the front door opened. Tommy walked in, looking surprised to see my mother sitting on the couch. His eyes widened as he set his keys on the hook by the door.
"Mrs. Hart, it's wonderful to see you!" He said. Mom stood up, walking over and giving him a hug.
"Oh, Tommy. Call me, Caroline. How are you? We were just talking about you!" Mom said, pulling away.
"I hope it's all good things." He replied. "I'm doing well. How is Paris this time of year? I bet it's gorgeous."
"It sure is! You kids will need to make the trip sometime. What brings you over to see Kimberly?" She asked. I mentally groaned. We hadn't made it this far either.
"Mom, Tommy is staying here with us." I said, standing. "He lost his home to a fire so I've been letting him use the guest room."
"I'm learning so many things today." Mom said flatly. She turned back to Tommy. "I am so sorry to hear about the fire. I can't imagine having to go through all of that. My sister lost her home to a fire when Kimberly was just a baby. I remember having to buy everything from scratch."
"It hasn't been easy but Kim has been sweet enough to help me out and let me stay here. I suppose I should thank you as well since it's your home." Tommy said. Mom waved her hand.
"At this point, it's more her house than mine. I'm just glad it's not sitting here going to waste anymore. I always thought about putting it on the market but it never felt right. I'm very glad I didn't now."
"So, what brings you to Angel Grove?" Tommy asked, shedding off his coat.
"I wanted to surprise Kim for Christmas. I think she's surprised me more though when I found out I was going to be a grandma!" Mom said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. Tommy raised an eyebrow at me.
"I think we were all a bit shocked." He replied.
"You know what I could go for? Some lasagna! Kimmy, do you have the stuff to make that?" Mom asked. I shook my head.
"Not all of it." I replied.
"No worries! I'll head to the store. That little grocery store is still on the corner of Maple and Main, right?"
"Sure is. I'll come with you." Marci said, climbing to her feet. She ran upstairs and put her shoes on, grabbing a sweater to toss on. Mom pulled her coat on as Marci came back down.
"You want anything else? Any weird cravings?" She asked, smiling at me. I shook my head. "We'll be back in a flash!" She called, her and Marci going out the front door. I watched from the window as they climbed into her rental car and pulled away from the curb.
"You didn't tell her you were pregnant?" Tommy asked from behind me. Sighing, I turned around and shook my head.
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Cause I wasn't exactly proud of myself when I got pregnant. I don't resent the baby or anything. I just didn't want to make it more real at that point. Telling her would have made it just that. And after a while, it had been so long that I just never got the nerve to tell her. She knows now though."
"That she does." Tommy sighed and sat on the couch.
"You alright?" I asked. He nodded slowly, looking at the television.
"It was just a long day. Kat made me spend it with her at her sponsor parents' house. I don't know how well you know Greg and Cindy but they aren't the more interesting people. I had to listen about his golfing stories while she gossiped about their neighbors I've never met."
"Oh, they sound fun." I replied, grinning at him. He gave me a small and tired smile. "Why didn't you tell her you wanted to leave?"
"It was easier than fighting with her." He replied. "But at least I'm home now. When did your mother get in?"
"Shortly after you left. I have a surprise for you." I said. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a sandwich bag filled with the bark we had made. Walking back into the kitchen, I held it out to him. His eyes lit up and he sat straight up.
"Is that what I think it is?" He asked, taking the bag. I nodded.
"Made special just for you." He opened up and grabbed a piece, taking a bite. He let out a moan, relaxing his body as he chewed.
"Ooooh. This is fantastic."
"I thought you would approve." I sat next to him, leaning against the back of the couch.
"You know she's probably grilling Marci for information right now, right?" He asked, looking over at me. I nodded, nibbling on my own piece of the candy.
"I think it might be the other way around." I replied. He nodded.
"I can see that."
