Chapter 25

Monday started a string of long days with the Dear Santa project in full swing. Working with Rita in the morning on some mangled packages Shane told her they had found another possible lead through Leah's antique shop.

"Rita, I told Leah I'd help her make a Christmas wreath next weekend, but she has to work on Saturday. If Leah can make it, I didn't know if you'd want to come over Thursday night and join us? We could make it a girl's evening with Oliver out at choir."

"I'd love to. We started decorating but I haven't put anything up outside yet."

Shane volunteered to pick up lunch at Ramon's Bistro so she could settle the bill with Leah's shop and look at the table for Oliver. Leah had sent a picture and Shane liked the look of the piece. When she arrived, they went to find it. "I'd like to get it but the only time I could get it in the house is on Thursday nights when he's at choir. Speaking of which, I didn't know if you could come over Thursday to work on the wreath? Rita wanted to make one as well, so she'll be there. I thought we could have a girl's evening."

"I'll check with Joe to see if I can borrow his truck and we can smuggle it in then." Leah said with a laugh. "Should be fun. I found the name of the lady who dropped off the Christmas decorations. It's Lillian Anderson. I called her to get the rest of her contact information and to get her permission for release. She's expecting your call and said she did mail a package a couple weeks ago."

"Thanks. You've been a tremendous help." Shane said giving her a hug.

Returning with lunch and Lillian's information, she made a call and set up a time the next day to meet her with the advent calendar to confirm ownership.

Oliver & Norman spent the rest of the afternoon going through unattached items while Rita and Shane continued working on the Dear Santa project. With a list of research to continue at home, they all left for the evening.

After starting dinner, Oliver found Shane trying to put elf outfits on the doodles. He watched Gryffin chewing the balls hanging off the costume while Raven was rolling around making it difficult to get the costume over her head. "Maybe I should have gotten reindeer costumes. You two aren't looking like you'd in any way make decent elves."

Oliver chuckled watching the three. "They are mischievous enough to be elves."

"I didn't realize you were done with dinner." Shane said turning.

He leaned over to kiss her. "Trouble in Santa's workshop?"

"I'm thinking the costume choice maybe wasn't the best."

"The stew is ready. Why don't you come eat?"

Later in the evening, Oliver noticed a couple balls by the sofa. He went to pick up the living room before finding Shane working in the guest bedroom researching another package. "I'm afraid the elf costume was a casualty in the Santa workshop war Shane."

"What are you talking about?"

He held up the costume that was missing all the balls and was split in half. "They must have played tug of war."

"Gryffin, Raven!" Shane called. They both came running in with the balls still hanging out of their mouths. "You could have at least hidden the evidence." Shane said shaking her head. "Are they both ruined?" She asked taking the balls away from the dogs.

"No, the other one looks intact. Maybe you can have one elf and one reindeer?"

"We could make that work."

"I'm going to take them for a run while you finish up in here."

"I'm almost done."

She was still working when he came back. He took a shower before checking to see if she was finished. "Shane, love, you need to take a break." He said rubbing her shoulders and her neck.

"That feels great. I'm almost done."

"You said that over an hour ago." He brushed his lips against the back of her neck before moving to her shoulder knowing just the spot to convince her it was time to finish.

"Oliver." She ran her hand through his wet hair leaning back into him. Fully willing to be distracted she turned noticing he neglected to put a shirt on after his shower. "Did you forget something?" She asked smiling faintly placing a hand on his chest as she stood up.

"Not at all." Oliver said kissing her. Her hands gravitated to him moving around his waist and up his back. She laid her head on his chest before gently dusting her lips across his chest. "I had a question." He said running his hands through her hair enjoying the feel of her hands and lips drifting over him. "That little red velvet outfit."

"Hm." She said absently focused on slowly running her hands over him.

"Am I going to get to see that red outfit again anytime soon?"

Shane laughed. "Liked it did you?"

"Tis the season." Oliver said with a slight smile.

"I think I might be able to find where it went." Shane said smiling over her shoulder and heading out the door.

Tuesday Oliver and Shane met Mrs. Anderson with the Advent calendar. She showed them pictures of her girls when they were younger with it to confirm ownership. Oliver told her while researching ownership they read the note that came with the package. After she gave them her nephew's address, Shane asked, "May we ask what happened to your girls?"

