Please read the end notes for more information thank you.
A light knock on the door tore Caitlin away from her book, today is the only day she has off work until after the new year and she decided to spend a quiet day at home catching up on some reading and being in a less chaotic environment before the madness of the holidays kicks in and she doesn't know which way she is being pulled. Sliding her bookmark into place she slowly closed the book, sliding it onto the coffee table while looking towards the door; her eyes brows knotted together wondering who it could be. She wasn't expecting anyone – well she was but not this early.
Barry had text her earlier asking if she was working today and for her address, she didn't know why he wanted it but she gave it to him anyways only for him to respond that he will be dropping in later on in the evening so who stood on the other side of the door she didn't know. Pushing herself up from the sofa she made her way to the door, ignoring the peep hole and pulled the door open only to find that it was Barry with a very smiley Evie in front of him and to her horror he was holding a Christmas tree.
"I know you don't like them but we were in town and Evie said we had to get you a tree and come and decorate it with you because you helped with ours" Barry explained upon seeing the look on Caitlin's face as she started at the tree that wasn't to large but bigger than she would like in her apartment – any tree over an inch tall is too much but seeing Evie practically bouncing on the spot in excitement Caitlin had nothing else to do apart from stand to one side to allow them both into her apartment.
The last thing she could do I slam the door in their faces which was her first thought but how harmful can a tree be if it makes Evie happy? After all she will just forget to water the thing and then it will die and she can get rid of it.
"I found you the perfect tree Cait" Evie said to her once safely inside the apartment, her coat tossed onto the sofa along with her hat, scarf and gloves; in no time she had gone from being winter ready to making herself at home and now stood opening boxes of decorations which horrified her more wondering how much they had spent on her.
"That is very kind of you" she smiled at the little girl who look just about to pop then turned her attention to Barry. "How much did you spent?" she asked grabbing her wallet from her purse wanting to pay him back because the last thing she needs is for him to be spending his money on her when there was no need to, after all she is going to be working on Christmas day so why does she need a tree, hell she isn't even going to be home much in the next couple of days due to working longer shifts than normal at the hospital.
"It's our treat so you can put your money away" Barry told her as he began to set the tree up in front of the window in the living room that over looked the street below. The moment he walked into the apartment which looks a lot smaller on the outside he had spotted the empty space by the window which will allow passers-by to see the tree from the street. When he originally took Evie out this morning his plan wasn't to by another tree but as they passed them out on the street, sellers encouraging the public to buy one with less than a week before Christmas; Evie had grabbed his hand and dragged him inside claiming that Caitlin just has to have a tree because it is Christmas, the way his daughter looked at him – he was powerless to say no. in the end he ended up paying for a 5 foot tree for her, piling it into his truck and heading off to buy decorations and lights to go on the tree knowing Caitlin probably didn't have them if she doesn't have a tree.
"Can I get you both a drink?" Caitlin offered doing the polite thing and trying her best to make them feel welcome in her home just like they had done the first night she went to Barry's house for dinner.
"I'll take a black coffee and I guess Evie can have some soda if you have it" Barry responded looking over his shoulder as he found the perfect position in the window for the tree.
"Coming right up" excusing herself, Caitlin went into the kitchen to make the drinks, putting a new pod into the coffee machine leaving it to make the beverage while grabbing the bottle of soda from the fridge to pour Evie a glass. Taking a moment she leant against the counter top of her spacious kitchen, one of the reasons she decided to take this apartment due to the kitchen being twice the size she expected and took a moment to breath.
Knowing Barry is close by – in the next room is doing something to her and she doesn't know what it is, it's that same feeling she got when he held her hip to place the snowflake onto his tree. A sudden overwhelming feeling that has her cheeks heating up – hell her whole body feels on fire. Unknown to her even now she is trying to position her head so she can see him out of the kitchen door in the living room, moving her head in every way possible in a bid to see him but she just can't no matter how far she strains her neck to. Lost in her day dream and wondering what is happening to her – she is a medical expert yet nothing can explain this feeling; a feeling she has never felt before and she doesn't know what to do with it, ignore it hoping it goes away or follow her gut when it comes to Barry and see where it takes her.
"Cait" Evie's voice pulled her from her day dream, shaking her head a little to knock some sense into herself she looked down at the youngster "What are those?"