Mom and Marci made it home and we had a delicious lasagna dinner complete with garlic bread. Since Tommy was sleeping in the guest room and Marci had the other bedroom, it was decided that Marci was going to sleep on the couch. I helped Mom get settled in and Marci brought some of her stuff down to make it more comfortable for her. Once everyone was settled in, we headed to bed. I was exhausted from the full day adventure we had had and my bed had never felt more comfortable in my life.
The next day, I woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking and the sound of Marci and my mother laughing. I showered and changed, heading downstairs. I spotted the two of them in the kitchen, cooking something on the stove. I was surprised to see that Tommy was also here. He had mentioned having plans with Kat for breakfast this morning and then heading somewhere with her. Instead, he was sitting at the table, sipping coffee from his forest green cup.
"Morning, sweetie." Mom said, giving me a kiss on the cheek as I walked into the kitchen. Marci directed me to the table next to Tommy where she put a mug of hot tea for me.
"Breakfast will be served momentarily." She said, grinning at me before walking back to the stove.
"I didn't think I'd be seeing you until tonight." I said, stirring some milk and honey into my tea. Tommy shook his head.
"I told Kat something came up and I needed to be here today." He replied. Leaning in, he glanced over at Marci. "It may have been a lie." He whispered. I smirked, nodding.
"Your secret is safe with me." I whispered back. Marci came back over with two plates full of food and set them in front of Tommy and I. I recognized that they were omelets and could see spinach and bacon in them. There were also hash browns and sausage links on the plate. It smelled amazing and looked like the best food I've ever seen in my life. Marci went back over to the counter and returned with a plate for herself and another stacked with buttered toast. She set that in the middle as Mom walked over with her own plate. Both sat down across from Tommy and I.
"This looks great!" Tommy said, rubbing his hands together.
"It sure does. You guys outdid yourselves." I said, setting my cup of tea on the table.
"The omelets were all Marci's doing." Mom said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "She's quite the cook." Marci shrugged, sipping her coffee.
"Eggs were something the food pantry always gave out by the boxes. After a while, you had to get creative with them in our house." She replied.
"My mom used to call it the universal protein." Tommy stated, grabbing a piece of toast. "You can do anything with an egg and it's a great source of protein. I tell my students to eat them for breakfast before each lesson."
"We should get a chicken!" Marci exclaimed. "We could have farm fresh eggs each morning."
"You'd need about four of them to be able to have enough eggs for all of us." I replied. "And that's if they lay each morning." I took a bite of my omelet and enjoyed the rich flavor of it.
"When did you become a chicken expert?" Mom asked.
"We sold chicks each spring at the hardware store in Miami." I explained. "I picked up on a few things from the farmers that would come in. It's also how I learned that pigs were the best way to get rid of a body." I winked at Marci before stabbing my sausage.
"That's terrifying." Tommy said, laughing.
"She's three feet tall. How is she scary?" Marci asked.
"I don't know. I've seen her take down some pretty big guys with just a glare." He replied, winking at me. I rolled my eyes, taking a sip of my tea.
"Her attitude is bigger than the tallest skyscraper in New York City. Her father used to tell her that all the time." Mom said. "So, what is on the agenda for today?" I shrugged.
"No much really. We have to drop off our goodies but other than that, I plan on sitting my pregnant butt in front of the TV to watch holiday movies."
"What? That's it?" Mom asked, looking surprised. "This is your favorite day of the year!"
"Christmas eve?" Marci asked. "Not Christmas?" Mom nodded.
"It's always been that way, especially when she was a kid. She would wake up early on Christmas Eve and have this full plan of what she was going to do that day. She'd be more excited about it than she would be about getting presents the next day."
"Why?" Marci asked. I shrugged.
"I'm not sure. I think it's because most of our family traditions were on Christmas Eve. We would have our family get together on that day and we would make these special ornaments with our names on them every year to hang on the tree. Then when I was a teenager, I would spend the time with the rest of the guys and we'd have our little Christmas together. It's always felt special for me I suppose. The tradition kinda faded off when I moved to Florida and married Nick. It's not as much fun when there's only two people and he didn't care that much about Christmas. I'm just glad to be home and around everyone this year."