"My daughters turned out to both be on the adventurous side. The oldest works with Doctors without Borders. The youngest is an officer in the Navy traveling the world. I'm not expecting either to settle down any time soon and thought my nephew's girls would enjoy the tradition of the calendar. I hated to leave it sitting in a box in the closet. Since my husband and I retired, we're in the process of downsizing. We're wanting to travel more ourselves. That's why I dropped the rest of the decorations we cleaned out at the antique shop."

"We bought the nativity set, which was what led us to find you." Oliver explained.

"Well of all the Christmas miracles. That's something." Mrs. Anderson said.

Oliver and Shane looked at each other. "Indeed. It was a Christmas miracle." Oliver said smiling at Shane.

"The bell that was in the box did that come from you as well?" Shane asked.

"Yes. We had that for years. The girls watched 'It's A Wonderful Life' and always liked ringing bells afterwards. They collected them through the years saying God needed as many angels with wings as he could get at Christmas. We kept several others they had but let that one go."

"It's a lovely sentiment." Shane said. "Have a Merry Christmas and we'll get this off to your nephew this afternoon."

Returning to the DLO, Shane told Rita about the Anderson's relaying the information about their daughters, while they repackaged the calendar to send to the nephew. They all worked late that evening processing other mangled packages.

The next evening there were multiple packages on the doorstep when they arrived home. After taking them inside, Oliver having finally gotten used to Shane ordering everything online picked up a box cutter to open one when Shane stopped him. "No, No, NO. During the month of December if you didn't order it and it's not in your name you don't open the box." She took the package from him, kissed him on the cheek and walked out of the room.

Oliver grinned looking at the rest of the boxes realizing they were probably Christmas gifts. Returning she caught him checking out where they were from and gently shaking them. "No cheating." She said smiling. She looked through and gave him one. "Here's one you can open. A late surprise." She said taking the rest.

"How can it be late?" Oliver asked. "Christmas isn't here yet."

"Open it and see." Shane said. He opened the box to find a tea sampler advent calendar.

"Thank you. This is great." He said checking out the different teas listed. Leaving her to her boxes, he took the dogs for a walk thinking about his own Christmas surprises for Shane.

While Oliver was making dinner, Shane had been wrapping Christmas gifts. After running out of tape and searching through several places, she went into his office to see if there was any in his desk. Opening a drawer, she saw a wooden cigar box. Knowing Oliver didn't smoke she was immediately curious and opened it to look inside.

Seeing what was inside melted her heart. The letter she wrote to God that Jordan returned sat next to a couple ornaments from the tree they had in the DLO from their first Christmas together. There was a slip of wrapping paper from the birthday gift he gave her at the Mailbox Grill party after he found out about his father. The plane ticket to DC from their first trip together was tucked next to a bobble head from the RV trip the Postables had taken together. There was a dried yellow rose she had given him at Dudley's retirement party. The napkin she wrote on from the Ephlat lounge was next to one from Donatello's and a dessert menu from Montaldo's. There were dried flowers from the Kelser field he kissed her in next to a small piece of the wall she'd knocked down at the office. Rolled up in the corner of the box was the ugly green tie. By the time she'd wandered through the box remembering moments from the last couple years, tears were running down her face.

"Looking for your Christmas gifts?" Oliver asked smiling faintly. He knew at some point she would find the box and was surprised it had taken her this long.

"Oliver…" She didn't know what to say looking at him lovingly.

He walked over and knelt next to her putting the box that was on her lap on the desk. Taking her hand, he placed it over his heart. "You've always had my heart in your hands. Even before I could admit it to myself, my heart was yours. I would not wish any companion in the world but you."

Placing her free hand against his cheek. His Shakespeare quotes always finished her off. It was so Oliver. "I've loved you for so long. In the beginning, it hurt not knowing how you felt." She kissed him. "I was starting to run out of ways to say I love you without saying I love you," she said wrapping her arms around his neck leaning her forehead against his. "And I wasn't looking for Christmas gifts I was looking for tape."

"Sure, you were." Oliver teased. "There's some in the kitchen drawer. Dinner is ready if you'd like to try to eat before the doodles figure out a way to beat us there."

After dinner they spent the evening drinking tea from the advent calendar together in front of the fire.