Cassie and Luke made it through his deployment and navigating their fake marriage but now Luke's in prison and Cassie's convince her love. They do love each other but 6 more months. 6 more months until they can be together again.
IT IS NOT COMPLETE...
Cassie lay on the sofa, half-watching the TV with Peaches snuggled up tight next to her, whilst Eli napped soundly in the other room. Luke had gone out about an hour ago but wouldn't tell Cassie where. She had her suspicions but there was still one or two possibilities.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door so Cassie got up and opened it. She assumed it wasn't Luke as he wouldn't knock, or so she thought. There he stood, happy and proud. He looked a small child, proud to show someone a picture they'd drawn.
"I know you don't like Christmas but..." Luke said, moving his arms to point to a big green Christmas tree that lay on the stairs. How he'd got it this far without Cassie hearing him, she'd never know.
"Luke!" Cassie exclaimed, laughing at the same time. "What?" he asked, slightly nervous he'd screwed up. " That's amazing but there is now way it is going to fit through the door!" Cassie exclaimed. "What about if I call Jake? We get it on the balcony and through those doors?" Luke suggested. Cassie couldn't help but laugh at the idea. It was so stupid.
The pair spent the next 30 minutes trying to shuffle the Christmas tree through the door, not getting very far. Eli soon started screaming, waking from his nap so Cassie paused to go get the now 6 month old. She balanced him on her hip whilst trying to direct Luke on getting the Christmas tree in the apartment. Eli's small laugh could be heard, finding the situation hilarious and Luke was getting more frustrated by the minute. His military discipline and determination was showing. There was no way he was just going to leave this tree.
Eventually they squeezed it in. Luke then ran down to the car, pulling out a crate of decorations. He rushed back up, proud to present the box. Eli was intensely curious of the decorations, pulling out a shiny bauble which inevitably went straight to his mouth, and Cassie had to pull it backwards. Eli adored all the decorations. The glitter, sparkle and brightness filled him with joy. He was almost in a trance.
Cassie and Luke spent the next 40 minutes or so, bickering over where the tree before settling on the perfect position. The tree was still miles to big for the small space but that didn't matter. The couple strung the tinsel and lights out, trying to involve Eli even though he just kept trying to eat them or pull it over.
They then placed the baubles on the tree, not so perfectly but again it didn't matter to either Cassie or Luke. It was their perfect tree. Eli kept pulling off every bauble from the tree and giggling as Luke would pick it up and put it back on.
Cassie hadn't liked Christmas for years. As a child, it was never anything special. Her mum couldn't afford to get Cassie presents and when she went back to school, everyone was talking about how amazing their time was and Cassie had to lie. It made her mum upset, knowing what Cassie was doing and that she couldn't give her the childhood she wanted her to have. Then being a single financially struggling adult meant that Christmas wasn't special as she had no-one to spend it with and it was just money she didn't have. Luke changed that.
Luke accepted that she didn't like Christmas but still subtly tried to change that without being pushy. He'd wanted a Christmas with a tree, family and good food for Eli so had insisted to Cassie that they do it, in the process, slowly changing her opinion. They couldn't of been more polar opposite yet perfect for eachother.
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