"You also used to direct the Christmas pageant every year on Christmas Eve." Tommy said, finishing up his omelet. I nodded, glancing over at him. I saw a look in his eyes and I knew he was thinking about our last Christmas together. I had directed the Christmas pageant and we had to save Santa from Rita and Lord Zedd. In the end, we completed the mission and we ended up under the mistletoe after trying to steal a kiss under there all day. It was a sweet memory that made me smile. I hid it by wiping my mouth with a napkin.
"Yes! I remember that. Pierre and I surprised you at the last one you did."
"It was a great Christmas that year." I replied. It was the last Christmas I really enjoyed myself. I left for Florida a couple months later. "But a quiet day sounds great to me."
"I think we can arrange that."
After breakfast, we packed up all our goodies and care packages and set off to deliver them. Mom really enjoyed seeing everyone again and was able to catch up with Billy's father who had been visiting with him and Adam when we arrived. Adam and Billy announced to us that they had selected a wedding date. They were going to tie the knot at the end of June, hoping that they would be able to find a place that would be willing to have a same sex marriage at their establishment. I promised to help them with the planning once the holidays were over and couldn't wait to help them get everything in motion. I knew Aisha would want to help as well. This was her type of project and she would have the best contacts in the area.
At Jason and Trini's, we sat and had coffee and some of the cookies we made while Mom caught up with Trini and Jason. They hadn't set a date yet, something that hadn't shocked me. It had taken Jason forever to decide on proposing. I didn't see a date being set any time in the near future. Trini was happy enough being engaged, the ring looking lovely on her finger as she showed my mother. Jason beamed as she showed it off, looking proud of his bravery. I was so happy for them and was glad that Jason had finally gotten the nerve. I suppose I would need to start convincing him to progress with the wedding shortly after the holidays were over but I didn't want to scare him off.
As we were leaving for the house, Tommy said he had to run some quick errands. Marci tried like hell to get him to say what he needed to do but he didn't. I knew he was going to see Kat. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. His cell phone had rung a few times while we were visiting and I knew they had probably been her. She was persistent and I didn't think he could avoid her the whole day. Marci was visibly pissed when she got into Mom's rental car, watching his truck drive away.
"Marci." I said, looking over my shoulder at her in the backseat. "You can't expect him to spend every waking moment with us."
"This is different. It's Christmas Eve. We're supposed to spend it as a family." She replied. I glanced over at my mother who gave me a small smile.
"I'm sure he will be back soon." Mom said, turning the rental car on. "I have faith in Tommy."
"We should come before her." I heard Marci mutter under her breath. I frowned, glancing out the window. Mom headed back to the house, pulling into the driveway. She had stopped on the way to Trini and Jason's to get some things for dinner. She was going to be making a French pasta dish, not wanting to compete with the big dinner we had planned for tomorrow. I already had a ham chilling in the fridge with all the fixings. We headed inside, Marci volunteering to help out with dinner. I was glad she would be distracted from hating Tommy for the time being. I was at a loss at what to say to her anymore. I knew she liked the idea of our little family unit but she had issues accepting the fact that Katherine was a part of it. What else could I say to her to make her understand? Tommy would need to talk to her about everything. Perhaps that would be something we did after tomorrow, not wanting to ruin the holiday for her. I wasn't thrilled about Kat being involved in this but we would need to since they were back together.
I went upstairs and changed into a pair of pink flannel pajamas and an oversized hoodie I found in my closet. It felt great to shed my bra, my boobs seeming to get bigger with each passing day along with my belly. My bump was growing to a point where hiding it just wasn't possible. It looked cute though as I lifted the hoodie to look at it in the mirror. It was crazy to think that next Christmas, she would be here with us. I felt tears filling my eyes and I blinked them away, quickly heading downstairs where I heard Mom and Marci in the kitchen. Sitting on the couch, I flipped on the television and saw that a Charlie Brown Christmas was playing. I kicked my feet up and leaned back into the couch.
