Under the Mistletoe
Ramona couldn't help but grin as Tommy spun around in circles laughing as he sprinkled tinsel all over the ground instead of on the tree. She scooped up the six-year-old boy and spun him around.
Max hollered about the mess they were making as Cosmo Jr. Jr. Jr. began to bark happily.
DJ peeked her head in from the kitchen and shook her head as she saw the chaos happening in the other room.
"Who wants cookies?"
Tommy screamed and Ramona put him down and followed him into the kitchen. Already sitting at the kitchen table was Jackson and the rest of their crazy family.
Steph was feeding her daughter, it was hard to believe that two years had passed.
Her mom was eating cookies while her uncle Jimmy was making airplanes noises at his newest nephew. Kimmy and Fernando had decided to have another kid after helping Steph and Ramona was a proud big sister.
She helped Tommy into a chair and he began chewing his cookies, a huge smile on his face.
Ramona looked around for an empty seat but the chairs were all full so she grabbed her cookies and nudged Jackson.
"Scoot over Jackson. Let me share the seat"
"No way, go sit on the counter."
"It's too far."
He rolled his eyes an shifted slightly and she sighed, sitting in his leg, pouting as she ate her cookie. She tried to ignore the look her mother was giving the other she-wolf pack members.
She had not dated a boy since the freshman year and since then her mother had been convinced of her feelings for Jackson.
If she was being honest he mother was not far off, but Jackson was as clueless with girls as ever. He and Rocki had stayed friends after their breakup but since then he had one other girlfriend, who he had broken up with that summer.
They were 18 and in less than six months they would be graduating.
Jackson reached for another cookie and dropped the extra one he grabbed in front of her.
She beamed at him and then her arm went around his neck as Cosmo Jr. Jr. Jr. jumped on her lap. Jackson's arm went around her waist steadying her and he gently pushed the dog off her.
Neither one of them removed their arms from each other. The moms all exchanged smiles while Fernando beamed.
Ramona puckered her lips and she did her lipstick. The red lipstick went perfect with her red dress and she took a quick selfie.
She then headed over to DJ's. The first one to greet her was Tommy who looked adorable in his little suit with snowmen on his tie.
She picked him up, kissing his cheek.
Max and Rose were next to greet her, they were still the cutest couple she knew and were still growing strong.
She went from person to person kissing everyone even though she had seen everyone less than eight hours ago.
The only person she could not find was Jackson.
DJ noticed the girl looking for someone.
"He's upstairs. Will you be a dear and go get him?"
Ramona rolled her eyes and made her way up the stairs.
She entered the room and there was Jackson standing in front of the mirror struggling to do his tie.
She giggled and he turned to look at her and smiled wide.
"Wow, Ramona you look beautiful."
She blushed and stepped closer to him taking the tie in her hands and doing it for him.
"Thank you, Jackson, you don't look too bad yourself."
He eyes her feet.
"Won't you be tired later?"
"I assumed you are going to carry me back to my house."
He nodded his head and held out an arm.
"Shall we?"
They descended down the stairs arm in arm and Rocki and Popko smiled at them. Jackson and Rocki had remained friends and after talking she and Popko had stayed friends. Eventually, the two had begun dating at the end of their junior year and to her surprise, Jackson was okay with them.
Rocki was wearing a green dress with black lace covering it up and Popko matched her with a green shirt and black tie.
"Looking good Fuller."
Jackson shrugs and points to Ramona.
"It's all thanks to her. I could not to my tie."
Popko groaned.
"Rocki had to fix mine. I don't know what I would do without this woman?"
Rocki raised an eyebrow.
"Woman?"
"I meant lady, I mean Ma'am. I mean girlfriend. Rocki, babe, darling you know I love you."
Rocki rolled her eyes and gave him a quick kiss.
"You are so lucky you are so cute."
Jackson broke away so he could say hi to his grandfather and Ramona stayed with the couple.
"You know Romona no one's stopping you two."
"I don't know what you are talking about." She flipped a curl off her shoulder and the couple exchanged a look.
They were interrupted by Tommy running into Ramona's leg, Pamela crashing into her other one.
She scooped up Tommy and held out her hand to Pamela who took it and pulled her towards her parents, then Pamela stopped and looked up and clapped her hands.
"Kiss kiss!"
Ramona looked up and saw that she was under the mistletoe.
She bent down and gave the small girl a kiss and gave one to Tommy. Tommy kissed his cousin and Pamela giggled. She ran towards her parents calling out "kiss kiss."
Jesse laughed and pulled Becky to the nearest mistletoe and dipped her, kissing her.
Nicky and Alex both grimaced but Nicky's girlfriend Lily laughed and Alex's boyfriend gave him a sloppy kiss a few minutes later when they got caught underneath
Ramona raised an eyebrow. She didn't realize how much mistletoe was in the house. One in every doorway, one on the bottom and top of the stairs, one in front of the tv. One over the couch. She headed to the kitchen and found more hanging over the counter where Stephanie and Jimmy were kissing as their baby ate. She turned back into the living room and pushed past Rocki and Popko who had been caught, Pamela was giggling clapping her hands as she looked up at them. She went out the front door for some air.
The holidays were one her favorite time of the year but this year surrounded by a bunch of happy couples was a lot. It had hit her that since Popko she had not had a boyfriend and she and Popko were just kids when they attempted to date.
She and him no longer sorted out their feelings and when she noticed how he and Rocki looked at each other, she had encouraged him, roping Jackson into getting them together, their work had paid off but knowing that two of her best friends was dating and the other was on the verge of dating, she felt alone.
The door opened and she felt a jacket draped over her shoulders.
"Hey."
She looked at Jackson and smiled.
"You okay?"
"Just needed some air."
The street full of cars and she could hear laughter coming not just from inside the house but from other houses, where other holiday parties were happening. She wanted to sit but the stone was too cold so she settled for leaning against the wall. Jackson looked at her before he moved to stand in front of her. He towered over her and Ramona felt her heart began to pound.
"Talk to me. What's on your mind."
She couldn't look him in the eye so she looks over his shoulder and her eyes went upward and right there above their heads, hung mistletoe.
He followed her eyes sight and he gulped which brought her eyes to his throat and then they flicked to his lips.
Jackson looked at her and then said softly.
"I'm pretty sure it's bad luck to break tradition."
Then he leans in but he hesitates.
"Tell me to stop and I will"
"Shut up Fuller."
And then he is pressing her against the wall and she can feel the stone against her back and its cold but Jackson is keeping her warm. His fingers are on her waist are burning her and his lips are on hers and she is flying. She wraps her arm around him and he pulls away before she pulls him back to her.
Neither was aware of the time that has passed. One pulls away and then they go back in. They don't want to break the spell they are under.
They are so wrapped up in each other they don't hear the front door open and are unaware that their two friends had been looking for them.
"Fuller?"
The couple pulls away and they turn to look at the other couple in shock.
Rocki and Papko have smug smiles and Jackson is aware that Ramona's dress has moved up her thighs and that he has lipstick all over his face.
"It's time for a family picture."
Rocki headed back in laughing, Papko following her, throwing them a wink.
Jackson groans there is no way they can freshen up without being caught by someone.
Roak tugs on his hand and he smiles and shurgs.
"Shall we?"
He holds out an arm and she takes it and together they enter the house.