Chapter 5
Stetson/King/West Home- 5:00a.m., Christmas Morning
Lee stepped out of the cab with a long sigh of relief. All that was running through his mind was the fact he was finally home where he belonged. After he paid the driver and collected the luggage along with his gifts, Lee stood there momentarily, taking everything in. He inhaled deeply, smelling the crispness of the newly fallen snow. He scanned around and noticed the many festive decorations in the yard. His eyes were then drawn to the front stoop all lit up as if to warmly welcome him home. He beamed when he spotted the huge festive wreath on the front door and the Poinsettia plants placed with care on the stairs to greet all who visited. It brought back the memories of the previous Christmas to his mind. Last year was the first Christmas he'd spent with the King family, who were now his family. That thought lit his face up even more.
Honey, I'm home.
Lee repositioned his belongings, so he could grab his keys from his pocket and made his way to the front door. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. He slowly and quietly closed it and secured both locks trying not to make any noise. It was very early and he didn't want to wake anyone. He gently placed his keys in the bowl on the table next to the staircase, leading upstairs. He leaned over and sat his things down softly. He then removed his coat and carefully hung it up in the hall closet. He picked up the two bags of gifts and tiptoed to the living room.
There before him was a wondrous sight. He smiled widely as he took in the beautifully decorated Christmas tree lit up in a flickering rainbow of colors from all the flashing lights. On top was a pure white Angel holding a white candle in each hand, blinking in sync with all the other lights. As he moved in closer, he took note of all the Christmas ornaments and balls, both old and new, handmade and store-bought. It was covered with green and red garland, strings of popcorn, cranberries, and silver tinsel.
The sight before him evoked an emotional response he never thought he would or could have. He knew he was the luckiest man on earth, but sometimes, deep down, he felt he didn't deserve all this happiness. As he stood there thinking, he remembered all the women he'd been with from his past, who'd meant nothing. At one time, he thought that was all he deserved. Other memories flew through his mind, which included all the times he told Amanda he was a loner and liked it that way. He shook his head and mumbled, "I'm glad she never listened to me." He chuckled as he bent down in front of the tree.
He began to pull out all the gifts from the two bags he'd been traveling with. He went about happily, placing them under the tree with care. He was genuinely proud of himself. Not only did he not pick out expensive gifts, but he chose them very carefully for things he knew everyone would appreciate and enjoy. His time with his wife had taught him all those things. He lowly laughed out loud at his own expense and declared, "No scarves this year!"
Lee quickly finished his work, grabbed the bags and folded them up. When he rose up, he was holding one last special present for his Amanda. He took a step back and admired his handiwork. Satisfied with a job well done, he headed for the kitchen. Once he made it there, he slid the bags into the drawer where Amanda kept them and stepped over to the refrigerator. He opened it and browsed the contents looking for something to drink. He'd decided on some orange juice, poured himself a tall glass, and thirstily gulped the entire contents down in no time. He placed the glass in the dishwasher and headed back to the foyer. He promptly picked up his luggage and slowly ascended the stairs trying to make as little noise as possible.
He stealthily made his way to their bedroom. He gently turned the knob and slid the door open. His eyes immediately bee-lined right to the most gorgeous sight he'd ever seen. There was his sexy wife curled up on her side, sleeping soundly, cuddled up with his pillow clutched in her arms. A grin appeared on his face, which went from ear-to-ear, knowing she went to bed thinking of him. He couldn't help thinking, She is definitely a sight for this man's sore eyes. He lightly chuckled and whispered, "I missed you too, honey."
As he stood there, silently staring at her in awe, a silly thought popped into his head. 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.' Or, in his case, a Panda bear.
God, how I love you, Manda!
After musing for several minutes, he softly closed the door and tiptoed to the bathroom, trying not to wake his wife. Before he closed the bathroom door, he glanced over his shoulder and saw she was still peacefully sleeping. He placed his things on the counter, swiftly shed his clothes, turned on the water, and moved into the shower. As he remained there stationary, allowing the hot water to cascade down his achy back, the shower curtain suddenly flew open.
There Amanda stood, in all her naked glory, grinning like a Cheshire cat. Not a word was spoken as Lee grasped her forearms, pulling her in for a hugely needed embrace. After several seconds, they leaned back and adoringly gazed into each other's eyes. He let go of her, only to cup her face in his hands and bring their lips together. There they stayed ravenous for one another while they passionately and hungrily allowed their tongues to fight for control.