If I played my cards just right, I could hang out here and watch the animated movies until It's a Wonderful Life comes on. That was truly my favorite tradition. I loved the story about George Bailey figuring out why he's been placed on this Earth and his importance in other people's lives. I think that is where my love of Christmas Eve came from. I loved the romance idea of it. I loved to watch my parents together when I was a kid on Christmas Eve, holding hands while talking with our other family members. That was before things between them got awful. And then when I was old enough to find Tommy, he became my favorite part of Christmas Eve. We would be with our friends and then, he would walk me home and spend time with me there. When I was still living with my parents, both would have to go to my father's work party on Christmas Eve. Tommy would come in and we would sit, watching this movie while drinking hot cocoa. We would just be together and cuddle, enjoying each other's company. Granted, as teenagers, we could have done far worse but it just felt nice. It was like playing house, imagining what it would be like to put our kids to bed and then get ready for Christmas morning.
I heard Tommy's truck pull into the driveway and could see the top of his head as he climbed out. I really hoped Marci wouldn't give him shit for spending time with Kat this evening. I wasn't sure if I should try to warn him or not, not wanting to piss Marci off if I did. I heard him climb up the porch and expected him to come through the door. He didn't. Instead, I heard a thudding against the door. Confused, I stood up and walked over to it. Pulling the door open, I found him standing there with a stack of boxes in hand. The stack was so high, I couldn't even see Tommy behind them.
"Need some help there?" I asked. He peaked around the boxes, smiling at me.
"If you could just hold the door that would be great." I stepped aside, holding the door open for him. He walked in, setting the boxes on the coffee table. I shut the door behind him, seeing that the Christmas lights in the neighborhood were starting to come on as the sun set. I turned to face him, watching as he shed his coat off.
"Last minute shopping?" I asked. He laughed, nodding as he hung his coat up.
"You could say that." He replied, walking back over to the boxes. The top two were white and the bottom, the biggest box, was a regular cardboard box. He picked up the shite boxes and set them aside. Opening the big box, I spotted wrapped presents in green and white plaid wrapping paper. "I had to get the last of my presents for everyone from Jason's storage unit. I couldn't trust someone in this house to not snoop."
"Oh, I don't think Marci would do that." I said. He glanced at me over his shoulder.
"I was talking about you. Plus, I wanted to get something for your mother to open." He slid the box on the floor and over to the Christmas tree in the corner. He pulled the presents from the box and tucked them under the tree. I still had some to put under there but they still needed to be pulled out of my closet and wrapped. Once the box was empty, he tossed it in the hall near the kitchen. "These are for tonight." He said, walking over to the table again. He picked up the box on top and opened it. Mom and Marci came in from the kitchen then.
"You're back." Marci said, looking surprised.
"I do live here." Tommy said, smirking at her. He reached into the box and pulled out a white glass Christmas bulb. I looked at him, confused as he handed it to me.
"What is this for?" I asked, watching as he grabbed the other box. Reaching inside, he pulled out a package of markers.
"I thought about what you said about traditions. So, I went to every craft store I could find that was still open and tracked down some ornaments that we can decorate tonight."
"Oh, that's so sweet!" Mom said, taking the ornament from me.
"That's what you did tonight?" Marci asked. Tommy nodded.
"Yeah. What did you think I was doing? Causing trouble? I leave that up to you."
After we ate dinner, Tommy and Marci set up the kitchen table in the far corner of the living room and spread out the supplies to make our ornaments. Mom made hot cocoa on the stove and set up a plate of Christmas cookies for us to eat while we worked. It was one of the most fun moments I've had in a long time. Three of the most important people in my life were here with me on my favorite day of the year, and recreated a tradition I used to love. Marci naturally out did us all, painting an entire scene on her ornament of a fireplace with a Christmas tree, her name written above the mantle. I kept it simple, using a black marker for my name and then pink and white to draw little snowflakes around it. Mom also went above and beyond, painting Santa and an elf holding a banner with her name. Tommy struggled with the activity, art never being his thing. He used the green marker for his name and then made three little snowmen underneath it.
