Updated: July 18 2016

The last few days between the Christmas Ball and Christmas Eve passed by quickly for me. I spent the majority of the time with my dad except for the few hours I had carved out to do my Christmas shopping alone. I knew I was cutting it close but I still needed to get my dad's gift. It took me a while but I finally settled on an antique pocket watch with a fish (I didn't know which kind) engraved on the front and a bible verse engraved on the back. I had almost gotten back to the car I was using when I spotted a second gift for my dad in a store window and rushed to get it before the store closed. It was an old fishing pole that he could display or use.

"Bella are your gifts wrapped? Mrs. Boscastle wants to put them under the tree with all the others." Jasper said hours after I finished my Christmas shopping.

"I just finished the last one. Be careful they are all very fragile. I don't want any of them broken." I told him.

"They will be fine Bella you should get ready for dinner." Jasper said. "You only have an hour and half."

"I know how much time I have got Jasper. Shouldn't you be getting ready. I'm sure you'd want to be all spoofed up for Alice. I saw you making gooey eyes at her all through dinner last night." I replied.

"And nothing is going to happen between her and I since I live in America and she lives here." Jasper said. "I can't develop a relationship with her knowing that I am going to be leaving in a couple of months and may never come back."

"Jasper don't you think that should be here choice." I said. "Alice just may surprise you and there are several reasons why she would go to America."

"Okay you two. Enough chit chat you two go get ready for dinner." Mrs. Boscastle said. "Jasper honey, Peter left sent a suit over for you to barrow; Bella your dress is hanging in the bathroom."

"Thank you, Mrs. Boscastle." I replied. "See you at dinner. And Jasper remember what I said."

The rest of Christmas Eve had gone by quickly. After dinner was done and the guest not staying with the Boscastle's went home they all went into the living room where they were all allowed to open one gift as the rest of them would be saved for after breakfast the next morning.

"Bella, Jasper, Charlie we all open one gift on Christmas Eve. I start by picking a gift randomly from under the tree. Whoever that gift belongs to opens it and then picks the next one." Mrs. Boscastle said as she grabbed the first gift. "Charlotte this one is for you it doesn't say who it is from."

Charlotte ripped open the paper and found the newest version of the iPod with her and Peter's names with their wedding date. She kissed and thanked Peter for the gift. She picked out a gift and handed it over to my dad.

He had been given a gun cleaning kit from Jasper. He grabbed one of only three gift bags from under the tree and gave it to Mrs. Boscastle. She pulled a lot of tissue paper out to reveal an expensive silk scarf from Charlotte. Mrs. Boscastle grabbed another gift and handed it over to her husband. It was a set of professional football (soccer) tickets from his son Peter. Next was Jasper he got a detailed book on the civil war from me.

Jasper looked for a while before pulling a thin box from under the tree and handing it to Peter. Peter ripped the paper off and ripped the box open. The look on his face was a happily dazed one.

"Are you sure?" Peter asked Charlotte.

"Yes. I had the doctor run a couple of test done last week. That was one of them. I knew it was my gift to you this year."

"I love it and thank you." He replied.

Mrs. Boscastle grabbed a third gift from under the tree and handed it to me since Peter was otherwise engaged. I ripped the paper off of an old (it looked that way) leather bound book. I flipped through the pages and realized that it was a journal not a book and it was a rather expensive one at that.

"We saw you writing so much that we thought a place to write down all of your ideas and thoughts so you don't lose them."

"That was very thoughtful if you. I love it and I am sure I will be using it quite often." I replied.

"Then it was a great buy." Mrs. Boscastle said.