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It is Christmas time, the most wonderful time of the year, or at least that's what all the Hallmark movies I am being forced to watch are telling me.
“Elizabeth?”
I offer Jack a sleepy smile. “It's fine, Jack, I'm just a little tired.” It is my first Christmas alone ever since I was a convict and then thrown into the mist. We had escaped, but now Yvonne was spending time with her family, leaving me alone.
Or I would be alone if Jack wasn’t here.
Jack's eyes rake over me. He is so kind under all his sarcasm. So kind in fact, that he hasn’t let me spend a moment alone. The closer we got to Christmas, the more his presence became known.
“Elijah will be here with the groceries soon enough,” the boy tells me. He throws his long hair over his shoulder and snuggles deeper into the couch cushions, resting his head on my shoulder. His eyes bounce around as the movie plays, taking in everything the movie has to offer.
“Oh!” Jack springs up upon remembering something and runs over to his coat hanging by the door. He shifts back and forth between his two socked feet and hurries back to huddle under the warm blanket. “I got you something, it's small but I think you’ll like it.”
The television light casts a cool tone over the boy as he watches me, anticipation swimming in his eyes. I take the small red velvet box in my hands, Jack's smile growing wider.
As I admire the outside of the box, its plush exterior, the gems sewn into the fabric, he can barely contain himself. I glance at Jack, my mouth pinched in a straight line with amusement, and finally open the box.
“Do you like it?” Jacks bursts out, leaning forward.
“I don’t know what to say…”
The necklace dangles in my fingers. A simple diamond pendent.
“How did you know?”
Jack watches me mischievously. “I have my ways. You know you can’t hide anything from me.” He gets solemn. “But how can someone tell they’re daughter they can’t own jewelry? I could understand maybe not allowing a ten year old to get a belly button piercing, but still. A necklace or bracelet?”
He waves his hand in the air, dismissing the subject. “I hope that this small gift brings you good fortune. I know you’re a lawyer so you don’t believe in hocus pocus, but one can still hope.”
Jack yelps as we fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs and pillows. I squeeze him tightly.
“What are you doing?” Jack laughs, trying to push me away. But the limber man is no match for me.
We freeze as the door closes behind us, Jack's hand still pushing at my shoulder. Elijah’s eyebrows scrunch together. He then shrugs and heads for the kitchen, throwing another glance over his shoulder.
“Elijah, save me!” Jack groans. He shoots me a smug look that quickly dissipates.
“You probably deserve it,” Elijah calls.
“Elijah!” Jack scolds. He shimmies out from under me and races to the kitchen.
I smile as their banter wafts into the living room. I look at the necklace on the floor and smile. It's the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
My phone rings and I rummage through the couch cushions until I find it. “Hello?” I pick up the necklace so it doesn’t get stepped on and admire the rainbow reflections.
“Elizabeth!” Jun's deep voice rings in my ear. “We're outside your apartment.”
“I thought you were going to China?” It was normal for them to randomly show up.
“We changed our minds.” There’s a knock at the door.
“How you doing?” Jun nods his Christmas-covered head at me. He peeks in through the door frame at my sad excuse for decorating. “Looks cosy.”
Nathan pops out from around the corner with Yan at his side. He grunts at me and I can’t help but think maybe I interrupted his fanfic reading time.
The next thing I know, my face is pressed against a rock solid chest. “We wouldn’t miss this chance for the world so stop making weird faces,” Jun laughs. His laugh vibrates through his chest, a deep genuine laugh, like a superhero.
Jun herds us into the apartment, his muscular arm still around my shoulders and Elijah beams at them.
Jack is quick to escape once Yan’s gaze lands on him. She is quick at his heels. Nothing gets in her way when she has a mission.
Elijah watches endearingly as Jack escapes into my bedroom, small curses sounding from his mouth. “It's good to see him make friends.”
“I don’t think he sees it that way,” Jun smirks.
Nathan slightly slumps his shoulders and says, “Yan is super sweet and I love her, but she had deadly makeover eyes.”
“It's about time he got rid of that old sweater anyway.”
Jun forms a small o with his mouth as he remembers something. “I accidently forgot your present in the car,” he sheepishly tells me.
Nathan slaps the football player's arm playfully. “Do you mind going out there to get it?” He asks me. “I need to use the restroom after such a long flight.”
“Sure. The bathroom’s around that corner to the left.”
Jun helps me into my coat. “I'm really sorry for all this.”
“The best gift you could’ve gotten me was being here.”
He thinks for a moment, his eyes twinkling. “Hurry up, or you’ll catch your death of cold.” Jun closes the door after my ‘ok, Dad’ comment and I carry on my way, a small smile playing on my lips.
I happily shower my neighbor in merry holiday greetings as we cross paths and walk down the steps to the lobby of the hotel. Jun said he left it in the car, meaning Nathan’s car he keeps in the United States. The bright red sports car will stand out in the bleak parking lot. Most of the tenants have gone away to see family.
I burst out the lobby doors, the cold kissing my face, and look around for the sports car.
“Waiting for someone?” A familiar voice says behind me. I whirl around to see Yvonne.
“Yvonne-"
She engulfs me, her body heat seeping into my clothes.
And then she kisses me. My cheeks, my eyes, my lips. She showers me in warm kisses. “I missed you,” she breathes against my lips.
“I missed you to.”
We entwine our frost bitten fingers together and slip them into my pockets. Yvonne looks down curiously, pulling the necklace from my jacket pocket. When did that get there?
Yvonne smiles. “It's beautiful, perfect.” She reaches around me and clasps the necklace around my neck. “Every goddess needs an accessory.”
I hope it’ll bring you good fortune.
“Let's go inside,” I smile, tears forming in my eyes. “Everyone else is waiting for us.”
Maybe Christmas isn’t that bad after all, especially when you have friends working to make a Christmas miracle.