They broke apart, gasping for air, without either of them wanting to tear their eyes from one another.
Lee was the first to break the silence amongst them and softly uttered, "God, how I've missed you, Wife. I love you, Manda!"
With tears on her face, she whispered, "I missed you more, Husband. I love you too, Sweetheart!"
The couple happily smiled before they gravitated towards the other again. Within seconds, they were kissing as if their lives depended on it.
Their first union in the shower was fast and furious as they gave in to their immediate hunger and desire because of time and distance. After taking a few minutes to recover, Lee turned off the water and carried Amanda to bed, where he tenderly took his time, rediscovering her body. Their next encounter was slow and seductive, and during the culmination, they held hands tightly.
Completely spent, they snuggled close, with Amanda's head on his chest. Lee brushed her damp hair from her face and gazed at her lovingly. It was at that point, Lee remembered something. He untangled himself from Amanda, suddenly jumped up, and almost sprinted to the bathroom. Before she could complete a full sentence to ask him what he was doing, he'd returned in a flash.
Lee grinned as he sat down on the edge of the bed with his hands behind his back but didn't say a word. Amanda examined him curiously as her brows shot up.
"What are you up to, Stetson?"
He brought one hand around, pointed to himself and chuckled. "Who me? Nothing."
She threw him a skeptical look. "Uh-huh. Now, tell me something I can believe, buster."
Lee shrugged his shoulders and continued to tease her. "I really have no idea what you're talking about. I just want to watch and admire my beautiful sexy wife."
"Sure, you do."
Lee figured it was time to let her off the hook. "Alright, I guess the jig is up. I bought you something special in Prague."
Amanda pushed herself up, so she could lean against the headboard and declared, "Ohhh, Sweetheart, you shouldn't have. Just having you home is gift enough."
Lee grasped one of her hands, placed a chaste kiss into her palm, then passionately stared into her alluring and soulful brown eyes. "That may be, Honey. But this is, after all, our first Christmas as a married couple, and I thought something special was called for."
Lee slowly brought around the brightly wrapped box. He was filled with excitement while he was hoping she was going to love it. He held it out in front of her, and she gently took it from him. He widened his eyes and wiggled his eyebrows with earnest anticipation.
She eagerly unwrapped the box and plucked the top off. When she pushed the tissue paper to the side, she gasped out and immediately began to cry happy tears. She carefully picked up the exquisite ornament and studied it.
"Ohh my gosh! Lee, it's stunning! How in the world…" she gushed.
Lee was beyond thrilled. He wanted to surprise her and show her how much she meant to him. She'd just made his day with her reaction.
"Do you really like it?"
Amanda nodded her head, furiously. "Like it? I love it! How did you do this?"
Lee explained, "Well, I had a ton of time on all my layovers. So, while I was in Prague, I was browsing through a few shops at the airport. One, in particular, caught my fancy. I don't know if you're aware, but Prague is well-known for its Bohemian crystal and glass. They do impeccable work with it, so it goes back centuries. Anyway, I knew we needed something for our tree as a keepsake of our first Christmas as husband and wife. So, I asked the owner how long it would take to engrave it, he told me a couple of hours. I couldn't resist and gave him my idea."
"Awww, Lee! It's just…It's just perfect! Thank you, Sweetheart." She leaned forward and guided him to her waiting lips, where they shared a purely loving and passionate kiss.
Once they pulled apart, she continued to peer down at it in amazement. In her hands, she held a red crystal ornament in the shape of a heart. On it was engraved a Scarecrow and a Panda with the words below it saying, 'Our First Christmas-1987.'
They melded together for another sweet and sensual kiss.
"Merry Christmas! Welcome home! I love you, Scarecrow!"
"Merry Christmas! As long as you're here, I am home! I love you too, Panda!"
The rest of the day was spent in merriment, happiness and love. Lee was truly thankful to be with his family and that they'd delayed their celebration for him. He knew he would cherish all of them and those memories for the rest of his life. He also vowed to himself he wouldn't miss any more holiday festivities or be alone again. His Amanda was right all along…If you just believe…
The End
"Merry Christmas to all and all a good night!"-Clement Clarke Moore
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this. I know I had fun writing it. Just a little background on this story. I took excerpts from a few episodes and inserted them in which I usually do anyway. I couldn't resist. The inspiration for the title was from that beautiful song, "Believe" from the 'Polar Express', which was written by Josh Groban. I just love his music and songs. Plus, I snuck in a little of the poem, 'Twas the night before Christmas.' God bless and stay well!