Don't Turn Back (Coming Home Book 1) (21 page)

Brian stares out the window, not saying a word the entire way as I drive us to the mall. I really hope he’s okay. I noticed earlier that he seemed distant, as though he may have had something important on his mind. But, I figured if he needed to talk about it, he would have mentioned it. I cross my fingers and hope he’s going to love the surprise I have in store for him.

“We’re here.” I announce as we pull into the parking lot of the cell phone store that’s located just outside the mall.

He looks around, and an odd expression clouds his face. “Okay. I’m still not sure what you’re up to.” He says this, still not realizing what I’m about to do for him.

“As an early Christmas present to you, I’m going to add you on to my phone plan.” I think I’m more excited about this than he is. “I know you mentioned getting one of those pay as you go phones, but I hear they don’t have very good reception. So, I checked into it, and I can add you on to my plan for a small amount each month. We should be able to pick from several phones that cost very little or even nothing, and hopefully, you’ll find one you like.” 

“Are you for real?” Brian asks. “You know you don’t have to do this, right?” I wish I could take a picture as a reminder of the happiness that shows on his face right now. Talk about being shocked. It makes me wonder if anyone has even done anything nice for him before.

“I want to.” I assure him. “I hate not being able to talk to you when I get lonely at night. Besides, I need some way to get ahold of you in case of an emergency. This way, we will always be just a phone call away.” 

Taking my hand in his, we walk in together and are immediately assisted by a salesman. He shows us a few phones, makes a couple of recommendations, and answers all of our questions. Within an hour, we are walking back out, with Brian now being the proud new owner of a cell phone. 

I reach for his phone. “Here, let me see it for a minute.” I talked him into getting a phone similar to mine, since I’m already familiar with its functions. I think he’ll be happy with it. 

I turn on the camera feature and take a picture of the both of us. I make a few clicks, adding the photo to his home screen, and turn it around to show him. A smile appears across his face, and I’m glad to see he’s no longer showing signs of the weird mood I noticed earlier. Whatever it was must be gone now.

We climb back in the car, and Brian plays around with the phone, changing certain settings to his own liking. “Thank you Jennifer. I never expected this at all.”

I reach over and cover his hand with mine. “You’re very welcome. I just figured it would be better in the long run to add a couple of extra dollars to my phone bill each month, instead of you adding minutes and data to a phone all the time. It’s really not that big of a deal.” I pause a moment before adding, “And, I sort of have another surprise too.”

“Wait what? You’ve been too generous to me already.”

“Yeah, well, since this is going to be our first Christmas together, how would you like to get our very own tree and decorate it?” I am hardly able to contain my excitement. Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. 

I know it may seem like I am rushing into this relationship, and things do appear to be moving rather quickly, but it just feels so right. Besides, even if Brian and I were not together, I had planned on getting my own tree anyway. Being able to share this with Brian is just an added bonus.

I drive us to Target, and, like a little kid, I can’t wait to browse the seasonal section, taking in all the pretty decorations. There are so many to pick from, and I have a hard time selecting the perfect tree. I know I want an artificial tree that I will be able to use every year, but they could have made it a little easier by not having so many choices. Brian makes the final decision for us, and he props the oversized tree across the cart. We walk down the aisles looking at all the decorations, and together, we pick out lights, garland and ornaments that will make our tree beautiful.

I’m so eager to get home now and start on our project. I pick up a box of hot chocolate and a bag of marshmallows to make the night complete. We may not have a fireplace or rug to cuddle on, but once we are finished, I’m sure the view of our tree from the couch will be spectacular. 

We make it back to the apartment in record time, and Brian unloads the tree from the back while I grab all the bags of decorations. Placing everything in the middle of the living room floor, we sit down and discuss where to place the new tree.

“I think it would look nice in front of the patio door.” I suggest. “That way, we can open the blinds and see it from the outside.”

“Or do you think it would look good over in that corner?” He offers, pointing to the corner near the television. “I know you want it to be seen from the outside, but you’re not going to want the blinds open every night for everyone to see inside as well. Being on the bottom floor, you don’t have as much privacy as one of the upper units.”

I agree with what he’s saying, so we decide to go with the spot in the corner. Also, since we enjoy going out on the patio so much, if the tree is blocking the doorway, it won’t be easy going in and out once there are a few presents underneath.

We spend the next several hours assembling the tree and trimming it with all the decorations. The last thing we need to do before turning on the tree lights is to place the angel on top of the tree. I notice Brian is somewhat quieter than usual, but I don’t say anything. He takes the trash outside to the dumpster, and when he comes back inside, I grab his hand and pull him close to me. 

“What do you think? We did a pretty good job, huh?” I ask him, pleased with the outcome.

“I think it’s beautiful. It’s been so long since I’ve helped decorate a tree. The last time I can recall was when I was still in grade school.” He shares this personal memory with me. “My mom popped the popcorn and I helped to pull the string through. Do people even pop popcorn to put on their trees anymore?”

