MERRY (almost) CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I just wrote my first winter exam and it went amazing so, here you all go!


Photo #104: Everyday's Christmas

Eadlyn's initial reaction when seeing this photo is to smile, and she does for a bit. That is before she thinks too deep into all possible outcomes of current events.

It's Christmas in the photo - or possibly around Christmas time. The castle is decorated for the holidays so that is Eadlyn's only clue that the photo takes place around that time of year.

Eadlyn isn't quite sure because the photo is just her mother decorating the giant Christmas tree that is always at the base of the main spiral staircase. That just gets Eadlyn thinking how if her mother goes - God forbid - then, Christmas will never be the same again. Sure, she'll still have her father and brothers, and all of their family friends, but her mother won't be there. And that Christmas would be known as the first Christmas without her which nobody ever wants.

-o-

Maxon walks out of his office and makes his way to the staircase to head down. Before he could even take one step, his mind has to process what he's seeing. The Christmas tree is up, half-decorated. There are boxes all over the floor with Christmas decorations spilling out if not already on the ground. There are wreaths hanging on the walls in between the windows and garland wrapped around the staircase's railing.

Did all of this happen while he was working? How did he not hear all this?

America pops out from behind the tree and Maxon skips down the stairs to approach her. He notices that his wife is tangled in Christmas tree lights and tries to get her out of it.

"Do you like it so far?" America asks, opening her arms the best that she can to show off what she has done so far.

"It's making me cringe in my future grave," Maxon says.

America pinches his cheeks a little. "Oh, hush, you love this."

"Christmas isn't for another month!"

America shrugs. "I'm preparing."

Once America's free from the Christmas lights, she starts wrapping it around the tree. Maxon watches her for a little and smiles when she finishes a loop and stares at him. She just ignores him and continues doing her thing. America completes another circle and when she faces Maxon again, he's staring at her with that smirk on his face that she knows has a thought process in his head.

"What?" America asks.

"I have been mesmerized by your laughter, intoxicated by your scent, and fallen for your quirky attitudes," Maxon tells her.

America rolls her eyes which only makes Maxon laugh. Flattery was nice. She didn't hate it but she just didn't appreciate it at the moment after he questioned her early decorating for the holidays. This was not a quirky attitude, this is simply happiness.

America pulls out a wreath from a box and places it on his head. She brushes off her hands as it sits on his hair like an itchy crown. He leaves it there as he goes back to watching her decorate. She takes an angel decoration out from its special sparkled box and fawns in its sight. Maxon smirks with a small laugh. He watches as America skips up the stair steps so she could reach the top of the tree. She carefully stretches over the railing, craning her arms outwards. She's careful not to drop it as she slides the angel on the top vertical branch.

America cheers to herself as she saunters back down the stairs and Maxon can't help himself but smile. It gets even better when America flips a switch and all the small colourful lights around the tree turn on. America shouts for joy and Maxon instantly feels like today is Christmas. Maxon loves to see her like this. The look on her face when she does something she didn't think she could so is his favourite sight.

His ongoing wonder of how she managed to get the giant tree in here on her own and so quiet as well as set it up and start decorating it just skips his mind. He doesn't want to think that he was so engrossed in his work, but it sure seems to look like that. Speaking of forgetting something, he almost didn't realize the absence of something extremely important.

"Wait, America, where are the kids?" Maxon asks her.

America looks around her and over her shoulders. She doesn't seem to be too concerned about whether or not her kids are here.

"They're somewhere in that mess," America says, waving a hand vaguely towards the mess of Christmas decorations. Maxon frowns at her as she bends down to get more decorations. America turns over a little to see his expression. "Keep frowning like that and you might not get lucky tonight."

Maxon perks up, suddenly grinning. "Wait, what?"

America laughs a little at Maxon's reaction. "I'm going to start baking some holiday treats and need you to taste test them, what did you think I meant?"

Maxon expression falters in the most embarrassed way. She knows what he thought she meant because she was purposely playing at that angle. However, to him, it doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is that even though it's not Christmas on the calendar, it's still Christmas…and he loves her cupcakes so, at the end of the day, he is lucky.

"But look, I didn't forget your favourite," America says.

Maxon looks to where she points and it's at the centre of the top part of the doorframe. There hangs mistletoe. Maxon stands up to get a better look at it and America follows, standing behind him. He turns around and immediately pulls her close, dipping her downwards just to kiss her in the most old-fashioned way possible.

He did get lucky tonight.


I don't know about you guys, but the moment November 1st came, it was Christmas.

Stay Tuned - (it's a sneak peek) Maxon could've sworn that he saw America there…