"These look terrific." Mom said, hanging hers on the tree. The four of them were hung near the center, the light reflecting off the glass surface and making them sparkle. I stood back, looking at them.
"This was a really great idea. Thank you, Tommy." I said, smiling up at him. He smiled back, nodding.
"Anytime."
"Just think! We will have another ornament to add next Christmas." Marci said, packing up the supplies we used. I smiled, putting my hands on my stomach. The thought had been on my mind a great deal during our craft. She would be here next year. She would be going through all of these memories with us.
Would Tommy be here though?
"I'm beat. I think I'm going to head to bed. I'll see you all in the morning." Mom said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. She waved at Tommy and gave Marci a hug before heading upstairs.
"Kim, can I sleep in your room tonight?" Marci asked. "I can sleep on the floor if need be."
"Not feeling the couch tonight?" I asked. She shrugged.
"It's not that. I just don't want to be down here by myself."
"Take my room." Tommy said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I'll ride the couch for the night."
"You sure?" She questioned. Tommy nodded. "Thanks! I'll go move some stuff over. I'll see you guys in the morning. I call dibs on opening the big presents first." She called, heading up the stairs.
"Goodnight." I said flatly, shaking my head in her direction. I walked over to the closet in the hallway and grabbed the stuff to make up the couch for Tommy. "I swear, that girl will be the death of me yet."
"You and me both." Tommy replied, taking the sheets and the blanket from me. "Were you heading to bed already? Your movie isn't over yet." He pointed at the television and I saw that George was just discovering that Mary had grown up to be quite the looker at the school dance.
"I don't want to invade your space." I replied, shrugging my shoulders.
"Kinda hard when it's your house." He said, winking at me. "More cocoa?" He questioned, setting the blankets on the loveseat. I nodded, sitting on the couch. I grabbed the thick blanket I had been curled up in earlier and pulled it over my lap. Tommy returned with two mugs in hand, whipped cream on top of both of them. He handed me one before sitting next to me. I tossed the blanket over his lap as well before turning the TV up.
"We have to talk to our teenager tomorrow." I said, sipping my cocoa. Tommy looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "I think she's having some jealousy over Kat."
"What do you mean?"
"She gets upset every time you leave to do things with her. I think she's really set on this idea of us being her family, you know? Especially with the holidays and not being with her mother. I think if we just sit down and tell her that Kat is going to be a part of this little family we have going here just like everyone else, she will understand."
"She really doesn't like Katherine, does she?" He asked.
"Oh no! I think she just doesn't like the change. That's all." I smiled at him reassuringly. "She's at that age where anything probably makes her upset. That's why we should talk to her now rather than later." Tommy nodded.
"Let's warm her up with presents and then spring it on her." I laughed.
"Exactly."
"…teacher says 'Every time a bell rings, an angel gets their wings!'" A squeaky voice said, pulling me from my sleep. I blinked a couple of times, seeing that it was the television talking. The pale glow of it mixed with that of the Christmas tree in the corner. This told me that someone had shut off the light in the living room at some point. I felt something warm under me and when I looked, I saw that I was laying on a sleeping Tommy on the couch. He was propped up in the corner of the couch with his feet on the coffee table. I was tucked into his side, his arm draped around me while he slept. I went to move but stopped. I didn't want to end this moment and Tommy was objecting. Instead, turned the volume of the television down and curled up into him more. He reacted, pulling me closer.
The next morning, I woke up to Tommy trying his best to shift out from underneath me. I blinked, confused at first. But then I remembered falling asleep to the movie. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was before seven in the morning. "Shit." I said, sitting up. "I gotta wrap a few presents before everyone gets up."