Following the direction her small hand was pointing in, Caitlin saw she was pointing to the three tickets on the fridge held in by one single silver magnet "They are tickets to see a ballet on Christmas Eve, I used to go every year with my parents ever since I was little"
What she wasn't expecting is for the little girl to squeal which took her by surprise, making her jump a little on the spot. "Evie are you ok?" Barry came dashing into the kitchen worry carved into his face as he first made eye contact with Caitlin making her heart jump then to Evie who was stood looking at the tickets in awe
"I love the ballet" She spoke looking back at Caitlin but slowly making her way closer to the fridge as if she was scared to get close to them in case they disappeared from their place on the fridge.
"If you're free you can come with me if you want?" the words left her mouth as soon as she spoke them, why she said it she doesn't know; maybe it was because of the look on Evie's face at the idea of the ballet but she can't help but feel she is letting her parents down. The nutcracker on Christmas Eve is what they have always done; even if they are not here it is still their thing and she can't help but feeling guilty that she has asked Barry and Evie to go with her and now she can't take it back. Not when Evie is looking at Barry with such hope she would hate to break the little girls heart and she is sure her parents will forgive her – they might even be happy for her that she is making use of them and sharing her childhood experience and traditions with another little girl.
"I mean if you want to go we can but you'll have to be good, do everything I tell you and say a big thank you to Caitlin" Barry told Evie which earnt another squeal of happiness from the youngster.
Evie's arms wrapped around Caitlin's waist in a tight hug as she chanted "Thank you – Thank you – Thank you" over and over again, even if Caitlin is regretting giving her parents tickets away she can't help but smile at Evie who's chin rested on the top of her stomach with a Cheshire cat smile on her face.
"I think you have made her year" Barry laughed reaching around the two females and grabbing his coffee from the machine.
"Can Cait come with us tonight?" Evie asked turning to look at Barry, the idea of the tree long forgotten.
"I don't think she would want to" Barry told Evie who just looked back at Barry with an unimpressed look on her face.
"Well ask her"
"We're going to the carol service tonight – it's kind of our tradition. We attend the service then afterwards we light candles." Barry explained which made Caitlin nod to say she understood.
"We light three candles one for mommy, one for Grandma Nora and one for Grandpa Henry and as your mommy and daddy are in heaven you should come and light two for them" Evie suggested which brought back another childhood memory for Caitlin.
She would attend her local carol service with her parents each year. She would stand between her parents as they sang along with everyone else; until she became too old and heavier her father would hold her in his arms as she pretended to read the words from the small book he held at first having no idea what the words said until she could read but by then she didn't know the words as she sang them every year so the words stuck in her head.
"So will you come with us?" Evie asked that hopeful look back on her face and Caitlin found herself nodding in agreement unable to say no to them big green eyes. She was after all working the morning shift until after Christmas when she changes to the night shift up until New Year's Eve and what she will be working that day she doesn't know yet. She hasn't confirmed that she will work Christmas day and New Year's Eve but as she has for the past four years the hospital just expect her now at whatever time she feels like turning up which is normally around mid-day to work a twelve hour shift finishing at midnight to waste most of her day, at this moment in time it says she has both days off but it never happens – she will always end up working.
With her mind running wild, Caitlin grabbed the glass of soda and moved towards the living room, one thing she has found this year is the idea of Christmas with Evie and Barry around doesn't feel as bad as Christmas normally does for her. Placing the glass down onto the coffee table she turned towards the tree to see Barry was in the middle of putting lights on when he came running into the kitchen at the sound of Evie's squeal almost scream. She watched as he went back to his task; finishing wrapping the string of lights around the rest of the tree while Evie continued to open the rest of the boxes containing the decorations they have bought. One item caught her attention – an angel. Looking almost the same as the one she watched Evie place on the top of her tree, the one Caitlin had quietly admired for its simplicity yet classy look.
Kneeling on the floor beside Evie she picked the angel up and stood it on top of the coffee table, looking towards the fireplace to see the single nutcracker sat on the mantel above. If her parents could really see her now then she would like to think that they are proud of her, proud of her work and the woman she has become but more than anything proud of the fact she has started to move on even if she hadn't meant to but subconsciously made, she has slowly started to accept that her parents will not be coming back any time soon and instead she has allowed Barry and Evie into her life.
I know nothing special really happened again but the next chapter I plan on doing a bumped chapter which will combined all of what is mentioned above, the carol service and the nutcracker and hopefully I will have it finished for Christmas Eve. As for Christmas day itself in this story I will try my best to post that on Christmas day night but no promises. The Christmas day might come after Christmas day if I don't manage to finish it in time to do it on Christmas day night.
So what did you think?
Do you think Caitlin is beginning to move on?
Did she make the right decision by inviting Barry and Evie to the ballet with her instead of wasting the tickets?
Please let me know what you think – your reviews keep me writing
Thank you for reading.