Suddenly, I am full of emotion. Christmas has always been a special holiday for my family. It saddens me to think Brian has not shared this with his family or anyone, for that matter, in such a long time. I make up my mind to make it one he will remember for a long time. I want this Christmas to hold a special place in his heart.

I walk over to turn out the overhead light, and I’m in awe at the way the tree lights sparkle as they light up the room. Brian sits down on the couch, enjoying the view, and I take a seat in his lap. I lean my head against his shoulder, and we both stare at the beauty of the tree without saying a word.
Everything is perfect in my life
.

I turn towards Brian and begin teasing him with tiny kisses along his neck. It doesn’t take long before his hands are roaming all over me, then removing my clothes, one piece at a time. I allow him to explore my body, slowly at first. I become impatient for his touch, so I move on top of him and strip him down to nothing. We make love in front of the tree that night, and I never want to forget this moment. 

The next few weeks, we fall into a simple routine--he leaves for work each morning around the same time I come home from the hotel, and in the evening, I make sure to have dinner fixed for us as soon as he walks in. We spend a couple hours together before I have to leave for work. I still feel that something is bothering Brian, but I don’t approach the subject with him. He doesn’t discuss work very much anymore, and I don’t dare question him about it either. Things have been going too good lately, I don’t want to rock the boat. He’s probably missing his family, this being the holiday season and all, and just doesn’t want to say anything.

The week before Christmas, my parents arrive back in town, and we make plans to go out to dinner for formal introductions with Brian and the rest of the family. I am so happy to finally be able to see them. While my parents still call almost every week, there’s nothing better than being able to finally give my mom a hug. I admit though, having Brian around has definitely made my time at home nowhere near as lonely as it was before he came to town.

I can tell Brian is nervous about meeting my family later on tonight. Standing in the bedroom wearing nothing but his jeans, he asks for my opinion on which shirt to wear, hoping to make a good first impression. I help him select one, and he looks very nice once he has on his belt and shoes. “They are going to love you, don’t worry.” I reassure him.

“I hope you are right. I’ve never been any good when it comes to meeting the parents.” 

“Oh, my parents are harmless.” I quickly add.  “You and my dad will start talking sports, and you will never get him to shut up, I promise you.” I don’t want him to feel awkward, but I must admit, I’m trying to reassure myself, too.

We arrive at the restaurant, and I see my mom and dad are already here, sitting at a large table in the back. They stand up to give me a hug, and I make the introductions. My dad shakes Brian’s hand while my mom nods her head and says she’s glad to meet him. We finally sit down again, and I feel like my parents are eyeing him up and down, which I guess is to be expected for their little girl. I just want everyone to feel comfortable and not awkward, if that’s even possible. Everyone is quiet, except for the sound of the cracker packets being ripped open and the scrape of the forks against the salad bowls.

I finally break the silence. “Where are Mark and Dale?” I ask, referring to my brothers. 

My mom is the first to speak. “They should be here any minute. Mark helped us earlier with setting up camper in the yard. He was waiting on Tiffany to get ready, then should be heading this way.”

“It’s sad that Mark and Dale both live here, yet I hardly ever see them. I guess if I worked normal daytime hours, I would be able to see them more.” I tell my parents, trying to make conversation.

“How’s work going?” My dad asks me.

“It’s the same, except we seem to be having more guests now than we’ve ever had before. In fact, there are many nights where all the rooms are filled; it sure makes the bosses happy.”

Every time I look at my mom, she’s staring at Brian, and I get the feeling she’s not very pleased with something about him. I try to steer the conversation away from us and ask about their travels. “Sometime this week, I will come over so you can show me all the pictures you’ve been taking.” 

I wish my parents had Facebook, so they could keep us updated with their photos and travels, but I am just happy my dad has finally learned to text. That’s progress; I will work on Facebook later. 

My brothers and their wives finally arrive, and I make more introductions. Everyone makes small talk, and finally we order our food. Brian attempts to talk with my brothers, mostly about football and who is going to the playoffs, and, surprisingly, my dad contributes very little to the conversation.  I just knew he and Brian would connect since they both enjoy sports so much.

I am thankful when the food arrives because the night is quickly becoming very awkward, to say the least. I regret not ordering a drink to settle my nerves, but now, I just want to finish the meal and leave the restaurant as quickly as possible. My family eats in silence. The waitress returns to collect the empty plates and to offer dessert, but I politely decline. Brian doesn’t even bother to answer. His silence concerns me, but I figure he must be feeling the same strange vibe that I am.  

My dad takes care of the bill, and we all walk outside of the restaurant. We finalize the plans for Christmas day, agreeing to meet at Dale’s house at noon. 

“Brian, will you be joining us or do you have plans with your own family?”  My mother questions Brian, and I don’t know if I should be happy or not.

“Yes ma’am. I would love to join your family. Thank you for inviting me.” Brian wasn’t expecting that at all.

My mother’s expression doesn’t show it, but I don’t know if she was really expecting him to accept her offer, or if she was just offering to be nice.

Not wanting to make the situation any more awkward, I give everyone a hug, and Brian and I make our way to the car.