"I wish I could say that I'm surprised." Tommy said softly, rubbing the sleep from his face. "I'll make a pot of coffee. Do you want tea or cocoa?"
"Tea, please." I replied. Standing, I quietly made my way upstairs where I made quick work of wrapping the presents I had bought my mother as well as a few last minute things for Marci. I carried them downstairs and set them up under the tree, the smell of coffee filling the house from the kitchen. This caused some stirring from above my head, telling me that my mother was awake at least. I sat on the couch, wrapping the blanket back around me. She came down the stairs, wrapping a robe around herself. Her blue and white striped pajama bottoms stuck out underneath it.
"Merry Christmas, sweetie." Mom said, smiling at me as she walked over. She kissed the top of my head before sitting on the couch next to me.
"Merry Christmas. How'd you sleep?" I asked.
"Great. And you? I can't imagine that the sofa was too comfortable." She replied, grinning at me.
"So it was you who turned the lights off last night." I said, eying her. She shrugged, playing coy.
"I'm not sure what you could be referring to." From the kitchen, I heard movement and Tommy came from the hallway with a tray in his hands. There were four coffee mugs on it with the little bowl I use for sugar next to them. The small carafe for creamer was there as well as he carefully set it down on the table.
"Good morning, Caroline. Merry Christmas!" Tommy said.
"Merry Christmas." Mom replied. "It's so great to be here with you all today." She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into her side. "This is much better than being all alone."
"We're glad you're here too." I said, smiling at her.
"I'm surprised that Marci is still asleep. I thought for sure she's sniff out the presents by now." Tommy said, handing us each a cup before sitting on the floor at the end of the coffee table closest to the tree. Like on cue, there was movement above us. It was slight and then a sudden thud, followed by dashing feet towards and down the stairs. Marci came bounding around the corner of the hallway so fast, her thick fuzzy socks caused her to skid. She nearly busted her ass, narrowly catching herself before both feet left the ground. She came to a stop in the hallway, her hair in messy and slept in braids on each side of her head.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" She exclaimed.
"You're like a bloodhound." Mom said, smiling at her. She shrugged, sitting on the floor near the tree. She tucked her feet under her, her excitement causing her to nearly bounce in place. It was sweet to see her so excited for something. I think it was the most emotion I've seen out of her since she moved here. Tommy handed her a cup of coffee which she sipped a few times before setting it on the floor next to her.
We spent the hour opening presents. Tommy had gotten my mother a lovely scarf that went with a hat and glove set. Marci had gotten her a set of wine glasses that said WORLD's BEST GRANDMA on them. I could tell she loved them when she opened them, a wide smile on her face. It went well with the coffee mugs that said the same thing on them I had bought her. I also got her a new sweater and a pair of earrings with sunflowers on them, her favorite flower. Mom had managed to get some shopping in while she was here. Tommy got a shaving kit while she got Marci a brand new set of makeup brushes. I was surprised to find a camcorder when I opened my gift from her.
"You'll need it for when the baby comes. Trust me. Home movies are the best memories once you get older. I still have a box of ours that I pull out from time to time." She said, sipping her coffee. She also got me several maternity dresses and some cute outfits for the baby. "There's plenty more to come, I promise!"
"I bet. Thank you." I said, hugging her. Marci made out like a bandit. Mom had gotten her some shirts as well as the brushes while Tommy had gotten her several sketch pads and blank canvases. I knew he had gotten her art supplies so I bought her new pencils, coloring pencils, paints, and a leather bound portfolio that could keep all her pieces of art. I had also gotten her some makeup, a couple of CDs, and new outfits that reminded me of her when I saw them at the mall. Tommy surprised her with a new MP3 player and the two of us had gone in together to get her an Apple desktop computer. She squealed loudly when she opened it, unable to believe her eyes when she pulled the paper off the box. It showed a purple see through monitor with the tower next to it, one of her favorite colors.
"This is incredible! You guys, I can't accept this." She said, her eyes growing misty.
