DECEMBER 25

I knocked on the door of Willow's house. I was having Christmas lunch with my girlfriend. I'd spent most of the morning with my parents and siblings. And then, on my way here, I'd dropped by Jon's for a few minutes, to drop off their presents. And so I was going to spend a few hours with Willow and her family. Well, her mom and her mom's boyfriend.

Kathleen Griffin, Willow's mom, opened the door. She gave me a huge smile and pulled me inside. "Oh, Stryker," she said, hugging me. "I'm so glad you're here. Merry Christmas."

I grinned. "Merry Christmas, Kathy." The first time I'd met her, even before I'd started dating Willow, she'd insisted that I call her Kathy. She had told all my other friends the same thing.

"Come in. Lunch will be in an hour." She narrowed her eyes at me, noticing for the first time the duffel bag I was carrying. "And what do you have in there, young man?"

"Presents," I told her, smirking slightly. She had very thoroughly tried convincing me that I didn't need to get any presents for her or her boyfriend. But I had wanted to get them something anyway. Not just because it would have been weird to show up with a present just for Willow, but because I genuinely liked Kathy and Charles.

"I thought I told you not to worry about getting us any presents."

I shrugged. "I didn't listen. Obviously."

"Little stinker," she muttered.

"Yep. I get it from my mother. Do you need any help with lunch?" I asked, setting the bag near the Christmas tree.

She shook her head just as Charles poked his head out from the kitchen doorway. He grinned at me. "We've got it, Stryker. But thank you for the offer. Go hang out with Willow. She's in her room."

"Leave the door open!" Kathy called, as I turned toward the hallway.

I sent Kathy a smirk over my shoulder. "You take the fun out of everything," I said. I never could have gotten away with teasing Brittany's mom like that. Or even Mallory's. But Willow's mom was amazing and absolutely adored me. I was pretty sure that I could get away with just about anything with her.

She laughed. "Go. Before I change my mind and make you two sit in the living room, under my very watchful eye."

I made my way to Willow's room, where I could hear the sounds of a Star Wars movie. Her door was already opened, so I knocked on the doorframe and leaned against it.

Willow paused the movie and looked up. "I don't think your mom trusts me alone with you," I told her.

She chuckled. "You're a hormonal teenage boy. Of course she doesn't trust you alone with me. What are you doing here so early? I wasn't expecting you for another hour."

I shrugged. "I stopped by a little early to see if your mom need any help with lunch. I guess she and Charles have got it under control, though."

"Yeah, he's been here since like, eight this morning. He insisted that he wanted to do all of the cooking, but he hasn't been able to kick Mom entirely out of the kitchen. She kept hovering. I think he finally gave up trying, and is letting her help."

"Looked like it to me." I stepped into her room. Willow's room was…chaotic. Not in a bad way, but it was busy. She had a TV mounted in one corner, with several different gaming stations underneath – including an old Atari that amazingly still worked. There was a small desk by the door, with her laptop on it and random papers strewn across it. Her bed was against the opposite wall. She had a large bookshelf – full – next to her closet.

And just about every inch of her walls was covered. Movie posters, ticket stubs, photos, stickers, quotes. They were everywhere.

"Still coming over to my grandparents' house for dinner?" I asked her, plopping next to her on the bed.

"Duh," she said. She sat up and leaned her head against my shoulder. "I wouldn't miss it. I love your crazy family. Who will all be there?"

I started listing them off. "My parents, of course. My siblings. Us. Aunt Maddie and her family – unless baby Trista is having a rough day again. She was sick the other day, so Uncle Sammy might end up staying home with her, I'm not sure. Aunt Harper and her family. And Mamie and Pappy."

"Sounds fun."

"Sounds loud," I corrected her.

"I like loud. Besides, I still have to beat your twin brothers at laser tag."

I laughed. We had a laser tag game that the twins had somehow convinced Willow to play with them one time she came over. She'd lost. Badly, which she was still upset about, apparently. "Nobody beats the twins at that game. They use their magic to cheat."

"I'm determined. I will win, magic or no magic." I just shook my head. It didn't matter how determined she was, she would never beat them. She saw me me and smirked. "Oh, trust me. This time will be different."

I narrowed my eyes at my girlfriend. "What do you have planned?"

She shrugged. "Something."

I decided not to press it. I'd find out soon enough.

Willow turned my face gently and pressed her lips to mine.

"There better not be any funny business going on in there!" Kathy yelled, startling me and Willow apart. Not that we were doing anything wrong. It was just a kiss. And not even a very passionate one!

I frowned at Willow. "Does your mom have some sort of magic or something? How could she tell?"

"No magic. She's just a mom. They seem to know these things."

"Well, it's annoying."

Willow just laughed and kissed me again.