"Sure you can." I said. "It's the least I can do for everything you've done for me, Marci. And it can help you with your schooling and art."
"Kim's right. It's all yours." Tommy said. She jumped off the floor and hugged him before running over to hug me as well.
"Thank you so much! I got you both presents too." She rushed back over to the tree and picked up two presents. She handed one to Tommy and one to me. Tommy ripped the paper off of his and saw that it was a book about hidden forms of karate. He smiled, reading the cover.
"Awesome! I love reading about this kinda stuff." He said.
"I figured." She said. I pulled the wrapping paper from my present and saw that it was a beautiful photo album with a white cover and little pink cranes flying across it.
"Oh wow." I whispered.
"I hope you like it. Trini and Aisha told me that you really liked cranes and I had that printing place do this special. I figured baby Marci was going to need somewhere to keep all of those pictures we take of her all the time."
"It's beautiful Thank you, Marci." I said, putting it back in the box for safe keeping.
"Anyone need more coffee?" Mom asked, standing. Marci nodded, standing as well.
"I'll help." She carried the tray back into the kitchen. Tommy bent over under the tree and grabbed the few remaining presents. I saw that two of them were his from me while there were three others in the wrapping paper he had brought home yesterday.
"Those are yours." I said, pointing at the gifts.
"Well, these are yours." He replied. He handed me mine and I stacked them on the table in front of me. We ripped into the first one at the same time. I had gotten him several prints of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, two of his favorite martial artists, to hang in his office for the new dojo. In my hand, I saw that I was holding a box for a digital camera. "I know your mother got you the camcorder but I thought you might want one of these as well."
"Thank you." I said. He moved on to his next present which was a cologne set I had bought him. It was the same one I had bought him the last Christmas we were together. I saw a smirk on his face as he tore the paper.
"You remembered." He said, holding it up. I nodded.
"Of course. It's always been my favorite."
"Mine too." I opened my next present and saw a large framed picture. It was a collage of various pictures, some of our group, some of Marci and me, and a couple of just Tommy and I. "For your desk at work." He said.
"I love it." I said. "Sorry you don't have another present to open." I said, frowning. He shook his head.
"It's fine. Open your last one." He motioned towards the small box. I opened the lid and found a necklace inside. On a dainty silver chain, there was a charm of a heart with a pink gemstone in the middle. "That's for you. And when the baby is born, I paid to have another charm added to it with her birthstone." He said. "So she can be closed to your heart always."
"Must you make me cry all the time?" I asked, feeling tears brim my eyes. I sniffled, wiping them away. "Thank you so much for everything, Tommy."
"You're welcome." Outside, I heard a sudden loud and obnoxious beeping noise. I looked at Tommy confused who also looked like he didn't know where it was coming from. I stood up, walking over to the door. Peaking out, I saw there was a car I didn't recognize in the driveway. Tommy stood up from the floor and walked over to look.
"I don't know who that is. Are you expecting company?" I asked. He shook his head.
"Not until later at least." He replied. I unlocked the door and pulled it open. He followed me out onto the porch. It was a little silver car with four doors and looked like it had been recently washed. The door to the driver side opened and my mother climbed out.
"Mom? What is going on?"
"Here." Tommy said, putting something in my hand. Looking down, I saw they were car keys.
"What are these?" I asked.
"They are yours." He replied, smiling at me. I gasped.
"Did you buy me a car? Tommy, we talked about this!" He laughed, shaking his head.
"It wasn't just me. It was all of us and your boss. He helped us find a used car that would be safe for you and the baby once she arrives. He's got quite the connections here in Angel Grove. This was something we all wanted to do to help you out." Tears streamed down my face as I looked at him.
"I don't know what to say." I whispered. Walking over, I hugged him and he pulled me into his chest.
"I call dibs on learning how to drive in Tommy's truck still." I heard Marci call out. Tommy groaned as I let out a laugh, shaking my head.
"We'll see about that one."
